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Brett King: Anatomy of A Year On The Road To AIM�s Angler of The Year |
Bet on it. Every walleye pro—including the eventual winner of the AIM Pro Walleye Series™ and J.J. Keller Fishing Team Angler of the Year—has doubts when they get the green flag in every tournament.
Just like any weekend angler wondering if he or she went to the right spot or chose the right lure, they’re wondering whether a key decision will lead to victory, or watching someone else take home a tournament check. And this season, nearly until landing his last fish at Akaska, Brett King was no different.
After hanging in the middle of the pack early in the season, then coming on strong to eventually win the coveted J.J. Keller Fishing Team Angler of The Year title and $10,000 from the J.J. Keller Fishing Team, King definitely had doubts about his chances every time he left the dock. It comes with the territory, he said, especially with hard-chargers like Tommy Skarlis, Robert Blosser, Mike Gofron and Ross Grothe on his tail from start to finish.
And, it was just like King to keep his entire family—who’d joined him for September’s AIM Pro Walleye Series International Championship in Akaska, S.D.—in suspense as he walked to the stage, knowing in his heart that he’d made the right choices to win one of tournament walleye fishing’s most prized titles.
After all, he’d felt that pressure and suspense all season, from the snows of Winneconne in April, to the winds that had churned South Dakota’s Missouri River into five-foot waves in September. Why not, finally, exhale and release some of that pressure, when one wrong turn or presentation over four tournaments would have produced a totally different outcome, by playing a little practical joke on them, and everyone else, for that matter?
Luck, planning, making the right decisions under pressure, and destiny, were with King this year. That, King said, is how his fellow pros told him winning happens.
In his first season of competition under AIM’s ground-breaking Catch-Record-Release™ format in 2009, King won at Green Bay. He won again this year at June’s Brimley Invitational, in Michigan, after finishing 16th in the opener in Wisconsin’s Winneconne system. He finished ninth at Dubuque and eighth at Akaska, enough to enjoy, and exhale, on that final walk to the stage. Winning the Keller Angler Of The Year prize is all about consistency. And here’s how he did it, doubts and all.
The Warm-Up: 2010
After winning one event in 2009 by guessing right and concentrating on warmer, muddy University Bay when Green Bay proper’s hot bite cooled off when a cold front moved in, King said he looked forward to 2010’s series.
Passing up Saginaw Bay due to schedule conflicts, however, he did well that year in practice, but didn’t make the cut at the site of his ’09 win in Green Bay, or in Brimley, or Akaska. “So after winning the first AIM tournament I ever fished, I was frustrated,” King said. Then at the 2010 weather-shortened championship at Minnesota’s Lake Winnibigoshish. He finished fourth, he said, and “I got my hopes up for 2011.”
April in Winneconne
Picture cold. Picture snow. Up to 10 inches of wet, heavy snow, with wet, heavy winds pushing it across the Winneconne system, stinging your face. “During practice, it was tough, and the water was still cold and high, meaning most of the fish were still in the upper river,” King recalled.
Making it even harder were emergency no-wake rules put into effect in much of the system because of that high water. “We had about an hour-and-a-half of no wake to get to where there was a decent amount of fish. Then Day One was canceled. I battled through it all and hung on to finish 16th there,” he said.
June in Brimley
In a tournament characterized by more wind and weird weather, including a weather phenomenon called a seiche that flushed most of the water out of Brimley Bay, leaving some boats stranded on their keels during pre-fishing, King said he had a “definite motive to win. I had had a decent practice, I had found an area of Lake George where there were a lot of fish. I then left it alone, and kept looking for other areas. I put together some trolling bites, and didn’t go back until the day before the tournament. I sneaked in and rolled through it three times, and never touched a fish. I was banking on that area. We had a lot of wind that day, and it was pretty disappointing,” he said. But, he kept the knowledge that he’d found’em as he formulated his battle plans.
On Day One, most of the field “locked through” the Soo Locks, King included. He rolled into Raber Bay and was surprised that the water was clear but it had cooled, and so had the fishing. “In 2 ½ hours I think I caught one smallmouth and saw one other fish caught. I watched guys go into the Canadian side and come out a few minutes later because that side was muddy from the wind the day before. I was the last boat to leave that area.”
His goal was to head to a feeder creek, he said, and then thought that it would already be crowded with boats. “So I cut to the shipping channel, deciding I couldn’t win, it’s time to just go fishing. But I turned right instead of left, and headed back to Lake George,” he said. That turn of the steering wheel made all the difference.
“I stopped to fish two areas for one pass, then rolled back into that area I was banking on at about 12:50 in the afternoon,” he said. Keep in mind, to get back, he still had to fly up the St. Mary’s River, lock back through the Soo Locks, then race back to Brimley to check in. Time was of the essence. “My first pass through, we had a triple. The second pass, we had a double. We had two more passes, and I had my card filled,” he said. Better yet, he was alone. No other pro had found his spot. Standing in line for the podium, all he kept hearing were grumbles about no fish, but by the time King stepped off the stage, he was atop the leader board with nearly an eight-pound lead.
