For Immediate Release, July 7, 2015
Presented by Yamaha Motor Corp. USA and Warrior Boats:
Minnesota’s Leech Lake to Host AWWS ‘Warrior Boats Open’:
Expect Big Weights and Can Team Grothe Be Slowed?
With the AIM Weekend Walleye Series C-R-R format, nailing big bags on slot-limited Leech Lake this coming Sunday, July 12th, won’t be a problem say some of the teams entered, but the question will be, will the juggernaut Team Grothe, that’s won both of the Minnesota Division qualifiers this year, be stopped here?
That’s the question in at least one angler’s mind, like all teams who will push off from Walker City Park on Walker Bay, “who” will win on Minnesota’s third largest lake that’s famous for its walleye, and where AIM’s Catch-Record-Release™ format will shine.
And, we don’t mean Ross Grothe, who, like the others we interviewed, also is excited to fish Leech, and who is rooting for you-know-who.
“Well, it never hurts to hope,” Grothe said, who is bringing his family lakeside to make a vacation out of the tournament. “We’re excited for it. We like the lake and the bite has been good and it’s a beautiful place to fish. There are a lot of ways to catch them here and with the AIM format it’s going to take a pretty impressive weight to win.”
Grothe’s right, says Danny Thompson a competitor from Ham Lake, MN, just north of the Twin Cities. “We love fishing here and it’s probably one of the spots on the entire schedule we’ve (he and partner Bjorn Horgen) looked forward to most,” he said.
“Horgen recently fished another tournament here and he’s on a good bite so we’re looking forward to it. We’re live bait rigging kinda guys, and honestly the bite there has been phenomenal this year, so there’s a lot of big fish to be caught. We figure 30 pounds will only put us in the top five. You’ll need some big chubs here but you can do anything from leeches to crawlers. But a large concentration of us will be using big creek chubs, hunting the big fish,” he said.
Dan Swenson, who lives about 25 minutes from Leech, has fished it for about 15 years, and predicts a 35-pound bag might take it all. “It’s a question of whether they’ll do it on the main lake or around Walker Bay. We were out on the lake last Friday catching fish from 8 to 30 feet of water,” so they remain scattered. Surface water temps then were in the low 70s.
Brett King, AIM chairman, will also try to notch a win here, and notes that the mayfly hatch that started in early June was still going on.
“They’ve had plenty to eat and might be a little difficult to get them to bite, particularly if we don’t get the right winds. There are two extremes to this lake, shallow and deep, and the shallow relies heavily on winds. And with the bug hatch still on it’s possible that a suspended bite might get discovered.”
“It is full of 22-inch fish, an abundance of them. And for that other tournament, we didn’t get to show them because of the slot limit. It should be fun to showcase AIM’s format on this lake and be able to weigh the fish I catch. That’s why I’m anticipating lots of 20- to 24-inch fish to be weighed in,” he said.
Like the others, King expects rigging to come heavily into play. “It always does here. But of course Bruce (Doc) Sampson won last year’s AIM tournament here bobber fishing on the main lake. My logic tells me Walker Bay, but last year on day two when we got the right winds, Doc went out and won it. So I think the whole system is wide open.”
Anglers will be starting from Walker City Park, with awards presented at 5 p.m. under the tent at Northern Lights Casino in Walker.
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