Saturday afternoon was another well-attended Jackfish Lake Ice Fishing Derby.
An estimated 2,400 fishing enthusiasts converged on the frozen lake to try their luck catching the fish that roamed underneath the ice.
Unlike some recent years where temperatures dipped down to some unbearable levels, this year saw milder conditions for the many participants who gathered at the event, held right on the lake next to Battlefords Provincial Park.
On hand were Battlefords North Stars players who were there to sell 50/50 tickets and lend their support. The event is typically the biggest fundraiser of the year for the North Stars.
The winner of the grand prize was Dallas Morrell of Lloydminster who caught a 6.2 lb Northern Pike. Morrell wins the Vectra 21-2S pontoon boat with 60 HP Mercury four-stroke engine.
Second prize of a Polaris Ranger went to Devin Smith of Meadow Lake who caught a 5.1 lb Pike, while John Mahon of Grande Prairie, Alta. took home the Kramer Deluxe Ice Fishing Shack for third place.
The 50/50 draw ended up with a winner from Delisle receiving $14,671.
The 17th annual event featured over $200,000 in prizes on offer. One bonus prize was for the biggest fish caught over 7.5 lbs, which would have been for $100,000 in cash plus $50,000 shopping at Battleford Furniture.
While the grand-prize winning fish was an impressive catch, no one was able to capture a 7.5 lb fish, so the bonus prize remained unclaimed.
Despite that, there was no shortage of impressive-sized catches by participants on the weekend. More than 400 fish were caught during the event.
Other prizes on the afternoon included a 55 inch Panasonic 3D TV for fourth place, an Ultimate Ice Fishing Package for fifth, and sixth and seventh prizes of 50 inch Panasonic HD TVs. There were also several other bonus prizes.
Organizer Darren Huxley of the North Stars board attributes a well-run event as the reason for its continued popularity with fishing enthusiasts.
"I think people keep coming back because the prizes are good, plus it's run good - everything starts at the right time, you give out the prizes as quick as you can at the end so that people from far away can get back home," Huxley said.