“On Day Two, I went back to the same area, knowing that it could turn off just as fast as it turned on. The first pass I got a double, and had seven fish weighed in by 10:30 a.m. in the same spot, “ he said. True to his prediction, the fish turned off in the afternoon. It also was true for the rest of the field, for by the end of Day Two, his lead had grown to a nearly insurmountable 22 pounds.
On day three, King’s wife had already started the practical joke ball rolling that would culminate at Akaska. King, who hadn’t even been sure he’d go to Brimley because his mother-in-law had had open heart surgery a month before and was not doing well, and with the consent of his family, decided that it was OK to go, was in the lead.
“So at the same time I was fishing, through all this I was thinking about home. I talked to my wife at the end of Day Two, saying ‘I think I’m going to win this thing, come out and watch.’ But she said oh she couldn’t leave.
But it turns out, she was already on her way.
“So that morning, I’m getting the boat ready and my buddies were diverting my attention, and I turned around and there’s my son and wife, which as an unbelievable feeling, knowing you’ve got that kind of family support,” he said.“So we blast off on Day Three, and I get into Lake George at the same spot, and it’s not happening—at all. The water temperature was consistent, but it was flat calm and the bite just wasn’t there. Other pros showed up in the area, and the panic button hit.” King motored away and headed for that feeder river he was initially heading to on Day One. “I caught one 15-incher. It was the only fish on my card so far. I thought to myself, ‘what are you doing in here.’ “ He ran back to Lake George. “On my first pass, I got a 21-incher at 1:30.” It was only then that he felt that he’d done it.
It was a nervous yet exciting ride through the locks. But King had won. “It was pretty overwhelming. You’ve just won $40,000 in cash, and they bring it out to you on a plate. I won on a huge high note, and it catapulted me from 16th in the Angler of the Year race to Number One.”
Dubuque: Hanging In, and On
King was confident heading to the Mississippi in late June. It was his home water—kind of. At least it was a few hundred miles north near Red Wing, Minn., but he was struggling to find the terrain he liked.
He found one current seam and caught three nice walleye, then several more, calculating how long it would take him to lock through to the area during the tournament, especially if there was barge traffic at locks that divide the river into pools.
On Day One, he ran down to lock through to his pool, and sure enough, there was a barge. “I thought, man, I just probably blew Angler of The Year,” he said. He had a 75-minute wait before the lock opened, and fished one spot, then entered, and ran for his spot, some 25 miles south of the lock. “I had a boat on my tail all the way and I thought, ‘there’s no way two of us were running for the same spot. But sure enough, it was eventual winner Robert Lampman, who soon left because the area was too small.
“I fished over an hour and caught one smallmouth and thought I really blew this. But I put it out of my head and went back to that current seam five miles upstream. I had probably two ours to fish it and that was pushing it, but I pulled nearly 25 pounds out of there, just boom, boom, boom,” he said. Problem was, Tommy Skarlis had landed more than 50 pounds.
Day Two found him at that same seam, fishing three-way rigs. He ended up with seven, but could tell the bite was changing and water was rising and turning muddy. He’d slipped from second to fourth.
“Day Three, my stomach told me it was not good. Wind was blowing and muddy water slowed down my presentation and I snagged up. I got it out and was setting the rod down when it got bit. I could tell it was a nice fish. But I got it half-way to the boat and it came off. The end result: ninth at Dubuque, but he held on to a slim lead for AOY. And, he found how long it was between late June and mid-September’s championship.
“I thought it was about the longest three months of my life,” King said. He stayed sharp by fishing two other tournaments, including the South Dakota Walleye Classic in Akaska, where AIM’s championship would be. “The water was way higher than I’d ever seen it. I had boat troubles the first day, and maybe left with less confidence then I went out with,” he recalled.
King spent the days around Labor Day at his regular job of managing a school busing firm, then returned to South Dakota, fishing near Pierre, many miles downstream from Akaska. Then it was back to Minnesota, then back to Akaska for pre-fishing.
“I fished what I considered to be a day or two short of a good practice period. It went well but we had the big bite looming 85 miles south in Pierre and we worked hard near Akaska to find anything comparable, and it wasn’t good. If I was going to win Angler of The Year, I’d have to make that long run.” King had decided.
However, the weather had other ideas, turning blustery and cold. “We looked at the weather and decided there’s no way we can make the run to Pierre.” Bridge pillars to the north near Mobridge turned out to be his savior.
“I was boat number one, the first out, so that’s what I decided to do It would come down to who could get to my pillar the fastest. We take off and I turned around and who’s behind me but Tommy Skarlis. I’m determined to beat him and drove like a madman, and got there. I believe I was in third or fourth after Day One,” King said.
On Day Two, he ran for the same pillar, but couldn’t buy a bite. “I struggled to get seven and didn’t want to leave because I knew it would be open game if I did,” he said. But without anyone noticing, King left to a trolling spot, returning to his pillar with only small fish on his card.
