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AIM CRR Popular Format

Category: npaa

 Aug 4th, 2009 by OutdoorsFIRST 

Modified Aug 4th, 2009 at 12:00 AM

Plymouth, WI – August 4, 2009: Anglers Insight Marketing LLC™ (AIM) announces that Pro Anglers and Co-anglers are embracing the new Catch-Record-Release™ (CRR) format and are looking forward to the AIM Pro Walleye Series™ event in Akaska, SD.

Positive feedback on the new AIM tournament format continues to be received from the Pro Angler and Co-angler participants. AIM changed the landscape of walleye tournaments in 2009 by implementing an innovative immediate release concept named Catch-Record-Release™. This new format involves taking digital photos of walleyes lying on the Official AIM Judge™ ruler, followed by a “hero shot” of an angler holding the fish. This process takes only a few seconds, after which the walleye is immediately released where it was caught – instead of being transported many miles over many hours in a “livewell”.

The Pro Anglers have embraced Catch-Record-Release™ because it eliminates the inevitable “dead fish penalties” that result at the end of a long, hot day on the water. The penalty of several pounds is often greater than the margin of difference between places at the end of the tournament. In addition, because no fish are kept, local “slot limits” (that is, the prohibition of keeping fish within a specified length range) no longer apply. This means the angler who actually catches the most and largest fish wins!

Similarly, “CRR” avoids the problems that the Pro Angler face when dealing with “no cull” restrictions. A no cull regulation means that once a fish is placed in the live well it becomes part of the day’s catch and can not be replaced later with a larger fish. Pro Anglers must gamble that the fish they caught will be big enough, and are forced to stop fishing when they reach their daily limit – even if this is only midmorning. In contrast, AIM Pro Anglers in “CRR” tournaments can fish until the last minutes of every day, continually upgrading since they only select their largest fish from the Official Scorecard.

Jason Przekurat, a Wisconsin AIM Pro Angler familiar with slot limits and no cull rules stated, “It is possible with CRR to make up a lot of ground. Catching a few big fish – which can easily happen with a ‘double’ – will immediately leapfrog you over several competitors. This AIM format is actually fun!”

AIM Pro Robert Blosser, who finished in second place in Green Bay agreed, “With the AIM format I was able to plan my day so that I ‘filled’ my seven fish limit first – and then I had all day to search for and target the bigger, winning fish.”

State fisheries departments have also taken a keen interest in Catch-Record-Release™. In fact, “CRR” is responsible for the AIM Pro Walleye Series obtaining a tournament permit during the warm summer timeframe on Lake Oahe. John Lott, Chief of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources with the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks reports, “Because of concerns with post-release mortality of walleye in tournaments where walleyes are caught, placed in livewells, and later weighed and released, catch and release tournaments for walleye are not permitted from June 1st through September 15th. However, your immediate release format removes concerns related to the possibility for high mortality following a weigh-in event.”

Because of “CRR”, the AIM Pro Walleye Series has been welcomed to Lake Oahe during the normally closed summer period – which corresponds with the peak of “the bite”. The tournament is now the centerpiece of the South Dakota Walleye Classic & Festival (see www.sdwalleyeclassic.com for additional activities.)

Catch-Record-Release™ is also popular with local fishermen who have traditionally held reservations about the “fishing pros” coming to town. Larry Karau, a first-time Co-angler said, “Being from Green Bay I have heard nothing but positives about AIM and the tournament – which was not true of past tournaments. In particular, the loss of fish caught and through the weigh-in process has always been a negative with tournaments. However, all the media coverage was nothing but positive. As someone who fishes Green Bay regularly, I would hope that the DNR would require the AIM ‘CRR’ process for all tournaments in the future.”

The AIM Pro Walleye Series also features new, cutting edge technologies. These technologies include live streaming videos, sent to www.aimfishing.com from the Pro Anglers on the water. Plus, on the last day of each tournament, the leaders’ boats are equipped with AIM Pro Track™ GPS systems. These GPS units track the location, routes, and even the current speed of the Pros. Fans at home can follow the head-to-head battles and watch the action as it unfolds, nearly live. Then, at the end of the day, even the AIM weigh-in is streamed live to the Internet.

AIM Pro Angler Dennis Gulau, who lead the recent tournament in Green Bay, WI going into the final day related, “I had family and friends from Michigan to Florida that were online and watching all of the events. They loved the live weigh-in, the streaming boat videos, and especially the GPS tracking.” By the way, Dennis was “caught” practicing Catch-Record-Release™ in an “on the water video” on Day Two releasing a 29″ Green Bay walleye!

John Van Norman, another Green Bay Co-angler added, “I know at first there was some concern about not bringing fish to the stage. But I sat in the crowd on Day Three and when the pictures came up of the large fish there were the same oooh’s and aaah’s – so I know your format is working. It is truly a show!”

The AIM Pro Walleye Series tournament on Lake Oahe is scheduled for August 13 to 15 in Akaska, SD. Further information about AIM as well as up-to-the-minute updates about tournaments can be found at the AIM web site: www.aimfishing.com.

Anglers Insight Marketing, LLC™ (AIM) is a unique tournament organization owned by stockholders, the majority of which are Professional walleye anglers. AIM Professionals are among the “All Stars” of professional walleye fishing, with cumulative HUNDREDS of years of tournament experience, including countless tournament victories, series championships, and Angler of the Year titles. This insight and knowledge is now being employed to provide the finest tournament experience for the participants and the maximum positive exposure for the Pro Anglers, the host tournament sites and AIM Marketing Partners.