Presented by Yamaha Motor Corp USA and Warrior Boats Inc.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 12, 2024
Contact: Denny Fox, 920-505-0122
Anglers Insight Marketing LLC (AIM™)
Bobbin’ With Leeches On Leech May Be The Path To Podium At Fourth AWWS Minnesota Qualifier of 2024
Wake Up, Fan Nation, time to rise and shine and hit the water after a couple of weeks of vacation, as the AIM Weekend Walleye Series Warrior Boats Open, the fourth and final Minnesota qualifier of the season, launches on a calm-as-glass Leech Lake Sunday (July 14), where bobbers and the bait the lake is named for might be the way to win.
“Fan Nation, we’re fired up for Round Two of the 2024 AIM season, and what a spot to kick things off than this huge and walleye-ful lake,” said Denny Fox, AIM national tournament director. “Leech can kick it up when the wind blows, but it looks like we’ll have calm or nearly so conditions, and that means forward-facing sonar may be key to spotting the winners. Will the main lake, or areas like Walker Bay, get it done?”
Ken Walters of Walker calls Leech his backyard lake, and he thinks he knows what it will take to answer that. Leech’s surface has been glass-like the last few days and when the lake is this calm, including Game Day, when the weather service calls for just a hint of a breeze, he says it’s his favorite time on the water. He’ll be fishing with Timothy Milo of Montevideo, MN.
“When the lake is this calm it makes it a little bit tougher to fish for some, but can also be something super special,” Walters explained. “You can slow down and see these big fish and literally sit right on top of them and catch them. It’s when you get out a bobber and a jig with a leech or a crawler. You target individual fish. And absolutely that’s what I’ll be doing.”
That means working his forward-facing sonar aboard his 2090 Warrior loaded with a Garmin LiveScope in the electronics array. But how do you start to figure out the state’s third largest lake, at 112,000 acres?
“Basically, I break it down into three categories. You have Walker Bay, deeper with a lot of humps. Then you go through the narrows and have a section that is generally shallower and weedier. Further east, you have mostly rock, sand and gravel. So targeting the fish, you have to work one part this way, the next that way and the other part a different way,” he said. Got that?
Regardless, he said, he’s going to have crawlers and leeches aboard Sunday, along with a good selection of artificial bait, including Jigging Raps and Puppet Minnows, which until a few years ago most anglers only used in winter, but now are in tackle boxes year-round.
“Anything that is a reaction bait, absolutely. You have to go to a bobber in these conditions,” he said. A bobber and a jig tipped with a crawler, or a Leech leech, about the oldest and simplest way to catch fish.
He’s been on the water all week, and still picking his Sunday best. “I just need a couple more spots,” he said, speaking like a true angler. Walters also wanted to give a shout out to his own sponsors, Rosemore Outdoors, also an AIM sponsor, along with Minnesota’s Von Hanson’s Meats and Reel Ordeal. He also donates time to take veterans fishing through Warriors and Walleyes Outdoors.
Phil Peterson of Anoka will be partnered with Justin Osterbauer of Monticello Sunday, and he’s also feeling he’s zeroed in on some winners, including his personal best 30-3/4-incher that finally surpassed his wife’s 29-1/4 that she hooked four years ago. He hoisted his on July 4 on a jig and a leech, and you can bet he’ll have’em aboard Sunday on his Yamaha 250 SHO-powered boat with a Garmin Kraken troller and four Garmin graphs aboard. He swears by jigs and leeches on Leech.
“If you’re going to fish the main body (of the lake) you’ll get volume. If you get into some rock reefs, you could literally have a 30- to 50-fish day, but you may not get the biggest. As far as super big ones, Walker Bay is hit-and-miss. You do have a chance at big fish, but the challenge there is you may only get one or two. It’s a risk-reward thing,” he said.
He also reports that with water temperatures rising, and mayfly hatches receding, walleyes are on schedule to turn on for teams.
“I’d say that it’s a matter of trying techniques,” he said. And yup, that includes bobbers. “Some days I’ve had crawlers working. I use jigs all the time. It could be on bobbers if the fish are lethargic. A jig and a minnow or a creek chub. The big one I caught wasn’t even with a big leech. It’s like a little piece of candy. Just put that in front of them,” he said. “I fish a lot of lethargic fish and figure out ways to trigger them. Sometimes teams are maybe too aggressive when they should be slower.
“I’ve definitely got some spots I’ve picked, and I’ll be back pre-fishing Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Things change and I’ll be checking on them to make sure things are still holding,” he added. And those four Garmins will be crucial.
“Anyone who’s going to do good on clear water lakes, it’s about electronics. You’re basically driving and scanning. These days they’ll tell you pretty close how big the fish are. You don’t even have to fish.
“The fish may move so you might have to travel 100 yards when you return. Bait fish is another. Where you see the bait you’ll see fish volumes,” Peterson said. Increasing water temperatures also may favor running crankbaits. When it hits that 70-degree mark they can be effective, he added, especially when using planer boards to keep them away from your boat when fish get spooky.
Both are predicting that to have a chance to win here, it will take at least a 40-pound bag.
“I’d say it’s going to be 46 to 49 pounds and I’m hoping it’s us,” Peterson added. It’ll all be settled Sunday afternoon at the awards ceremony at the tournament sponsor, Horseshoe Bay Lodge in Walker.
The team rules meeting takes place online at 7 p.m. Saturday, and Sunday morning boat inspection starts at 5:30 a.m. at Horseshoe Bay Lodge. Teams leave get the go starting at 7 a.m., with the second flight at 7:15. Teams check in at the lodge starting at 3 p.m. Good luck, all teams!
Next weekend, things get hot on the Bay of Green Bay off Oconto, WI, when AIM checks in for the Garmin Open there on Sunday, July 21. Stay tuned, because there’s plenty of action left, and you can still get in on it all. Go to aimfishing.com to join in the 10th season of the most affordable, lucrative walleye tournament existing. Follow all the fun at AIM’s Facebook page.
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, Power Pole, Worldwide Marine Insurance, Off Shore Tackle, Gemini Sport Marketing, JT Outdoors Products, McQuoids Inn, Rosemore Outdoor Gear, Outdoor Authority fish house rentals, Adventure Recreational Finance, Oconto County WI., Forever Barnwood