“I had a big knot in my stomach when I stopped just outside of Swan Creek (the launch site), and was able to upgrade those three fish to ones over 16 inches in the last 20 minutes by pulling lead core,” only to learn at the weigh-in he was now behind Ross Grothe and Robert Blosser in the AOY race. “I sat thinking that maybe I would make the long run south, but decided it wasn’t worth it; I hadn’t fished there for more than 10 days. It was the best decision I’d made all year. The better fish had moved back in to the pillar and I was fishing like a possessed man, ending up with 30 pounds on Day Three. I’d done everything I could do to win Angler of The Year, and now it was up to Bloosser and Grothe.”
Now it was time for King’s practical joke. “I went into the weigh-in, and said to my family, sorry, I did a little better than yesterday, but it’s probably not enough. Then I sat around looking like a sulking three-year-old to convince them I didn’t get the fish. But when it came time to announce my card, the look on their faces was priceless,” King recalled. “They were feeling bad, but just to watch their expressions change was one of the coolest moments of my career.”
King’s wins, starting with Green Bay, couldn’t have been timed better, as he was considering abandoning the pro circuit because of the cost. “You start doubting your ability and thinking it’s just never going to happen, but that’s how other pros have told me it happens. Sometimes all the pieces just fall into place.”
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Akaska Provides Drama and Contrasts |
The AIM Championship on Lake Oahe offered something for every competitor. Few tournaments can match the diversity offered by the expansive Lake Oahe. The water level of Lake Oahe was about 6-feet above normal, still swollen by above-average winter snows and spring rains. Under normal conditions, the lake comprises 370,000 acres with over 2,000 miles of shoreline over its 231 mile total length, stretching into North Dakota. This year, the water flooded areas that would otherwise have been rocky and brushy shoreline.
What all this water meant was that any memories from past tournaments were useless this year. The lake was essentially "brand new" for every competitor - with one main exception: Akaska native and AIM Pro Angler Chad Schilling, who also guides on Lake Oahe on a daily basis.
The unpredictable weather that characterizes the wide open plains of South Dakota offered additional challenges. The AIM competitors typically spend several days, up to a full week "pre-fishing" before each tournament in order to uncover locations and presentations that can be exploited. Almost predictably, conditions change just before the tournament and the Pros need to resort to "Plan B - or C and D, and E! Such was the case when the tournament kicked off on September 14th with a strong cold front and steady high winds that churned the lake into nasty whitecaps and muddied the shorelines.
The "wildcard" that each AIM Pro possessed was that Lake Oahe is full of walleyes. Many fall in the "slot" above 20 inches. Under conventional fishing regulations, each angler can only possess one walleye per day over 20 inches, and only four walleyes per day. But under the AIM Catch-record-Release format, each Pro Angler can "weigh" seven walleyes per day - and ALL can be over 20 inches! This is because the AIM Pro Anglers - along with their Co-angler partners for each day - measure, photograph, and then release each fish where it was caught.
The C-R-R format plays into the hands of the competitors who locate big walleyes, allowing them to pull ahead of the pack. It also allows for an angler to make up for a bad day with a better day, and leap-frog the other competitors.
These and other factors played in the minds of the AIM Pro Anglers going into Day One of the 2011 Championship. Also confusing the decision-making process were the results from other tournaments held earlier in the year on the lake, including the South Dakota Walleye Classic tournament which was also hosted by the village of Akaska in August (and won by the local team of Chad and Jess Schilling.)
The stakes were high going into Day One. The saying goes, "You can't win the tournament on the first day, but you can lose it!" Even with the C-R-R format, you can't afford to fall behind. The teams of AIM Pros and Co-anglers (along with four teams that qualified through the AIM Sanctioned Series program) took off into strong winds averaging 20 mph.
To everyone's delight, the daily weigh-ins were located inside the comfortable confines of the new Akaska Community Center. The AIM C-R-R format allows for "virtual" weigh-ins with digital photos and videos of the action. AIM Pro and reigning 2010 JJ Keller Angler of the Year Robert Blosser wowed the crowd with the big fish of the day - a 30.5" Oahe monster. His total seven-fish limit totaled 40.19 pounds, and placed him in the lead.
The big fish was significant because Yamaha Marine had placed a new 9.9 hp kicker motor - valued at over $2,500 as the prize for the Pro that caught the single largest walleye. Blosser also had his eye on the $10,000 JJ Keller Fishing Team Angler of the Year prize again, after having won the prize the previous year. He entered the Championship in fourth place overall in the cumulative Angler of the Year standings.
The leader in the Angler of the Year race, Brett King weighed in 32.02 pounds, which kept him at the top of the AOY race, but in fourth place overall in the Day One standings. AIM Pro Keith Kavajecz weighed 35.48 pounds which was good enough for second place, while Chad Schilling totaled 35.01 pounds for third place.
Day Two saw a repeat of the same weather conditions - cold and windy! The pressure mounted because only the top 50% of the field would continue to fish on Day Three and have a chance at the Championship purse. When the weights were tallied, AIM Pro Angler Dan Plautz made the biggest move, jumping up from thirteenth-place after Day One to tie for second place with 39.93 pounds which gave him a two-day total of 61.19 pounds. Also using C-R-R to his advantage was Mark Brumbaugh who added 32.26 pounds to his Day One weight and moved into second place with a total of 61.19 pounds.
