Presented by Yamaha Motor Corp USA and Warrior Boats LLC.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 8, 2018
Contact: Denny Fox, 920-505-0122
Anglers Insight Marketing LLC (AIM™)
It Takes Teamwork To Win Team Of The Year, Say
Wisconsin Division’s Newest AWWS Titleholders
The 2018 AIM Weekend Walleye Series Wisconsin Yamaha Motor Corp USA Team of The Year winners couldn’t have said it better: to be consistently on your game through a season that began in early April means you’d better have a lot of knowledge about the water you fish, and teammates to help you plan your game.
That’s what A.J. Schmidt, from Fremont, and partner Mike Kasper, from Neenah, attribute their win to in this year’s Wisconsin Division that brought them a new 9.9 hp Yamaha kicker, and a berth in the Warrior Boats National Championship Shootout on the Missouri River next May.
“We won by I think 26 points,” Schmidt said. “It was a lot of hard work for a number of years to get here, and we also owe it to a great team we work with.”
The pair took a third, a first at nearby Winneconne and a, in Schmidt’s words, “not so good” finish to beat out the other teams to earn the coveted title. The fourth Wisconsin tournament was cancelled due to weather. They’ve been fishing together for about 15 years, and this is their first Team of the Year win.
Their experience on Winnebago, which Schmidt describes as some of the year’s toughest, began with a “horrible” pre-fish.
“We came into the championship with a 25-point lead and after Day One, we were in seventh with 16 pounds-plus, so we had a pretty good feeling after the first day that we would win. We also thought we’d cash a check at the championship. But the second day was definitely tougher though we’re not exactly sure why. We still can’t figure that out,” he continued.
They headed to their first spot and at 11 had only two fish on their card. To save their TOY chances, they went to another and filled their card with smaller fish on south-central Lake Winnebago, ensuring their win.
This time of year, he said, “the fish just scatter and we ended up not fishing where we’d been pre-fishing. We just went off our lake knowledge. After Day One we were both looking at cutting a check, but the winners pulled a heck of a weight. On Day Two we weren’t fishing for a check anymore so we figured we’d better go out and put fish on the card to assure ourselves Team Of The Year.
“It’s a very hard award to win, and we’re very proud of it. We fished against some of the best anglers in the nation and we couldn’t have done it without the help of the two other boats we work with. Using a combo of crawlers and cranks in the south central part of Winnebago, they eventually finished 13th at the championship.
And now, they’re looking forward to next May 31-June 1 on the Missouri River and Lake Oahe as the Shootout visits Bismarck/Mandan, North Dakota. Also receiving an invitation to the Big Show will be the other top four seeds in Wisconsin Team Of The Year: Greg Golliher and Randy Harwood, both of Oshkosh; second place, Brian Daun, Hilbert, and Joe Schneider, Van Dyne; third, in fourth, Louis Aptiz, Menasha, and Buck Gehm, Crivitz; and in fifth, Sam May, Rhinelander, and partner Matt Bootz, Wausau.
Next up: Devils Lake, ND then the AIM divisional championships in Minnesota and North Dakota later this month. Stay in touch for information on both season finale events at AIM’s Facebook site. For info on all AIM events, go to aimfishing.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, LLC.
AIM Supporting Sponsors: Mercury Marine, Nitro Boats, Garmin, Navionics, Power Pole, Worldwide Marine Insurance, AirWave Pedestals, Off Shore Tackle, Vibrations Tackle, Pro Chattrr, Gemini Sport Marketing, Treeland Resort, Anglers Avenue, Moonshine Lures Shiver Minnow, JT Outdoors Products, Fox River Lures and Rods, Bismarck Mandan Convention and Visitors Bureau