Presented by Yamaha Motor Corp USA and Warrior Boats Inc.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 6, 2023
Contact: Denny Fox, 920-505-0122
Anglers Insight Marketing LLC (AIM™)
A ‘Sak’ Full Of Walleye: Sakakawea Awaits
AIM NoDak State Championship Friday, Saturday
Do you “make the run” to that no-secret spot to the northwest, or do you find some points and channels that no one’s bothered to fish recently, where walleye gold awaits? That’s the question for the teams that will line up Friday morning (Sept. 8) for the start of the two-day AWWS Yamaha Motor Corp. USA North Dakota State Championship on beautiful, and walleye-rich, Lake Sakakawea.
“That “run” that is no secret to any of the teams entered will be to that walleye bathtub called Van Hook Arm, where the main Missouri River channel bends north into the southern part of the arm. But there are others who say don’t forget those fish-producing points closer to the start in Beulah,” said Denny Fox, AIM national tournament director. “The lake is hot, the weather is, well, North Dakota, meaning the potential for wind, so that might also determine where our teams will try. The Yamaha Motor Corp. USA Team Of The Year is also on the line, as are those coveted spots at next year’s AIM/Warrior Boats National Championship Shootout. Saturday afternoon, we’ll see who’s found the winners.”
Dennis Bense of Bismarck and Roger Schumann of Minot will be there, and Bense says this year could be better, but a good showing at the championship will make up for it. They’ll be “hauling stern” for those Lake Sak hawgs in a Mercury 400 Verado powered boat.
“We’ve had a tough year on the AIM circuit and the chips are on the line, so we can qualify for the championship,” Bense said. It’ll be interesting, that’s for sure. I’ve been out the last couple of days, and they (Denny Fox) took the boundaries off, so I’ve been concentrating on my end of the lake, the east end. But I don’t think there’s any secret where most will end up. They’ll be making long runs.”
“I was on the lake the last two days (Fan Nation, we reached him last weekend), and was catching fish but I wasn’t catching the right fish. There have been some bigs caught in the last few days and some days they bite on the spots and some days they don’t. The question always is, when are they going to bite,” he said.
“There will be some using forward facing sonar, some caught trolling and some ‘jig-rapping and ‘chubbing’. And you can catch some on crawlers. Who knows, there’ll probably be something else that works too.
“I’d like to find a spot in the next week where I won’t have to be with 30 others. There are some out there,” Bense said. And why does Van Hook draw so much interest? “It’s close to the river channel and deep water, and it’s a migration spot,” he reminded.
He’s betting that over this two-day tourney Friday and Saturday, the winner will be needing around 65 pounds.
“But, I’ll just take five bites a day. Can we do it? Certainly. The last time we were in the state championship out of Beulah, my partner had surgery so we didn’t make the run. We were in 27th on Day One. Day Two, we made the run and had 34 pounds, and took fourth. I think we can do it if we get the right bites,” he said.
“My season’s been one of catching’em during pre-fishing and not in the tournament. At Audubon (mid-May), we couldn’t even catch five. At Parshall (mid-June), we had the upper 20s during pre-fishing, and ended with 16.”
Benny Leidholm of Garrison will be in what he feels may be the oldest boat competing, powered by a Mercury 150, with Mason Leidholm also of Garrison, his cousin. Because of his work as an electrician and watching his two kids, he was only able to plan a pre-fish day on Labor Day, so he’s going into Beulah a little blind. They’re currently in 12th for Team Of The Year, and in contention. He says that Sakakawea is a bit different this year.
“I think it’s kinda strange. We’re fishing a lot deeper than normal, 40-plus feet. Usually this time of year we’re up shallow, pulling cranks,” Leidholm said, and the Beulah area will be new water, and he’s counting on finding fish there, and not making “the run.”
“All the other tournament boats will make that big, long run. That’s a 40-mile run. I’ll find fish in the area. I’m hoping I can get out Monday since I don’t have to work. I’ve been hearing people have been doing good deep with crawlers. Hopefully we’ll find a pile of them along the points and that they’re hungry,” he said.
Lonnie Jacobs of Douglas will be on the water with son Trapper in their Merc 350 Verado-powered boat, and the last time he’s been on Lake Sak at Beulah was a month ago.