But the local crowd was excited to see Chad Schilling weigh the biggest bag of the tournament - 40.85 pounds - to vault into the lead. His two-day total of 75.87 pounds put him in command going into the final day, leading the next two Pros by over 14 pounds. Ross Grothe was positioned in fourth place with 59.14 pounds, followed by Robert Blosser who dropped to fifth place with a two-day total of 59.14 pounds.
Day Three of the Championship meant everything was on the line. First Place for the Championship would earn the winner a 2011 Lund 2075 Pro-V boat equipped with a 300 Mercury Verado, Mercury Pro Kicker and MotorGuide trolling motor - a package valued at over $65,000.
The JJ Keller Fishing Team Angler of the Year race was the tightest it had been all year. Ross Grothe and Brett King had swapped positions going into the final day of the final tournament of 2011. A $10,000 bonus was waiting the eventual winner as the prize for being the most consistent angler over the four tournaments and 12 days of competition in 2011. Lund/Mercury Pro Mark Brumbaugh was also eying the $5,000 bonus that Lund Boats had pledged to the any Lund Pro that won an AIM tournament.
Again, the blustering prairie weather made everyone welcome the indoor weigh-in. Texas Pro Angler, Kevin Audrain pleased the crowd with a Day Three weight of 35.34 pounds, placing him in the overall lead for a time. Audrain qualified to enter through the AIM Sanctioned Series program that includes over 50 tournament organizations across the U.S. and Canada.
Robert Blosser posted a better weigh than Day Two with 24.8 pounds, securing a third place overall finish with 83.93 total pounds. Blosser's big walleye from Day One held on to be the biggest fish of the tournament earning him the Yamaha Kicker Bonus. Mark Brumbaugh weighed 22.74 pounds to also total 83.93 pounds. However, based on the larger Day Three weight of Blosser, Brumbaugh had to settle for fourth place in the tie-breaker decision. Ross Grothe finished fifth with a total of 82.68 pounds.
Brett King posted a Day Three weight of 30.61 pounds to overcome an off day on Day Two and regain the Angler of the Year lead over Ross Grothe. With this come-from-behind weight, King claimed the prestigious 2011 AIM JJ Keller Fishing Team Angler of the Year title as the most consistent angler. King had previously won the 2011 Bay Mills Invitational and the 2009 Green Bay Aim Pro Walleye Series tournaments.
The crowd in the Community Center was ready when Akaska Pro Chad Schilling took the stage. With his Day Two weight, Schilling needed only 11 pounds of Lake Oahe walleyes to regain the lead. It was no contest as his seven fish were tallied, with a cumulative 36.03 pounds for a three-day total of 111.83 pounds. Chad Schilling sealed his first AIM tournament victory by a margin of over 25 pounds over Kevin Audrain.
Rounding out the 2011 Championship top ten were Brandon Carpenter in 6th, Dan Plautz in 7th, Brett King in 8th, Scott Duncan in 9th, and Keith Kavajecz in 10th place.
More than the big weights posted by the AIM Pro Anglers and Sanctioned Series teams, the variety of Lake Oahe was impressive. Finishing the tournament with identical weights, Robert Blosser and Mark Brumbaugh employed different tactics. Yamaha Pro Blosser never left sight of the take-off at Swan Creek and said he used about two gallons of gas in his main motor, choosing instead to troll with his 9.9 hp kicker. In contrast, Mercury Pro Brumbaugh ran over 80 miles one-way to the south to troll and cast the Peoria Flats near Pierre. Brumbaugh noted his Smart Gauges logged fuel consumption at over 80 gallons per day!
Trolling crank baits was the predominant technique. However, Texas Pro Kevin Audrain used heavy jigging spoons with noisy clackers to account for his second-place finish, jigging around bridge columns in 30 to 50 feet of water. Sixth place finisher Brandon Carpenter used heavy jigs tipped with Berkeley Gulp and 6 to 10 foot exaggerated sweeps of his rod to trigger reluctant walleyes to strike. In opposition to these deep water techniques, Mark Brumbaugh caught many walleyes by casting Husky Jerk crankbaits over submerged brush. Tenth place Pro Keith Kavajecz trolled bass-style spinner baits through the deep tree tops along the Peoria flats.
But Chad Schilling had the winning presentation, and primarily jigged around the bridge pilings within 20 miles of the take-off. He was usually the only tournament boat in sight. Patience and commitment to a pattern earned him the victory. His relative closeness to the landing allowed for more total fishing time, opposed to the two-hour run many Pros made to the south.
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Schilling Takes the Lead at Akaska |
Chad Schilling is the local favorite at Akaska for two reasons. One: Akaska is his home town. Two: He's one of the top talents in competitive Walleye fishing.
Chad lived up to expectations today CRRing the biggest bag of the event at 40.85 pounds to take the lead at 75.87, 14 pounds and change ahead of second place Mark Brumbaugh. Mark weighed in a CRR total od 32.36 to total 61.19 for Day two.
Dan Plautz is tied with Brumbaugh at 61.19, just .19 of a pound ahead of fourth place Ross Grothe, who made a strong run at the JJ keller Angler of the year race today. Robert Blosser is in fifth just two pounds back with 59.14.
