Presented by Yamaha Motor Corp USA and Warrior Boats LLC.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 16, 2018
Contact: Denny Fox, 920-505-0122
Anglers Insight Marketing LLC (AIM™)
LOTW Lowdown: A Possible Record Bag May Be Needed To Win Lake Of The Woods AWWS Minnesota Championship
Despite a midweek cold front that breezed through lowering the air temps by 35-plus degrees, winning the AIM Weekend Walleye Series Yamaha Motor Corp. Minnesota Championship on fishy Lake of the Woods could set record weights for an AWWS tournament.
“Last weekend’s Warrior Boats David A. Andersen Memorial Shootout saw huge weights,” said Denny Fox, AIM National Tournament director. “We’re hearing the fish are all over the lake, and they’re B-I-G. This definitely may be one for the AIM record books.”
Both anglers reached prior to the tournament’s start Friday are looking for lots of big ‘eyes to fit into AIM’s Catch-Record-Release™ resource-saving format.
Last weekend, Al Sholts, of Carlos, MN, said, he finished fifth in the Andersen Memorial in his Warrior 2090 tiller, with a new Mercury 250 four-stroke Pro XS on the stern. With 38.85 pounds for one day, they took fifth. Just about anywhere else, nearly 39 pounds would be winning going away. Not here. What won? Forty-five. Pounds. In one day.
“We were almost at 40 pounds. I don’t know if you can put two days together like that but I think it’s going to take 80-plus to win it. I think it’s going to be very large weights. Last year was my first time on the lake. My buddies gave me some tips and ideas and then we were able to sneak a 10th place check,” he said.
Weather flowing across the high plains may change all that, but by the time boats get the “go!” Friday, probably not, Sholts said. “There’s a cold front that’s hitting now (Tuesday) and it’s really made a change, 35 degrees, and there’s been a total wind change, but it’s supposed to settle back on the weekend, so we’ll see what it does to the fish, but I still believe it’ll take in the 80s to win.”
Most teams, he said, will be pulling spinners with crawlers, and pulling crank baits. “And, we’ll be using speed, covering water,” he added. This time of year, when forage gets larger and faster, trolling at higher speeds is often the way to go. As is upping the lure size. Covering the big lake’s acres also will be key, he said.
“I think it’s covering water. There’s a lot of fish. They’re on structure and also in the basin areas and presentations that allow you to move at a reasonable speed is the way to get in front of more fish,” Sholts said.
Lake of the Woods has got a lot of water,” he laughed. “And we’re only fishing U.S. water. And it’s got a lot of different types of structure, and right now the wind is a factor, but the forecast says calm. The lake definitely has the fish to do it. Last weekend the two big fish tied at about 30 inches. And, there was a fair number of 29s. Our largest was 28-¼ and between pre-fishing and the tournament there were a few of those we had, so the lake definitely has a lot of big fish. If anything holds true from last weekend, it’ll be an excellent bite.”
Des Moines, Iowa’s Jason Pitts, who runs a Warrior V203 was reached at the lake, which is just a bit bigger than his Mississippi River home water, he joked. He’s fished AIM’s Weekend Walleye Series every year, and is pretty familiar with LOTW. This is now a special fishery.
“It looks like it’ll be a nice walleye chop Friday so everyone should be able to run to put their five on their cards,” Pitts said. “There’s a lot of healthy, big walleyes in this lake right now. My best guess is teams that get it done will have to have a couple of 28-inch plus fish on the card. Last Saturday (at the Andersen Memorial), 35 pounds didn’t even get it into the money.”
Pitts predicts it’ll all be won with cranks. “There’s a lot of fish in the mud. Last Saturday, you had to go past 500 of them to get one to bite, but that didn’t take you very long to go past 500 of ‘em. They’re pretty much all over the lake. It’s just finding the right ones. It could be on Flicker Shads, or Flicker Minnows. They’re pulling fives all the way to size 13 and everything in between.”
The ‘eyes have it starting Thursday, when teams check in for the rules meeting starting at 5 p.m. at the event sponsor, Wigwam Resort, in Baudette. Teams assemble for boat inspection starting at 5:30 a.m. at the public access launch by the resort. Launch location is boater’s choice, and teams will return to Wigwam Resort starting at 3 p.m. Awards begin at 5:30 p.m. at the resort.
Follow it all at AIM’s Facebook site, with on-water updates both days, topped by the countdown to the winner, and after that, Team Of The Year. 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