The Ice Belt plays host to sporting events and activities throughout the year, but none are more fitting or homegrown than the National Ice Fishing Championship held in Alexandria, MN each year.  The NAIFC is a two-day Championship pitting the top 75 teams from the previous year’s Trap Attack tournament season against each other.  First place finishers receive a payout of $10,000, custom gold rings and ice fishing’s ultimate bragging rights.

 The Trap Attack series, put on by Ice Team, is a tournament trail that provides the qualifiers for the annual December tournament.  Ice Team organizes and runs this true test of ice fishing skill, which is the only tournament of its kind. 

 More than two decades ago, Genz turned the ice fishing world upside down by preaching a mobile approach to a sport dominated by stationary anglers hunkered in “permanent” fish houses. The ensuing revolution yielded a new generation of tackle and techniques we enjoy today.

 Each year at this “Super Bowl of Ice Fishing”, competitors pilot snowmobiles or ATVs bristling with global positioning systems, four-stroke augers, sonar fish finders, portable Fish Trap shelters and rod cases housing sweet, sensitive sticks anglers of old only dreamed about. 

 Started way back in 1980, Trap Attacks were originally intended to be a gathering place for people excited about the modern ice fishing revolution. All these years later, that’s what they still are. On tap for this coming winter is a slate of six Trap Attacks, spread across the ice belt from Minnesota to New York.  For more information on participating, visit http://www.iceteam.com/trap_attacks/index.html.

Still, despite the growing sophistication of Trap Attack competitors, these events remain approachable even for newcomers. There is an unmistakable common-folk quality to the sport of ice fishing that seems to attract hard-working people who naturally like to help others. The big message is that if you want to learn all about modern ice fishing, there are no better training grounds than a Trap Attack. Many teams travel long distances to fish, and find lifelong friends to go with a heaping dose of real-world information.

The 2006 NAIFC was held on Lake Carlos in Alexandria, MN.  At roughly 2,500 acres, Lake Carlos offers anglers a variety of options. Known more for bass and walleyes, its gin-clear depths also hold crappies and various sunfish. The teams were limited to the lake’s large north bay, but still found water depths past 40 feet, and varied structural and weed-oriented locational options.  The winners, David and Scott Neubert, hailed from St. Cloud, Minn.

Celebrating its 10^th anniversary, Ice Team is a consortium of industry leaders working together to promote the sport and educate anglers of all skill levels. Sponsors include Clam Corp. (Fish Trap, The Clam and Ice Armor), Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, StrikeMaster, Arctic Cat, Vexilar, Christian Brothers brandy, Mr. Heater Corp., Arctic Fisherman (Beaver Dam tip-ups), Alexandria Hotels and Hospitality, and Frank’s Service Inc. (Ultra Shack).