Scott Duncan made the move up to sixth, Keith Kavajecz is in seventh, Texan Kevin Audrain is in eighth, Rick Olson in ninth, and Gary Parsons rounds out the top ten almost 27 pounds back of the leader.
That's not unattainable here on Oahe. Many of the Pros mentioned the possibility of a 7 fish CRR averaging 26". That could turn the leaderboard up side down, and the weather looks to be far more stable tomorrow, which will help the pros traveling more than 20 miles with somewhat calmer conditions. The temps will be warmer as well, with a forecast high of 69 degrees under partly cloudy skies and winds running north to northwest 10 to 20.
The pros didn't talk much about technique yet with the top 18 heading back out to compete for a total cash and prize amount of over $90,000.00. Tomorrow, they will describe how the walleyes ended up in the net during the AIM Live Weigh In, beginning at about 5 PM.
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. AIM will also crown the 2011 AIM J. J. Keller Angler of the year tomorrow. The JJ keller Angler of the year will receive a $10,000 cash prize and hold the title of AIM Angler of the Year.
Anglers Insight Marketing, LLC (AIM) is a unique tournament organization which is owned by stockholders, the majority of which are Professional walleye anglers. AIM� Professionals are among the "All Stars" of professional 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 exposure for the host tournament sites and corporate partners.
Additional AIM Marketing Partners: Bay Mills Resort & Casino, Lund Boat Company, Mercury Marine & MotorGuide, Yamaha Marine, Crestliner Boats, JJ Keller Fishing Team, The Reel Shot, Navionics, Oahe Wings & Walleyes, John Butts Outdoors, Luck E Strike Lures, National Fleet Graphics, Worldwide Marine Insurance, Pier of d'Nort piers, Reef Runner Lures, Hatcams, The Judge Tournament Ruler, Rite in the Rain Paper, Come By Chance Resort, G2 Angling, M419 Guide Service
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Blosser Holds Lead After Day One at AIM Championship |
Fall arrived today in South Dakota via a massive cold front ushering in high winds, rain, cold temps, and rough seas on Oahe for Day One of the AIM International Walleye Championship out of Akaska. Leading up to the first day of the Tournament, the temps had been summer-like, and the winds light.
The walleyes didn't care.
Robert Blosser CRR'd 7 fish for 40.19 pounds to take the day one lead by almost 5 pounds over Keith Kavajecz. Keith has 35.48 pounds, placing him just past third place local favorite Chad Schilling's 35.01.
Blosser, the 2010 AIM JJ Keller Angler of the year, is in 5th in the AOY race going into the Championship, and is challenging current leader Brett King. Brett weighed 32.02 for fourth place on Day One, leading fifth place seasoned Pro Ross Grothe by just over two pounds.
In sixth is Gary Parsons with 29.12. Seventh is Mark Brumbaugh with 28.83, eighth is Rick Olson with 28.34, ninth is Scott Duncan with 27.37, and perennial top ten Master Mike Gofron holds tenth with 26.51.
Many of the better weights came from up to 90 miles one way from the launch. The conditions made the trip challenging, and many reports of broken rods, rod holders, and other interior equipment indicated just how rough it was out on Oahe today. Add the cold rain that fell during the latter portion of the day, and the picture of a less than pleasant ride back forms up.
Some of the Pros didn't make the run, yet held their own fishing closer to Akaska, placing in the top twenty in good shape to make the cut to the top 18 on Day Three.
Tomorrow looks to be absolutely brutal out there. The day is forecast to begin with temps in the 30's, topping out in the 50's with winds in the mid twenty MPH range and possible gusts to 50 MPH. That could limit the field's range, and effect the weights accordingly.
The AIM Championship field leaves tomorrow morning at 8 AM. Weigh in will begin at approximately 5 PM. Watch for the morning interviews and updates directly after 8 AM, and for updates during the day on http://www.aimfishing.com. |
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Previewing the AIM Championship at Akaska |
The water is high, and AIM competitors are “aiming” high to have fun both on and off the water during the International Walleye Championship on September 15 to 17 in this welcoming prairie town just off the Missouri River.
According to Bill Waeckerle, Akaska booster and one of the tournament’s local organizers, the anglers should expect big weights each day thanks to the high water levels in Lake Oahe that are keeping fish in and around the Swan Creek launch where Pros will start each morning.
The town, as usual, is going all out to welcome the AIM Pro Anglers, co-anglers and AIM Sanctioned Series teams with some great South Dakota hospitality.
First, the water conditions.
“The lake is down about 6-feet from the flood conditions earlier in the summer, and it is still being drawn down (through gates at Oahe dam north of Pierre. ) I don’t think it will be down more than eight or nine feet total for the tournament, so fishing conditions should be relatively stable and excellent,” Waeckerle predicts.
At its peak drawdown in summer, more than 170,000 cubic feet of water flowed through Oahe’s gates each second. The lake levels need to eventually be drawn down around 15 feet, Waeckerle added, to make room for next spring’s snowmelt.
“The Pros can expect a lot of fish. When they can count their seven biggest fish here, because of the AIM Catch-Record-Release format, you can bet there will be some big weights,” he said.
