Bay Mills Is Ready for AIM
Category: article
May 28th, 2011 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified May 28th, 2011 at 12:41 PM
Fans attending the June 2-4 AIM Pro Walleye Series™ Bay Mills Invitational Walleye Tournament will find a great facility at the Bay Mills Resort and Casino. Not only does the Resort provide great accommodations and the chance to view each day’s tournament weigh-in, but there will be plenty for the kids to do, too.
2011 is the second consecutive year Bay Mills Resort & Casino has welcomed the AIM tournament. Rod Jones, the casino General Manager said, “We’ve always tried to have a big event for the first weekend in June, and this is a great fit. We are right on the water and the tournament is a big benefit for the local community.”
Part of what makes this tournament unique is that the Pro Anglers are limited to using artificial bait only. It also is billed as the nation’s most lucrative walleye tournament, with a payout exceeding 200% of entry fees.
“Those elements set us apart, especially the no live bait rule. Each pro has to use their knowledge of walleye and lure presentation to be successful with artificial baits,” Jones added. Besides the fun for grown-ups both inside and outdoors at the resort, there is a big event just for kids on June 4 prior to the final day’s weigh-in.
Daily Rundown
Fans are invited to watch the tournament take-off each morning. It is suggested that fans come to the Bay Mills Marina an hour before the 7:30 a.m. start. The Pros and their Co-angler partners will be released one-by-one just off the harbor entrance.
Another great spot to see the Pros is at the Soo Locks about 8:00 am when many of the boats “lock through” en masse downstream to enter the St. Mary’s River. You can watch from the lock observation deck in downtown Sault Sainte Marie, Mich.
All boats must check in at the marina by 3:30 p.m. each day. The “virtual weigh-in” begins at approximately 4:30 p.m. under a large tent in the parking lot next to the marina. For those not able to attend the weigh-in, the event also will be broadcast live online over the AIM Website: www.aimfishing.com.
On the event’s final day, Saturday, June 4, kids ages 4-14 get their chance to meet and greet their favorite AIM Pro Anglers. Approximately 300 free rod and reel combinations will be given away, courtesy of the National Professional Anglers Association, the Soo Area Sportsmen’s Club and Bay Mills Resort & Casino. Children attending will also receive “Future Pro” T-shirts, which the Pros will autograph. The event starts shortly after noon near the weigh-in stage.
The kids will immediately get a chance to try their new rods and reels under direction of the AIM Pros in a trout-stocked channel adjacent to the resort. In addition, one lucky child’s name will be drawn to receive a free day of fishing with an AIM Pro Angler on Sunday, June 5.
“Kids are an important part of the future of fishing, and we want to get as many as we can involved in the sport,” said Jones, who is an avid angler himself.
While the kids are having fun, the AIM Pros will be competing until the last possible moment. Only the top 16 Pros will qualify to fish this final day of the tournament. The First Place Pro will claim over $40,000 in cash and prizes. Fans can “watch” all the moves of the top five boats because they will be outfitted with GPS tracking units. Any fan with an Internet connection can follow their progress and locations in real-time at www.aimfishing.com.
Bay Mills Resort: More than Gaming
Bay Mills Resort & Casino offers much more than gaming. Besides a hotel with 142 rooms – each with a lake view – the resort also has an RV park. The RV park will be expanded from 76 sites to 124 sites by the end of June.
The resort also features an 18-hole championship golf course rated 4.5 stars by Golf Digest. This is the course where women’s’ touring golf pro Michelle Wei first played against men at age 14.
The casino features nearly 1,000 slot machines, other gaming, plus five bars and lounges and restaurants. A very popular crab buffet is featured on Tuesdays, with crab and prime rib on Fridays and Saturdays.
“This is your perfect up north retreat. We even have some areas where you can play slot machines while looking out windows over Lake Superior, something unique in the industry,” Jones concluded. “We have a very relaxed, professional gaming atmosphere because our customers are coming Up North on vacation.”
And, during the AIM tournament from June 2nd to the 4th they will also be treated to some of the top walleye pros in America.
