AIM WWS, The Feed Bag is ON for the Leech Lake Events
Category: npaa
Jul 8th, 2014 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Jul 8th, 2014 at 12:00 AM
The bite is on at Minnesota’s legendary Leech Lake and anglers can expect excellent fishing at this weekend’s AIM Weekend Walleye Series (AWWS) “Alumacraft Open” events. According to local guide Toby Kvalevog of Leisure Outdoor Adventures, “The mayfly hatch is in full force, which means the feed bag is on and the fish are just gorging themselves. The only down side is that when they are full, they are full. Anglers may need to cover more water to find hungry fish.”
Kvalevog feels that it will be the most versatile anglers who will do best this weekend. “This isn’t the time to just drag a minnow around. You have to stay on the move” he stated. “That is where my 300 Mercury Verado plays a key role in my fishing. I can rip up the lake at 60 mph and fish a bunch of different spots.” With Leech fishing so well, he believes it will take a scorecard with a tournament limit of five 25-inch fish to place in the top ten, and five fish between 25 and 30 inches to win.
AIM anglers will have the opportunity to fish in back to back tournaments at Leech Lake this weekend, with events scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday.
Due to severe flooding and unfishable conditions on the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers, the AWWS event scheduled for June 25th at Hastings, MN had to be canceled. AIM Board Member Brett King explained the severity of the situation, “Unfortunately, the AWWS “Wild Card” tournament on the river had to be canceled. We changed venues to try to make it happen, but as of press time it is still no-wake on both rivers and there are only three usable ramps on the whole system. It’s just a mess down there.”
Since AIM already held a Minnesota tournament permit, the State DNR allowed AIM to transfer the permit to Leech Lake and hold a “make-good” tournament on Saturday, July 12, the day before the previously scheduled Leech Lake AWWS event. “With the Minnesota Championship only a month out, we needed to work quickly to find an alternative and this was our best available option,” said King.
AWWS angler Al Standly is signed up for both events and is looking forward to catching big fish and having them all count in the tournament. “Fishing on Leech is really good right now. With other tournament formats it can be so frustrating when you catch a nice fish that you can’t bring to the scale,” he said. Minnesota allows one walleye over 26 inches in possession on Leech Lake. “With AIM, you can just fish and not worry about it.” Like Kvalevog, he is prepared to make some runs. “I have a 2090 Warrior tiller with a 200 Yamaha Four Stroke. It is great for handling big water, yet I can hover right on a specific spot when I’m back trolling.”
Deadline for entry into both tournaments is Wednesday July 9th at midnight.
Registration for Saturday’s AWWS event will begin at 5:00pm at the American Legion in Walker on Friday, July 11th followed by the rules meeting at 7:00pm. Boats will leave from Walker City Park Launch at 7:00am on Saturday, July 12th and return at 3:00pm. The awards ceremony will be held at the Northern Lights Casino in Walker at 5:00pm.
Registration for Sunday’s AWWS event will start immediately after the awards ceremony at Northern Lights Casino with the rules meeting to follow at 7:00pm. Boats will leave at 7:00am on Sunday, July 13th and return at 3:00pm to the Walker City Park Launch. The awards ceremony will be held at the Northern Lights Casino at 5:00pm.
After Sunday’s event, the qualifying field will be set for the AWWS Minnesota State Championship which will be held August 9-10th on Lake Winnibigoshish. The 2014 AWWS Minnesota State Champs will be awarded a brand new Alumacraft 165 Escape Tiller powered by a Yamaha motor.
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.