In August, AIM Pro Chad Schilling won the South Dakota Walleye Classic with more than 71 pounds over three days. “You can imagine what the team could have weighed if they had been able to record their seven biggest instead of slot fish. A 100-pound three day total weight is certainly feasible this time,” he said.
“Guys fishing the Classic were going north instead of south to compete. We’ve got about 110 feet of water in the channel now and the abundance of bait throughout the entire system has made a big difference in opening up lake areas that normally would be bypassed in late summer.”
The AIM anglers will be pre-fishing the lake until 1:00 p.m. on September 14th. During the tournament, they will leave the Swan Creek boat launch at 8 a.m. daily, and must be checked in by 4 p.m.
On the third day, fans on the Internet can follow the top five boats which will be equipped with GPS trackers. You can watch where they fish and their speeds, and see special on-water reports all day.
Waeckerle said that all events surrounding the championship will take place in the air-conditioned Akaska Community Center. The schedule includes: • A casino night on Tuesday, Sept. 13, with a Texas Hold’em tournament and other fun. • Wednesday is the last half-day of pre-fishing, followed by the tournament Rules Meeting. • Thursday will feature walleye fishing clinic put on by local pros, and the Day One weigh-in. • On Friday, there will be a fish fry following the Day Two weigh-in. Local organizers are hoping for an appearance by South Dakota’s Governor. • This year’s AIM International Walleye Champion will be crowned on Saturday, followed by a fisherman’s ball and dinner at the Community Center.
These activities and the potential of huge baskets, will cap the 2011 AIM Pro Walleye Series season that began back in April with a blizzard in Wisconsin. Also, this final tournament will also determine the 2011 AIM JJ Keller Fishing Team Angler of the Year, who will be awarded a $10,000 check!
Tournament fans unable to attend the daily weigh-ins can follow all the action at www.aimfishing.com. In addition to the Day Three GPS tracking, each weigh-in is also broadcast live. The AIM C-R-R format will display the potential 100-pound limits of Lake Oahe walleyes, all of which are immediately released to be caught again by local angers. The website will feature live video updates throughout the day, along with interviews of the competitors.
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The Akaska Prescription, Straight From �Doctor Sonar� |
When Bruce “Doc” Samson launches his Crestliner at the AIM Pro Walleye Series International Championship in September, you can bet that he, along with all other Pros Anglers, will be relying on their electronics to get them to the podium.
Samson is among the most, if not THE most knowledgeable AIM Pro when it comes to turning on and tuning in to what’s happening below their boats.
Known as “Doctor Sonar,” Samson retired from his medical practice in Minnetrista, Minnesota to fish for walleye professionally full-time. When he’s not on the water, he presents seminars across the Midwest on the proper operation of marine electronics, and specifically Lowrance depth sounders. His instructional DVDs run the gamut, from basic operation for beginners to advanced techniques, as well as operating the Lowrance HDS® series of high-definition sonars, and its newest StructureScan™ side-scan models.
Samson and the other AIM Pro Anglers who will be competing on Lake Oahe in September will be bringing all their knowledge to bear to find the points and submerged trees to find walleye on the still-swollen Missouri River, the fourth-largest manmade impoundment in the nation.
The spring run-off resulted in Lake Oahe being seven feet higher than AIM Pros encountered the last time they were here in August 2010. Their knowledge of electronics will be the difference between being in the running and going home after Day Two.
As he prepares for the AIM Championship, Doc has been putting together aerial photos of Oahe from the dry years to help him update his understanding of the lake, and find all the new trees that grew along the exposed shoreline during the drought. He will have them on his boat computer so he can drive right to them to shorten his “hunting time.”
A Passion for Fishing
Samson grew up in North Dakota and cut his teeth on river angling. “Whether it was with creek clubs, river shiners or white suckers, we were always down there fishing. When I got old enough, we’d go to the Red River and catch catfish, too,” Samson recalled. “I was a river fisherman because I couldn’t afford a boat.”
Samson strayed a bit after college, buying a golf cart and clubs before purchasing his first boat after beginning his medical practice. “When I bought that first boat though, the golf ended immediately. I have such a passion for fishing that golf doesn’t compare.”
That passion developed into a desire to fulfill his self-described competitive streak as a Pro Angler. But the learning curve was steep at first, he said. “I couldn’t catch anything, so I studied and still couldn’t. But then I met a guide who also fished walleye tournaments and he taught me about fish behavior,” Samson said. He learned that the basics of walleye behavior do not change much. “I learned what they do in seasonally, how weather affects them and things I just didn’t think of. That changed everything for me.”
“We always wonder why walleye are where they are, when their feeding times are, and there are reasons for that. It’s all probably related to what they eat, and to what the bait fish are eating.” Learn all you can about the fish you’re targeting, he said, and you soon realize that walleyes live differently than other species.
“Walleyes have different patterns in different bodies of water than other species. You can catch them in two feet of water and in 80 feet; in weeds and suspended. They can be anywhere and you have to figure them out. Electronics help me catch more fish. The best Pros are on top of their electronics game as much as they are on telling the difference between a jig bite and a trolling bite.”
