Presented by Yamaha Motor Corp USA and Warrior Boats LLC.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 31, 2016
Contact: Denny Fox, 920-505-0122
Anglers Insight Marketing LLC (AIM™)
AWWS/Warrior Boats National Championship features ‘meet the anglers,’ kid’s fishing clinic in Superior June 3-4
Free fishing gear for the kids, a chance to meet the best of the best as they search for walleye in Lake Superior and the St. Louis River, and tips and tricks on how they tackled the big lake and the river are all part of the fun at the AIM Weekend Walleye Series /Warrior Boats National Championship in Superior, Wisconsin on this Friday and Saturday, June 3-4.
The location poses lots of challenges and opportunities to best the best who’ve already gathered here on Monday to start pre-fishing the tournament taking place in about as far north in Wisconsin as one can get. In fact, Superior sits across the St. Louis River from Duluth, Minnesota. But, only Wisconsin waters are in bounds. The AIM event, featuring the unique Catch-Record-Release™ format, is the biggest tourney on the lake this year, for good reason.
First, the tournament features 28 teams who’ve qualified to be here from three divisions in 2015. Second, there are lots of events taking place in conjunction with the tournament. Third, and most important to the entrants, the winner goes home with a Warrior 1898 DC deep-V, with walk-through windshield, built-in coolers forward, a 25-gallon rear livewell and powered by a Yamaha 150 four-stroke. All that is sitting atop a custom Warrior EZ Loader trailer, a combo worth $56,000, ready for the winning team to hook up and drive off Saturday afternoon.
Here’s a preview of what anglers can expect, and what fans can see.
Coming up on Wednesday, June 1, come meet the anglers one-on-one at a special event at 6 p.m. at the AWWS championship headquarters, Barker’s Island Inn, 300 Marina Drive, in Superior. You’ll be able to check out up close the teams and their boats.
“This is a heck of a chance to come out and talk to all the guys about AIM, the event, their gear and a walleye fishing on Superior and the St. Louis River,” said Denny Fox, AIM Weekend Walleye Series national tournament director.
On Friday, come to the launch as teams gun up and get going at 7 a.m. from Barker’s Island Inn, which will be the site of each day’s festivities and live video feeds.
At 5pm Friday the weigh in will start and you can witness every fish they registered during the first day of the event.
On Saturday bring the kids for a special fishing clinic just for them, hosted by the National Professional Angler’s Association (NPAA) in conjunction with the Future Angler Foundation, at 4:15 p.m. at Barker’s.
Hosted by walleye pro Robert Blosser, who is entered in the championship, he will be handing out free rods and reels and a “future pro” T-Shirt. They’ll also learn about protecting the future of fishing and the lakes, get free boating safety info and more, including a chance to meet some of the entrants.
Saturday at 5pm the final days weigh in will start and it will feature the most intense weigh in in the walleye world the “Showdown Shootout”. The top five teams will weigh in 1 fish at a time until there is 1 team left for the win. It is edge of your seat excitement, don’t miss it.
Now, about the tournament. When the 28 boats crank up on Friday, they’ll be facing a unique, “where do I try” situation that hopefully most will have figured out during pre-fishing, says Blosser, of Poynette, Wisconsin, who was reached on the water on the first day of practice. Will it be the warmer river or colder Lake Superior that will produce the winner?
“From what I’m told, there’s a great class of fish in the system right now. From our pre-practice research, we’re all going to be looking at that 25-inch average or better to do well here,” said Blosser, who qualified for the national championship by finishing in the top five in Wisconsin in last season’s AIM events.
“There’s definitely a substantial difference in water temperature between the lake (Superior) and the river, so if I had to guess, the fish will be spread out. We still have fish in the (St. Louis) river and there will be fish in the lake, too. The warmest temperature we found on the lake was 55 or 56, and on the river we’re seeing almost 65. And that 50-degree mark seems to be the magic temperature between using cranks and crawlers, so I would say crawlers will definitely come into play.
Also one of the lucky 28 is Waconia, Minnesota’s Nate Gilkey, co-winner of last week’s AIM Minnesota Division qualifier on Big Stone Lake. Like many of the 28, he’s fairly unfamiliar with the event waters.
“I don’t know much about the system. Superior is well-known for trout and salmon but I understand there are some pretty good walleye in the lake, and it will be a different situation than we’re used to. If the winds allow us to get out, it’ll be worth exploring that southeast Superior shoreline. But my main focus will be on the river. If you don’t get that patterned you’ll put yourself at a disadvantage,” Gilkey said. “We’re looking forward to figuring out the pattern and finding spots that hold fish. It will take figuring out which spot will give you the best ability to put a big bag together.
“And, with AIM behind it, it’s going to be a well-run tournament, so it should be a good time.”
Watch for updates throughout this week and the tournament at AIM’s Facebook page, Aim Pro Walleye Series.
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.
AIM Supporting Sponsors: Mercury Marine, Nitro Boats, Navionics, Powrtran, Power-Pole, Worldwide Marine Insurance, Off Shore Tackle, Team Lodge, Vibrations Tackle, Pro Chattrr, National Fleet Graphics, Gemini Sport Marketing, 4 Bears Casino North Dakota