For Immediate Release, Aug. 24, 2015

 

Presented by Yamaha Motor Corp. USA and Warrior Boats:

 

 

 

Changing Weather Could Play Role In This Weekend’s

 

Minnesota Division Warrior Boats Championship

 

 

When it’s first holy hot, followed up by a fast-moving cold front, only good fishermen go forth, and the teams heading onto Minnesota’s Lake Winnibigoshish on this coming Friday and Saturday, Aug. 28-29, may need to draw on what brought them to the dance in the final AIM Weekend Walleye SeriesWarrior Boats tournament of the season to determine the Minnesota division champion.

 

 

Depending on whom you ask, it’ll be either a great, late-summer pattern fishing, or the bite will be transitioning into early fall, or eventually improve enough by tournament time to make for a consistent fishery. Regardless, it’s setting up to be a classic battle of both technique and opinion as to what will happen.

 

And, at 67,000-plus acres, it’s a lot of water to figure out, from the sandy south, rocky north and flats, weed areas and humps that drop off into 30 to 40 feet of water.

 

Warrior Boats prostaffer Nate Gilkey, who was on Lake Winnie a few days ago, is predicting that the lake will produce well.

 

 

“We were up 10 days ago fishing a tournament and were catching 20 to 30 fish per day. It might be tough to put together a stringer of 25” plus fish, but I think there will be a lot in the 20- to 23-inch class. I think it could be won trolling or using live bait, so there will be some options available,” said Gilkey, who is fishing his first full circuit of AIM tournaments. The key, of course, will be finding the biggies.

 

“I think that the fish are in their late summer patterns and don’t think we’ll see a lot of fish movement because of it. There’s a lot of bait in the water and the fish are very healthy, so I don’t think this cooler weather coming in will change the bite around that much.”

 

Paul Reiland, of Brandon, MN, is a bit more guarded about how the early week cold front will affect fishing. “It’s hard to say. We’ve lost about 8 to 10 degrees in temperature already. Are the fish going to move up into the shoreline breaks again, or stay on the offshore humps. Until we get there, it’s hard to say,” he said.

 

“I’ll head to the breaks first and go from there,” he said, after reports he’s gotten indicate fish are moving back into the weeds, but are still hitting live bait like crawlers and leeches.

 

Regardless, he said, he’s hoping for better fishing than last year at Lake Winnie, when hot, rather than cool, weather was a factor.

 

 

Reiland also has fished all AIM Minnesota tournaments this summer. “I’m a total believer in catch-record-release™. It’s the best format I’ve ever seen.”

 

Bob Wagner, of Moorehead, MN, is ever the optimist. “The weather is supposed to straighten out a bit toward the end of the week, into the upper 70s to low 80s so by Friday and Saturday it will be a little more consistent,” Wagner said, who’s also on the Warrior prostaff and pilots a 2090 tiller.

 

He’s looking for the win to possibly come from the lake’s northeast side from the bay known as Cut Foot Sioux. It’s known as a big fish spot and only a few spots there do produce, he said.

 

“But if the wind is out of the south I expect the north end will get a lot of attention. It always seems like wherever the wind blows the bait fish, the walleye will follow.

 

Like Reiland and Gilkey, Wagner is sold on AIM’s format.

 

I absolutely love C-R-R. I fish about 14 tournaments in summer and AIM has probably the best competition.  I have a deep respect for the AIM Officials that put all the work into this circuit to make it go.”

 

Come this weekend, launch and return will happen from the host site, Denny’s Resort, at the lake’s south end. Since 1932 Denny’s has been offering motel rooms, cabins and RV hookups for there guests as well as a sheltered harbor.

 

Teams will leave starting at 7 a.m. and return starting at 3 p.m., with ceremonies at 5 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.

 

Contact:Denny Fox, AIM National Tournament Director, 920-505-0122; info@wordpress-1142496-4082033.cloudwaysapps.com

 

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, Starcraft Marine, Amsoil, Navionics, Powrtran, Power Pole, Worldwide Marine Insurance, Off Shore Tackle, Team Lodge, National Fleet Graphics, Gemini Sport Marketing, The City of Oconto, Eagle Bay Marina and Eagles Landing Casino, Montevideo MN Chamber of Commerce, Randall’s Milan Beach Resort

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