After No Fish, Minn. Contest To Roll Prize Forward

ALEXANDRIA (AP) - Organizers of a central Minnesota ice fishing tournament that turned up no fish say they will roll the cash prizes forward to next year.

Organizers of the 2011 Alexandria Ice Fishing Challenge on Lake Agnes also say next year's event will be moved to a new location.

The organizers apologized to participants, saying no one could have predicted what happened.

About 2,200 anglers turned out Saturday, but no one caught a fish. The grand prize was $10,000.

Although many participants asked that the prizes be given away in a drawing, organizers say they were legally unable to do so.

Drawing for the prizes would have constituted a raffle, and organizers say they did not have a raffle permit.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)