Presented by Yamaha Motor Corp USA and Warrior Boats Inc.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 4, 2025
Contact: Denny Fox, 920-505-0122
Anglers Insight Marketing LLC (AIM™)
This time of year, you never know what to expect weather or fish-wise, but come Sunday (April 6) on the Fox River at Green Bay, the Garmin Open Wisconsin Division preamble to the 12th AIM Weekend Walleye Series, a full field of 100 teams will have dealt with multiple weather ups and downs, and are hoping that a bit of a warm-up may turn on the big pre-spawner walleye that are definitely waiting.
“Pre-fishing, teams were seeing rain, then snow, sleet, then winds, then sun, and the prospect for more wind Sunday, in other words a typical early spring week in the Badger State,” said Denny Fox, AIM national tournament director. “The fish are there and they’re hungry, with predictions of several 40-pound bags, a good kick-off to another AIM Catch-Record-Release™ season. We’ll see what team rides this weather roller coaster to the podium.”
Right in the coaster’s front seat Tuesday was Mark Maas of Appleton, on the Fox River, brushing the rust off. He’s teamed with Johnathon Singer of Oosburg in a Mercury 250 Pro XS-powered boat with all Garmin aboard. Asked mid-day, Maas said his fishing so far could be worse. It could be snowing and windy like what was predicted the next day.
“I’ve been fishing a few hours, and so far, not much. Dirty water is what I’ve seen so far,” Maas said, who’s probing the Fox first before heading to the lake. “Visibility in the water isn’t more than five or six inches,” he said, pretty close to the chocolate milk that teams encountered last year. Now, about that precip on the way Wednesday?
“Yeah, that could affect everything from the river to the bay. Water temperatures are right around that 38- to 40-degree range. The sun will get out and warm the water up a pinch” later this week, Maas said. Lake water temperatures aren’t much better.
“I’m doing more driving around looking than fishing. At some point, the water temperature can play a big part. Even if it’s one degree warmer than somewhere else, it could make all the difference,” he added.
“I think that most areas people are accustomed to fishing, if the clear water’s in 30 or 40 feet deep, I don’t think they’ll be out there. The name of the game is finding the best-looking water,” he predicted. “From what I’ve heard, most of the fish are still pre-spawn. With the precipitation coming, increased flow might draw more into the river, but the issue then would be water clarity.”
Jeremy Bock of Jackson, Wisconsin, and partner Mark Bartels of Johnson Creek, are ready in their Mercury 350 Verado-powered, and all Garmin aboard platform. Like Maas, that also qualifies them for Garmin Rewards incentive cash if they do well. And like Maas, Bock feels that water temperature may be the key to finding active fish, racking up those Yamaha Motor Corp Team Of The Year points, and taking home that first-place $9,000 cash. Bock will have been on the water since Thursday.
“I’m watching the weather closely and we’re going to have a warm-up that will put fish in transition, but the other factor is going to be the wind. I’m going to be fishing both river and the bay Thursday, Friday and Saturday,” Bock said. Sunday temps are predicted in the mid-40s, and in April in Green Bay, that’s a warm-up from when the high Tuesday was 26. Wind? That’s another story.
The bay is where it was won when AIM visited here last April. The river had turned into chocolate milk, and the winners found pockets of water in the bay warm enough to winch 43 pounds of walleye into their boat.
Bock said they’ll be prepared to go either way Sunday. “We’ll have everything aboard, live bait, plastics, trolling, jigging. This is one I’ve always felt you’ve got to be prepared for everything because there’s a little warm-up, then it cools again.
“I think you’ll have to have close to 40 pounds. That wind is going to have an impact especially if you’re on fish in the bay. I don’t know if you’ll get to them or not. We finished ninth last year fishing the shorelines. Warmer pockets, that’s what we’re going to be looking for.
“With the river, they just had all that ice and rain, with more rain and snow forecast midweek. Last year, we had a storm, and the river got dirty. We’ve done well in the bay, but again that’s where the wind comes in,” he added. Bock said forecasts call for north winds 10 to 20 mph.
“You get a real strong wind out of the north and that affects the river because it backs the current up. Water temperature is the key,” he said.
That weather has kept Brandon McPeak of Waupaca off the water until midweek. He’s teamed with Robert Korth of Pulaski, under Mercury 200 Optimax power, with Garmin LiveScope among the electronics.
“I was going to push hard but the weather has been typical spring. Leading up to Sunday we’re seeing warmer temperatures and it’s going to warm that water up. The bite’s starting to shape up and there’s going to be some big fish. The lake is going to be a factor. A lot of the field could spread out and do well. It also makes you pre-fish a lot more area to find the nitches,” McPeak said.
He’s certain winning fish are both in the bay and river, but the spawn is not as advanced as last year.
“Last year it was 70 degrees early. The majority of fish need current to go in the river. We’re getting rain but it hasn’t affected the weather as much, so I think it’s going to be about normal. The fish will probably be pre- and post-spawn fish, so we might have a couple different bites. The lake can be tough because it can change daily. If you do find them there, it tends to be real good,” he said. That changing lake could keep other teams and locals looking for a trophy fish away.
“I prefer being alone and that’s hard to do. There’s a limit on how far you can run (both on the lake and river) so that squishes the field. Those less crowded spots may not have as many fish but sometimes that’s where you want to be,” he said.
His prediction for Sunday?
“If the weather stays the way they say it should, there should be some big fish caught and numerous bags in the 40-pound range. You’ll probably have to throw blade baits, Rippin’ Raps, jigs with paddletails and some will live bait it, and there will be a lot with hair jigs. In my boat we’ll run through every rod until we find something they want. But when the water gets to that 40-degree range it doesn’t really matter what you throw.
“You have to stay flexible, but I’ll be jigging most of it. It depends on how many fish I find in the lake. I’m excited and ready for it. Its’ great to be back on open water.”
AIM is excited too, and grateful that another season of great fun and competition has begun. Here’s your chance to get in on it all. Go to aimfishing.com, and sign up for any of four divisions.
Here’s the lineup for Sunday. Team rules and registration meeting takes place online at 7 p.m. Saturday. Boat inspection takes place starting at 5:30 a.m. at Green Bay’s Metro Launch. The first flight of boats gets the “Go” at 7 a.m., followed by the second at 7:15. Boats must start returning for check-in at 3 p.m. Awards will take place at the launch. Good luck, all teams, and stay safe!
Watch for updates throughout the day on AIM’s Facebook page.
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, Worldwide Marine Insurance, Off Shore Tackle, JT Outdoors Products, McQuoids Inn, Rosemore Outdoor Gear, Adventure Recreational Finance, Oconto County WI., Forever Barnwood, The Bighorn Store