For Immediate Release, May 12, 2015
Presented by Yamaha Motor Corp. USA and Warrior Boats:
Target: Mississippi River, For AIM Weekend Walleye Series Minnesota Division ‘Warrior Boats Open’ May 17th
One Mississippi, Two Mississippi, Three Mississippi, Four…..
Teams competing on Sunday on the Upper Mississippi at Hastings, MN may well want to remember that childhood mantra in the first of four Minnesota Region qualifier tournaments in the AIM Weekend Walleye Series, only a week and a day after the walleye season opened in the state.
Interested teams have only until midnight Wednesday, Central Time, to pony up entry fees for what’s sure to be one of the most diverse and interesting tournaments on the AIM card, according to tournament director Jim Miller.
Tourney limits will be river Pools 2, 3 and 4, as well as the St. Croix River, some 100 miles of river total. It’s a sure bet that Pool 2 will be in the sites of a lot of those who will throttle up in two flights starting at 7 a.m. Sunday from Pool 3’s Jaycee Park, just off U.S. 61.
“They’ll have a lot of options and different areas and presentations they can choose from,” Miller said. “Pool 2 for instance has been catch-and-release for quite a few years and there are some monster walleyes in there, and I don’t think the pressure is all that heavy, so because of our Catch-Record-Releaseä format, our guys can go after those trophy’s.”
But, there are other tantalizing choices, too. “Pool 4 is probably the best-known and most heavily fished for walleye,” Miller adds. “I’ve fished Pool 4 fairly regularly and there you can pull cranks, spinners with bottom bouncers, or go to the dam and vertical jig with minnows or ring worms or twister tails.
Depending on the weather, those wing dams in each pool also could bring home a check. It’s where big post-spawn ‘eyes will be resting and lying in wait for drifting food, or holding station on the front side when they’re feeding aggressively.
“You’ve got the dam and wing dams, and Lake Pepin is also in play if you prefer to do lake fishing. The St. Croix offers pretty much the same action but it’s cleaner where teams can work the sand flats and edges.
“Between the 80 miles of the Mississippi and 15 miles on the lower St. Croix, water levels right now are stable. It looks like it’ll be cold this week, then by the end of next week temperatures should be rising, so that should only help the bite. It should be an amazing, awesome event with lots of different opportunities for teams to shine,” Miller said.
Besides walleyes, teams can also target river saugers and saugeyes. All fish entered must be at least 12 inches long according to AIM’s Catch record release process. In this process the angles will catch the fish, measure it on the AIM supplied bump board and photograph it for verification of length and release it back to the very waters they caught it. This process is what allowed AIM Weekend Walleye Series to be a permitted tournament to include pool 2.
The anglers must be back at the park to check in, in two flights, starting at 3 p.m. The awards ceremony begins at 5 p.m. at the park.
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,