“Once you learn how to jig, you know how. With electronics, there is no end. It keeps changing.” That education, which continues to this day, got a boost when Samson entered his first tournament. “I was done after that. I love anything competitive, whether it’s bowling, pool, chess or other sports. I just love the challenge. And once I found out about walleye tournaments, that allowed me to be competitive doing what I love to do, that was it,” he said.
One of his articles on using electronics for walleye, playing off his medical degree, was aptly titled “Doctor Sonar,” by magazine editors, and he liked the nickname so much that he adopted it.
His first piece of electronic equipment was a flasher. “I had to learn that on my own. There wasn’t anyone to teach how to tell a hard bottom from a soft bottom or the size of fish. A flasher isn’t the same quality as we have today, but it worked well,” he said. Samson began tournament fishing with the MWC in 1986, winning the series championship in his first year. He also has four PWT tournament wins, two PWT Top Qualifier awards, and won the 2002 RCL championship. He was also voted the top PWT teaching pro in 2004, and continues in that capacity today, presenting seminars and making available seven teaching DVDs on his website, hightechfishing.com.
“I lay all credit for those wins to electronics. I won the Devil’s Lake PWT because I had maps, and because of my flasher I was able to stay by some giant boulders.” After that first flasher, Samson stepped up to a paper graph. Then, he said, Lowrance changed everything with the LCX series sonar.
“I got one and was overwhelmed by it. And I learned that I was at first only using a small part of its capability. That winter I plugged it into a battery and opened the manual and did everything it said, learning it thoroughly. Then I thought that others would like to know how to operate them, and that’s when I made my first DVD.”
Samson’s current DVD series focuses on proper boat control, electronics for beginners and advanced users, plus understanding the Lowrance HDS, and Lowrance side scan units, and one DVD focusing on a technique he likes: using a slip bobber. Most of his seminars take place for lucky anglers in North Dakota, Michigan, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa.
His seminars are popular, he said, because most electronics owners don’t put in the effort or the time to learn what the equipment is capable of. “It’s overwhelming for some. Everything is in the manual but many anglers read the first three pages and they’re lost. That’s why I made the DVDs. You can watch as I push every button and explain what they do.”
Sonar: The Short Course
“Learning to effectively operate these units is like learning to operate a home computer. You can’t do it in one day,” he said. “You may learn how to turn it on and maybe set up a split screen to see both the GPS side and the sonar side, and maybe you can learn to make a waypoint, and maybe that’s all you need to do, but there’s a lot more you can do.”
He breaks down the basics of sonar so everyone can understand, starting something like this: Sonar is all about sound and how it reflects off objects in water. “Sound reflects off harder objects differently than softer. It’s picking up changes in density. That’s why if you have turbulence in water, the signal won’t go through as well. How the screen is set up will show that sound reflected as different colors,” Samson said.
After 25 years of fishing professionally, Samson says he still has that passion for both fishing, and teaching others to fish. “I like what I’m doing. It works. And I get to go fishing ‘enough.’ How many—at the end of the day—can say they’ve fished enough? I get to do that now, and that’s priceless.”
Doc Samson and the other AIM Pro Anglers will be put to the test on Lake Oahe for the AIM International Walleye Championship on September 15 to 17 at Akaska, South Dakota. Fans can follow all the action at www.aimfishing.com.
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What�s In A Name? |
J. J. Keller and The Reel Shot are names that have become synonymous in the professional walleye fishing scene, and also recently within the Bassmaster Elite Series. The Reel Shot and the J. J. Keller Fishing Team are committed to not only supporting the sport of fishing, but to also competing among the top anglers in the world.
The J. J. Keller Fishing Team is comprised of James and Brian Keller, John Schneider, and as of recently, Travis Manson who fishes the Bassmaster Elite Series (and is the first Bassmaster Pro from Wisconsin.) With this strong presence in both the walleye and bass arenas, the Team is doing their part to further the sport of competitive angling.
President of J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc., James Keller talks about fishing with his son, Brian. “Our father-son fishing duo started when Brian was my 1st mate for six years on my Lake Michigan Charter Boat. I have been a Charter Captain since 1983 and have completely enjoyed the time we have spent on the water together.”
“When Brian turned 18 in 1998, he got his first Ranger walleye rig. Since then we have been fishing team walleye tournaments such as the Mercury Nationals, MWC and MWS,” Keller notes. “In 2006 Brian started fishing as a Pro with the PWT where he really developed a passion for competitive walleye angling. Brian has been exposed to many different types of fishing throughout his life; I can’t say I’m surprised that he is now pursuing it professionally.”
“As we both became more involved in professional walleye angling, we both agreed that for competitive walleye angling to continue to have a strong hold in the fishing industry, something new was going to have to come to fruition. When the idea for the AIM Pro Walleye Series arose, we decided to invest in the circuit. We were two of the original 77 AIM Owners, when the company was founded in 2008. We started fishing the AIM Tournament series in 2009,” Keller continues. “I started fishing the Pro/Am events with AIM and have thoroughly enjoyed AIM’s C-R-R (Catch-Record-Release) format. I have gone full circle: walleyes and muskies since the 70's, then salmon and lake trout since 1983, and then back to walleyes on the professional level! In case you are wondering I am 63,” he laughs.
