Rohlhoff And Lewis Win AIM WWS Championship, Team Of The Year
Category: npaa
Sep 15th, 2014 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Sep 15th, 2014 at 12:00 AM
Fishing breaks and humps in 14 to 38 feet of water for two days near Green Island, Scott Rohloff and Cam Lewis caught an astonishing 102.23lbs of Green Bay walleyes to win the AIM Weekend Walleye Series (AWWS) “Alumacraft Championship”. The team also claimed the AWWS Wisconsin “Team of the Year” title.
After finding the fish earlier in the week while trolling, they decided to cast to the rocky areas using Jigging Raps, a technique that had given them a “top ten” earlier in the year at an AWWS qualifying event. They noted that this is a great presentation to use during a cold front when the trolling bite slows down. Fishing slowly and using their electronics to find fish, the team carded 5 fish for 46.94lbs on day one. They trumped that on day two with a massive 55.29lbs limit earning the victory and the $13,500 Alumacraft/Yamaha boat, motor and trailer package. Their smallest fish on day two was 28.5 inches long and the card was topped off with a 30.5 and 30.75 inch fish. In addition to winning the tournament, they also took Amsoil AWWS WI “Team of the Year” honors.
The top five teams in the Amsoil point’s race and top five teams at the championship earned a spot in the Warrior Boats “Border Battle Shootout” in the spring of 2015. “It feels amazing to do that and win team of the year and finally win a tournament. We’ve worked hard this year,” stated Rohlhoff.
After catching four good fish on day one for 36.76lbs, Brothers Matt and Jason Miller managed to put five on the card, including a 30 incher on day two for 37.09lbs, and finish in second place. Fishing near the islands in Door County, they trolled both crankbaits and spinners to catch their fish, but the bigger fish seemed to favor cranks with purple Reef Runners being their best bait. They changed location after day one and targeted shallower water structure fishing in19-21 feet. The smaller fish also seemed to bite early in the day, while the bigger ones wouldn’t fire until the sun was high. “We just ran out of time,” said Jason. “It is awesome though to be going to the Warrior Boats Shootout. I’m going to get the chance to fish for my dream boat!”
Fishing on Larsen’s Reef in 25 to 45 feet of water depending on the wind, Lynn Nicklasch and Mark Kumorkiewicz totaled 70.45lbs to claim third place. Using crawler harnesses, the team fished deeper in calm conditions and moved up shallower when the winds picked up. Spinner color and speed were also factors and they had to tweak their presentation as conditions changed.
With a solid prefish, the fourth place team of Ryan Dempsey and Mario Nanna were on the same fish and presentation as the leaders, “but we got away from our bread and butter.” After bringing in 26.31lbs on day one, they made a long run on day two put 42.22lbs on the card. While they did some jigging, they spent much of the tournament trolling. Their two day total was 68.53lbs.
The father and son team of Mike and Mike Gengalo jr. finished in fifth place fishing crankbaits and spinners on Oconto Shoal and Larsen’s reef. They started fishing Saturday morning on Oconto Shoal, then ran to Larsen’s Reef looking for upgrades and managed 28.53lbs. On Sunday they concentrated on Larson’s and brought in 39.92lbs to total 68.45lbs for the tournament.
These five teams as well as the “top five” finishers in the Amsoil AWWS WI “Team of the Year” race will be invited to the Warrior Boats “Border Battle Shootout” in the spring of 2015. “Team of the Year” qualifiers were Lewis and Rohloff, Dave Cooper and Pete Petta, Mario Nanna and Ryan Dempsey, Derek Navis and Tom Hoinacki, and Matt and Jason Miller. Qualified teams from AWWS Divisions in Wisconsin and Minnesota 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, Powertran, Gemini Sport Marketing, National Fleet Graphics, and The City of Oconto.