“We fished it several times in the past and at the end of July, but this time of year, it’s hit and miss. We may have to make the long run, but starting tomorrow (we spoke with him the weekend prior) we’ll figure it out. It’s probably a 50/50 shot if we make the run or fish the middle part of the lake,” Jacobs said.
“If we can get the fish to go, we’ll save an hour in the morning and an hour running back, and that’s huge. We got’em to go at the end of July, but it’s a totally different time of the year,” he said.
“Typically, you either fish the east or west end and the west is always better. If someone makes that long run that’s where you’re going, Van Hook Arm. Late spring to fall there’s fish up there. The channel wraps right into Van Hook before it heads back to the south-southeast. The fish are migrating into that, and they just move up. It’s no secret. Everybody knows it,” Jacobs added.
“When someone says they’re going to make the long run, that’s what they’re saying. It takes 52 to 54 minutes. The long-range weather is looking good right now but I’m telling you, that can change so much in the next week. If you have 20-plus mph wind, it’s a different ball game. That’s why you have to figure out and find fish in the middle part of the lake,” he explained.
And there, it’s points, points, points. That means finding those gravelly points slicing into the deep where the fish are. They love to hang there to sunbathe and set ambushes. That gravel’s why they’re called gravel lizards.
“Some hold fish and some don’t. When there’s a point by deep water or a river channel, there’s going to be fish on it, and you might find some good ones. And that’s no secret either. All these guys who fish AIM out here, none of them are rookies,” he said.
Jacobs is betting he’ll be among the 90 percent of teams who will be “live baiting,” pulling Lindy rigs tipped with everything from worms and leeches to creek chubs.
“There was a troll bite earlier this year and it kinda went away. I’m going to say 90 percent of the field will be doing the same thing we’ll be doing, and some in the fronts will have a Jigging Rap on. In the last month, Jigging Raps, popping a 7/8th-ounce, has been catching some really good fish, and that’s no secret either,” he said.
We’ll see whether it’s the “long run” or those gravel points that pierce Lake Sakakawea’s shorelines near Beulah that hold the fish that will win North Dakota and send 10 Dakota teams to the 2024 National Championship Shootout.
Friday, and Saturday, boats will be at the Beulah Bay launch for inspections starting at 5:30 a.m. Teams will leave starting at 7 a.m. both days, and they must return starting at 3 p.m. both days. The first day’s standings will be posted at AIM’s Facebook page, and the Saturday awards ceremony begins at 5 p.m. at the launch. Good luck, all teams!
After this event, AIM’s Rivers Division is front and center, starting this Sunday, Sept. 10 at Clinton, IA. The final Rivers qualifier will be Oct. 1 in Dubuque, IA. The division championship and Team Of The Year battle will take place Oct. 21-22 on the river at Prairie du Chien, WI. AIM’s 2023 season is far from done, Fan Nation. Stay tuned.
You can still register for Rivers Division qualifiers and watch for the 2024 event registration will open early next year. Learn how at aimfishing.com.
You know you want to. You know you can.
Anglers Insight Marketing LLC (AIM™) is a unique tournament organization created and owned by many of the most accomplished and recognizable professional walleye anglers, along with others who share the mission of advancing competitive walleye fishing and making it sustainable into the future.
AIM is committed to marketing excellence on behalf of its tournament competitors, the tournament host communities, and the brands that partner with it. AIM is also committed to maintaining healthy fisheries across the nation by the development of the exclusive AIM Catch-Record-Release™ format which is integral to its dynamic events and unparalleled consumer engagement. For more information about AIM™, AIM Pro Walleye Series™, AIM Weekend Walleye Series, AIM sponsors and AIM anglers, visit www.aimfishing.com.
AIM Presenting Sponsors: Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A. and Warrior Boats inc.
AIM Supporting Sponsors: Mercury Marine, Garmin, Navionics, Power Pole, Worldwide Marine Insurance, Off Shore Tackle, Gemini Sport Marketing, Moonshine Lures Shiver Minnow, JT Outdoors Products, McQuoids Inn, Rosemore Outdoor Gear, Outdoor Authority fish house rentals, Island Bar and Grill, Bait Box on the Rock, Oconto County WI, Odyssey Battery.