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Committee excited about hosting 1,050 anglers


A year’s planning and hard work will culminate the night of Saturday, Jan. 10, 2015, as volunteers award more than $185,000 in prizes to the area’s largest group of tournament ice-fisherman.

The Mobridge Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee’s 14th Annual Ice Fishing Tournament will close on that Saturday after three days of fun and fishing. The Tourism Committee has been working on the 2015 tourney since the final prize was given away at last year’s event. The constantly-growing event has become one of the largest ice fishing tournaments in the country and one of the most popular. Many teams travel from out-of-state and even from outside of the country to fish the tourney.

“We had 400 people vying for 25 lottery spots this year,” said committee member Kelsey Majeske. “We even expanded the tourney to 525 teams and we still have that many people wanting to fish the tournament.”

The lottery is open to all anglers, but because of the popularity of the tournament, (it  has a more than 80 percent return rate) it is very difficult to get into. Teams that have fished the tournament for years have a spot if they wish to keep it. If not, that spot goes into the lottery drawing. Teams that win a lottery spot are not guaranteed a spot next year and must again enter the lottery.

Majeske said only seven teams did not come back to the tournament this year. The goal of opening those spots for the lottery is to give new teams a chance to get into the tournament.

Eventually, Majeske said, the committee would like about 25 percent of the spots in the tournament to be lottery spots.

Again this year, the prize package has grown with new sponsors and better prizes.

On this year’s prize list are three Ice Castle fish houses, three Honda four-wheelers and a Bobcat side-by-side. There will also be an Aluma trailer, $2,500 in merchandise from Runnings, $2,500 in Scheels gear, 20 Strikemaster Augers, 20 Vexilar graphs and 10 Clam Shacks. There will be other prizes given away throughout the three-day event.

Cash payouts will be awarded to the top 25 teams and every team that finishes in 10th place will have their entry fees returned.

Every team that finishes in places ending in 1 gets a Beam outdoor fishing combo. For the angler that lands the largest walleye, there is a $500 prize package awarded by Beadle’s Sales.

The event begins on Thursday, Jan. 8, with the Ice Fishing Expo at Scherr-Howe Event Center.  The doors open at 3 p.m. with booths and displays for equipment and information about ice fishing. There will also be prizes given away at the event. Concessions will be served starting at 6 p.m. Anglers may also register their team on Thursday at the Expo.

At 8 p.m., comedian Mylo Hatzenbuhler will entertain the crowd. The Expo and the entertainment are open to the public. Tickets for the event will be sold at the door.

On Friday, the Expo will continue from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. The event center will then be transformed into the rules meeting venue with doors opening at 5 p.m. with the meeting starting at 6 p.m.

Majeske said all anglers fishing the tournament must register by 7:30 p.m. and be in attendance at Friday’s meeting. There will be raffles and prizes awarded at this event and it is open to the public.

With the 525 teams, the event center is crowded, but according to Majeske, it is very important to the committee to keep the event open to the public. It is an important event for the whole community and they should be a part of it, she said.

She said it is not only the event space, but area hotels and motels in the area are also full during this time.

Saturday morning the anglers launch from the Coke warehouse on West Grand Crossing at 9 a.m. Weigh-ins will be at Beadle’s Chevrolet from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.

The awards event will be held Saturday at Scherr-Howe with the doors opening at 5 p.m.

Majeske said the committee members are looking forward to  hosting the 1,050 anglers in Januaary. Those committee members are Rick Boulduan and Dawn Konold, co-chairs of the Tourism Committee; Jesse Konold, chairman of the tournament; and Brent Kemnitz, Jeff Jackson, Misty Helm, Michele Harrison, B.J. Wiest, Josh Stoick and Dan Richards.

– Katie Zerr –

 

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