Posted at: 02/12/2010 5:33 PM | KSAX.com
By: Megan Matthews

Hundreds of Volunteers Prep for Alexandria Ice Fishing Challenge

ALEXANDRIA, Minn. - The Alexandria Ice Fishing Challenge is Saturday and crews began drilling holes Friday to prepare for the tournament.

The ice conditions are good, and the weather was great for the volunteers drilling holes in the ice. Everyone is ready for Saturday's tournament.

The sound of more than a hundred ice augers filled the air as Kelly Johnson and Bob Kirckof walked carried their ice auger across the lake.

"Been out here just waiting to drill holes and having fun...new experience. I never done this before, so it'll be fun," Kelly Johnson said.

Volunteers drilled around 5,000 holes to prepare for this weekend's Alexandria Ice Fishing Challenge. Johnson and Kirckof are running one auger together. They say getting ready for the tournament takes a lot of hard work.

"The auger goes down pretty good, but you have to pull it back up. That's the hard part," Kirckof said.

They're already drilled at least 100 holes, and the holes line the lake.

"Oh all the way over there, and all the way over on that side too," Johnson said.

"All the hole drillers go out and drill holes, and we try to get as many holes drilled as fast as we can," Co-Chair Belinda Wink said.

The tournament is also bringing some good business to Christopherson Bait Shop. Anglers are already filing in to buy tickets and supplies.

"It's starting to pick up. I talked to a lot of guys who were waiting to see how the weather was going to go, and we're getting a nice forecast. I think there's going to be a lot of tickets sold tonight and tomorrow morning," Employee Dana Freese said.

Around 4,000 people will come to Alexandria to compete Saturday, which is great news for all area businesses.

"It's good for the town. I've talked to people already today who are here from Canada...some people were from Indiana to fish the ice tournament, so it brings in quite a few people to town," Freese said.

"Yeah I was here last year...me and my daughter and we had lots of fun, so we wanted to try it again," Johnson said.

"We're very excited, because it looks like this year we're going to have very good weather," Co-chair Jessica Nelson said.

For anyone who doesn't have tickets, you can buy them Saturday on the ice for $45. The tournament runs from 12 p.m. until 3 p.m.

Written for the web by Megan Matthews

megan@ksax.com