For Immediate Release, June 22, 2015
Presented by Yamaha Motor Corp. USA and Warrior Boats:
Look For B-I-G Great Lakes Division Bags At Sunday’s AWWS ‘Starcraft Marine Open’ in Lorain, Ohio
All signs point to what may be the equivalent of a heavyweight, and we do mean “heavy weight” shootout in next Sunday’s AIM Weekend Walleye SeriesStarcraft Marine Open on Lake Erie in Lorain, Ohio.
Anglers who call this structure-filled stretch of Lake Erie shoreline their home water say that because there are no tournament boundaries, this one could be won anywhere from Kelleys Island to the west off Sandusky, all the way to Ashtabula, nearly to the New York State border. The lake is that productive right now.
That’s great news for AIM newcomers like Mark Poland, of Oscoda, and his partner/captain, Wayne Winter, of Greenbush, two Michigan towns on northern Lake Huron. This is their first season on the AWWS, and they’re also new to fishing Lake Erie. But, Poland’s hoping the knowledge that earned them third place at the Saginaw Bay qualifier June 7 will translate into finding fish here as well.
“We both ice-fish here but this will be our first trip down on soft water, so we plan on doing a lot of searching starting Thursday, trying some different depths and techniques and looking for structure, and hopefully getting on fish,” Poland said.
“It’s a great fishery in winter,” he added, and usually, where you’ll find big marble eyes on the ice, you’ll also find’em in summer, too.
“From what I understand they’ll start migrating west in Erie and you’ve just have to locate them, the same as our Saginaw Bay fishery (where the AIM Great Lakes Division Championship will take place at Eagle Bay Marina in less than two months), only they’ll migrate north in Saginaw.”
According to local angler Joe Boewe, who lives in North Olmstead just 20 minutes from the Black River Wharf Landing take-off site, finding big bags won’t be hard to do. Just pick a spot and drop lines.
“This is the absolutely perfect place for this tournament as fishing is phenomenal here right now in Lorain. We’ve been beating ’em up hard for the last two to four weeks now,” Boewe said. “What else is happening is that the bite out east has really picked up, as far as Cleveland and even to Ashtabula. So honestly this could be won from Kelleys Island, (one of a group of islands favored by walleye charters off Sandusky and Port Clinton), to even Ashtabula,” almost in New York State.
Both anglers are looking for fish to begin transitioning from targeting cranks to crawlers, however lures like Ohio’s own Reef Runners are doing really well right now. “If I had to guess it’s going to still be won on cranks,” Boewe said. Poland agreed.
“It’s still early enough in the year where crawlers won’t be more advantageous over cranks. We’re hoping to find some big fish there and it just may be a combination of both presentations that will do it,” Poland said
Boewe also predicts big things—in the form of fins and teeth—out of this tournament.
“They’re really smashing ’em hard just off (Kelleys) island, so I think you’re probably going to have the best tournament of the year in the Great Lakes Division, right here.”
Still haven’t committed to what is shaping up to be a once-a-summer event? You’ve got until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, June. 24, to sign up. Go register online at aimfishing.com.
Boats will be leaving starting at 7 a.m. Sunday from the Black River Wharf Boat Launch, 14th and Broadway, on the river’s west side, according to Greg Warsow, Great Lakes Division tournament director. The launch is about a ¾-mile, no-wake trip to the mouth. The mandatory pre-tournament meeting will be the evening before at Riverview RV Park and Marine, 1270 Vermillion Road, in Vermillion, about 10 miles west of the launch site.
“Of all the reports I’m seeing out of Lorain, these are going to be NICE fish. I expect the winning combination will take 40-pounds-plus. These fish are B-I-G in both length and weight,” Warsow said.
This event is the last of 4 qualifying events in the Great Lakes Division of the Aim Weekend Walleye Series. The season will end August 14th and 15th at the Starcraft Marine Championship being brought to you by the Eagle Bay Marina and Eagles Landing Casino near Standish MI on the shores of Saginaw Bay. The top 10 qualified teams in the Team of the Year point’s standings after the championship will be invited to the 2016 WARRIOR BOATS SHOOTOUT where they could win a Warrior Boat/Yamaha Motor package valued at $50,000.00.
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