BRAINERD, Minn. -- A 13-year-old Minnesota boy is the winner of the 33rd annual Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza.

On Saturday, the organization announced that Zac Padrnos caught a 9.45-pound walleye in the early afternoon. He was fishing in about 50 feet of water with a tungsten jib and 3-pound test line. Cemented Carbide Sleeves

13-year-old angler wins Brainerd ice fishing tournament - CBS Minnesota

"He felt a hit of what he thought was a tullibee, but in the end with adrenaline running he ended up reeling in a fish of a lifetime, a walleye," the event said in a Facebook post.

According to the organization's preliminary estimates, there were nearly 12,000 people in attendance for what it calls the "world's largest charitable ice fishing tournament."

Padrnos had his choice of cash options or a truck - he picked the truck, a Ford F150. The organization says his guardians will assume responsibility for the vehicle.

The event first began in 1991.

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First published on January 31, 2023 / 10:19 AM