Monticello MN to Host National Qualifying Ice Fishing Tournament

[Rick]

MONTICELLO MN - The Monticello Chamber of Commerce has contracted the NAIFC (North American Ice Fishing Circuit) Tournament Series to conduct a National Qualifying Tournament on Pelican Lake, January 21-23, 2011. Teams finishing in the top-10 at the Pelican Qualifier automatically qualify as part of the 75-team field that competes for the NAIFC Championship: To be held December 16-18, 2011 crowning a 2011 North American Champion.

The Pelican Lake Qualifying Tournament is open to the first 150 two- person teams that enter. NAIFC tournaments are run similar to Bassmasters or FLW tournaments: Meaning that the teams must find their own fish, and drill their own holes. Portable fish shelters are allowed with walking, ATVs and snowmobiles the modes of transportation. The Tournament’s fishing hours are from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm on Sunday January 23rd and will focus on Bluegills and Crappies.

Accompanying the NAIFC to Pelican Lake again this year will be the ICE MEN Reality TV program. The ICE MEN episode shot on Pelican Lake will be aired two weeks later on the VERSUS-channel, Wednesdays at 8:30 am CST. Camera crews will be on Pelican Lake prior to and during the tournament as they film the Ice Men reality teams preparing for and competing in the Qualifying Tournament. In addition to Pelican Lake and Monticello receiving National TV exposure (85 million households) one randomly selected local team will be highlighted on the show as they compete along side the ICE MEN. Locals” with their inside-information & home-lake-tactics won every NAIFC qualifying tournament in 2010 showing the traveling teams how to get it done.

The first two days of the Pelican Lake NAIFC Qualifying Tournament focus on education for both kids and adults. A Friday Night Seminar (FNS) January 21st, is free and open to anyone in the tournament or community and features a Nationally known speaker. After the speaker is finished those attending are split into small one-on-one groups with the ICE MEN and other NAIFC Pro-staff to discuss fishing techniques in detail. There is no faster way for any fishermen… experienced or not to learn the successful details of ice fishing than attending these free seminars.

On Saturday, January 22nd a “free” Ice Camp for Kids will be held first in a classroom setting and then the kids, parents and instructors will go out on the ice to use the equipment and receive on the spot training first hand. All kids in attendance will receive a free fishing rod from HT Enterprises. Please dress for the weather!

For more information on the NAIFC, KIDS ICE CAMP, ICE MEN or to enter an NAIFC qualifier please go to www.naifc.com or email [email protected]. To enter a NAIFC qualifier over the phone please call Kathy Roberts at 320 252 0428. For information about the Monticello area please call, 1-763-295-2700 or go to www.monticellocci.com