Going into the AIM Weekend Walleye Series “Alumacraft Championship” on Minnesota’s Lake Winnibigoshish the talk around the dock was it would take at least 25lbs a day to win the two day tournament.
With a total of 31.47lbs, the team of Tyler Wolden and Jack Bonsack exceeded those expectations. Two factors were important to their success – color and staying on top of the fish. They relied heavily on their electronics to find fish as they hopped from spot to spot and would then hover over them as they waited for the bite. The biggest of the five fish on their scorecard was 26 inches, the smallest was 22 inches. If they can hold on to the lead they will leave Lake Winnibigoshish with a brand new Alumacraft 165 Escape Tiller powered by a Yamaha motor.
With 27.41lbs, Bjorn Horgen and Danny Thompson are sitting in second place. They started their day on the north end where they managed to put a few fish in the boat as they watched others catch them. A decision later in the day to make a move paid off when they put a 24 inch and 27.5 inch fish on their card. Twin 21.5 inchers and a 23.75 inch walleye rounded out their top five. Tomorrow they plan to try something different first thing in the morning before they start hopping spots.
Brian Brosdahl and Paul Nelson were on fire right away this morning catching almost all of their weigh fish by 9:30am in one area. They then went hopping spots and made one upgrade. The area they did well on this morning was pressured, so they are not sure if it will hold up for day two. However, they worked hard during prefishing and have several spots to try if this one doesn’t produce for them again. Their biggest fish was 25 inches and their smallest was a duo of 22.75 inchers.
The 44 boats entered in the championship will leave Denny’s Resort at 7am and return at 3pm. The awards ceremony will take place at 5:00pm at Gosh Dam Place, Deer River, MN.
AIM will hold “Ride & Drives” featuring Yamaha, Warrior, Alumacraft, Nitro, and Mercury products from 11am until 3 pm at Denny’s Resort. These demo rides are free and open to the public.
Teams finishing in the “Top 5” at the Championship as well as the “Top 5” finishers in the Amsoil “Team of the Year” race will qualify to fish in the Warrior Boats “Border Battle Shootout” in the spring of 2015. Qualifying teams will fish for a chance to win a brand new Warrior 1898 DC powered by a 150hp Yamaha outboard engine.
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 Marketing Partners: Yamaha Marine, Warrior Boats, Alumacraft Boats, Nitro Boats, Mercury Marine, Navionics, Amsoil, Power Pole, Worldwide Marine Insurance, Team Lodge, Gemini Sport Marketing, National Fleet Graphics, and The City of Oconto.