Presented by Yamaha Motor Corp USA and Warrior Boats Inc.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 19, 2024
Contact: Denny Fox, 920-505-0122
Anglers Insight Marketing LLC (AIM™)
With Good Weather Predicted On Green Bay,
Sunday’s AWWS Oconto Battle Could Be Won Anywhere
Bruisers can be found north in Michigan waters or across the Bay of Green Bay along Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula, and numbers are to the south, so when it comes to where to go and what to use, with good weather predicted, the entire bay will be in play for the final AIM Weekend Walleye Series Garmin Open qualifier out of Oconto Sunday (July 21).
“Those 20 MPH winds at midweek blew out on Thursday, and with light winds and temps in the high 70s on the water, it’s showtime for sure,” said Denny Fox, AIM national tournament director. “The entire Bay of Green Bay, including those Michigan waters where giant gravel lizards have come from in this contest before will be fair game, and so will the rock reefs off The Door and waters south. This is gonna be fun to see what the weights will be Sunday afternoon.”
The Shawano-based team of John Schneider and James Maltbey didn’t have much to say at midweek. They were in the midst of controlling their Yamaha 300-powered—yup, they’re eligible for Yamaha Power Pay bucks—boat with Garmin in the electronics on the bay in those 20 MPH winds, and the walleye were disguised as sheepshead so far, south of Oconto. When reached on the bay, we could hear the wind and waves in the background.
“We’re in really rough conditions right now. We’re casting Shiver Minnows and all we’re catching is sheepshead,” Schneider said. “It’s not too bad closer to shore. We couldn’t get out where we wanted to go, because the waves were too big.”
What’s he like for the presentation that will get’em to go? “I like anything that catches fish,” he laughed. For Sunday it’s supposed to be nice weather.” Wednesday was his last day of pre-fishing as he’s going back to work. He was sitting on one of the spots he likes, and so far, nothing but ‘baaaahd’ luck. But you can bet he’s already got a few more picked for Sunday.
Jeremy Bock of Jackson, WI, meanwhile was working at midweek and said he hasn’t been out at Oconto this year but will remedy that as of Thursday. But he knows where he may be headed already.
“There’s a lot of alewives in northern Door County. They’re just everywhere. I think for a lot of teams, it’ll be middle to lower bay. The bite there is starting to pick up,” Bock said. “We’ve had warmer weather and things are starting to move north. We’ll have consistent weather the next five days. No storms or major wind. Stable weather will help and maybe some areas that aren’t going right now in a few days could.”
He and Corey Rodewald of De Pere will be scouring those potential spots hard through Saturday in their Mercury 350 Verado-trimmed boat with four Garmin graphs aboard. They’ll be eligible for Garmin Rewards cash. Right now, he’s not planning a long run to Michigan water. He’s been fishing AIM tournaments since the beginning, in 2014, and finished second here then.
“I’ll focus on structure and stay in Wisconsin water both casting and trolling,” he said, also reporting that another major tourney is on the bay. “They’re catching a lot of numbers. I’m not going for numbers. I just want five of the right ones.”
“I’ve got a feeling there will be a good number of boats going south and some going north rolling the dice and swinging for the fence. I’m going to go for the win. We’re 22nd in points right now. I like to locate them first and zero in with different casting techniques,” he added. He’s been in the hunt for 10 years, finishing second, fourth, fifth and ninth over the decade.
“I like the Catch-Record-ReleaseÔ format. It saves the fishery and I love the competition. I think it makes you a better angler and I wouldn’t do this without the companies that support me,” he said, saying he’s fishing seven other tournaments, and he’ll also be at the AIM Wisconsin Championship on Lake Winnebago coming up Friday and Saturday, Aug. 2-3.
For Ben Schmoldt of Kewaskum, the AIM tournament coincides with a salmon tournament near Port Washington, so he’s been living on his salmon boat the last three days, and he and partner Jesse Denz of West Bend will first see the bay off Oconto on Saturday morning.
“My partner was up there (Oconto) last week and spent three days running around. He caught some. He fished the southern bay, the middle, and the upper and let’s just say the bite was slower than normal,” Schmoldt said. He’s expecting to be out by the Door islands come Sunday.
“I’m expecting the fish will be out in the mud in the southern part because of the alewife die off. They’ll be waiting to feed. There will be teams out there ‘shivering’ (using Shiver minnows) and doing their thing by the upper part of the bay, around Michigan, and around the islands like Chambers and Washington,” he said. “They’ll be throwing jigs. We’ll more than likely be trolling spinners. We can jig fish but personally I don’t like doing it. My partner does, to have one rod in your hand versus three.”
Schmoldt predicts the winners will have to weigh at least the mid-40 pounds, but if someone strikes it rich north where the fish are fewer but bigger, the high-40s.
“It’s one of those things, you go for five bites or you go to the southern part and pick through the fish to find the ones you want.”
This tournament has been won in both north, where the fish are fewer but bigger, the south, where numbers rule, and off the rocky shore of the Door Peninsula, in good weather a fairly quick trip across the water. That question of where will be answered at Oconto’s Breakwater Park Sunday afternoon.
That morning, boats will arrive for inspections starting at 5:30 a.m. The first flight will leave at 7 a.m., with the next following at 7:15. Boats must be back at the check-in point starting at 3 p.m. Good luck, all teams!
Next up North Dakota, you’re up on Lake Sak at Parshall on Aug. 11 for your final qualifier. It’s your last chance before the state championship on Devils Lake Sept. 7. The Warrior Boats Minnesota State Championship fires up Friday and Saturday, on Lake of the Woods Aug. 23-24. Go to aimfishing.com to join in the 10th season of the continent’s most affordable, lucrative walleye tournament series. Follow all the fun at AIM’s Facebook page.
You know you want to. You know you can.
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 inc.
AIM Supporting Sponsors: Mercury Marine, Garmin, Power Pole, Worldwide Marine Insurance, Off Shore Tackle, Gemini Sport Marketing, JT Outdoors Products, McQuoids Inn, Rosemore Outdoor Gear, Outdoor Authority fish house rentals, Adventure Recreational Finance, Oconto County WI., Forever Barnwood