“We felt the positive impact the AIM series would have within the community was well worth the investment,” Keller continues. “The C-R-R format allows for the local anglers to go out immediately following an event and still catch fish. Plus, the impact by having a professional competitive fishing series is very important to the local economy, and it’s something we wanted to be a part of.”
Brian was working as a Technology Manager at J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. for 10 years when he decided to leave and pursue his dream of owning and operating a sporting goods store. This is how The Reel Shot was then born. The Reel Shot opened January 2011 in Oshkosh Wisconsin with a beautiful 6,000 square foot show room providing fully-equipped sport fishing and archery pro shops. There is also an 11,000-gallon demonstration fish tank where anglers can try out new baits or enjoy seminars from local fishing experts and pros. It was only natural to make The Reel Shot the home of the J. J. Keller Fishing Team.
At the close of each AIM Pro Walleye Series tournament, as a good faith gesture, the J. J. Keller Foundation donates money to non-profit organizations in the communities which have hosted the events. The Foundation provides grants to local 501 C(3) organizations – such as youth outdoor education and fishing activities. The J. J. Keller Foundation has funded hundreds of projects and programs, both small and large in and around northeastern Wisconsin, which have positively impacted the lives of many people. Often these donations allowed organizations to offer programs that would otherwise have gone unfunded. The Foundation’s legacy of giving will continue for many years due to the generosity of Jack and Ethel Keller, the parents of James. Both of Jim’s parents are gone, but he and Brian are continuing their legacy of philanthropy.
“Competitive walleye excitement is making a comeback!” Keller exclaims. “While the future of our heritage is very important to us and our children, the bottom line is we feel our participation is a way for us to help continue and promote our natural resources, build community within the fishing industry and enjoy creation at the same time.”
The J. J. Keller Fishing Team is also funding the AIM Angler of the Year award, which is a $10,000 cash prize. “The Angler of the Year award is one of the most coveted achievements in a competitive angler’s sights,” Keller explains. “Why not make the hunt more intense with monetary motivation? That’s exactly why we donated to that cause and will continue to support a tremendous organization like Anglers Insight Marketing.”
There are many vital supporting partners to the AIM Pro Walleye Series. The company was started by anglers for anglers with the hopes of growing the sport of fishing. Without like-minded supporters such as The Reel Shot and the J. J. Keller Fishing Team, the continued success of competitive angling would not be possible. Investing today in tomorrow’s opportunities is absolutely essential for the next generation’s outdoor heritage.
Please note: The Reel Shot www.thereelshot.com, J. J. Keller & Associates www.jjkeller.com, The J. J. Keller Fishing Team www.jjkellerfishingteam.com, and The J.J. Keller Foundation www.jjkellerfoundation.org are all separate entities and more information can be found at their respective websites.)
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AIM Announced the Championship Tournament Opportunities for Sanctioned Series Anglers |
Plymouth, WI – July 27, 2011 Over 50 tournament circuits have chosen to partner with the AIM Pro Walleye Series™. These Sanctioned Series tournaments have accepted the offer from AIM® to provide an invitation to the members of their "Team of the Year" to the 2011 AIM International Walleye Championship and/or the 2011 AIM International Team Championship.
There are TWO opportunities for competition: 1. The invited anglers who accept invitations to the Pro-Am Championship will then have the opportunity to compete alongside the AIM Pro Anglers that have qualified through the AIM Pro Walleye Series. 2. The team members who accept the invitations to the Team Championship will compete against the other teams in this “tournament within a tournament”.
AIM International Walleye Championship™ September 15 – 17, 2011 The year-end Championship will be hosted by Akaska, SD and located on the expansive waters of Lake Oahe. Akaska has hosted qualifying events in 2009 and 2010. In both cases the number of walleyes – and the fan support was phenomenal! AIM Pro Anglers qualify for the Championship by their participation in at least one of the qualifying 2011 AIM Pro Walleye Series tournaments. Each Sanctioned Series may extend an invitation to both members of their top team to compete as Pro Anglers. All AIM rules apply to all competitors, regardless of their qualification process.
AIM International Team Championship™ September 15 – 16, 2011 The year-end Team Championship is a special tournament staged for the top teams of the AIM Sanctioned Series. Each Sanctioned Series may extend an invitation to their top team to compete together against the other teams. The teams will ONLY compete against the other teams for a separate purse and prize package and participate in a separate weigh-in. The Sanctioned Series teams will compete based on the AIM rules – including the AIM Catch-Record-Release™ format.
With these separate tournaments, each AIM Sanctioned Series has the opportunity to nominate up to FOUR anglers to receive invitations to the TWO Championships: A. Up to TWO anglers who accept the invitations to compete as Pro Anglers in the AIM International Walleye Championship. B. TWO angler team members who accept the invitation to compete as a team in the AIM International Team Championship. C. Each Sanctioned Series organization is responsible for choosing the invitation recipients. Alternates may be substituted if the top qualifiers are unable to accept these invitations. It is then the responsibility of the qualifying anglers to complete their registration. Team entries are limited to the first 30 entries on a first come basis.
Note: there is no requirement to qualify to enter the Pro-Am Championship as a Co-angler. Co-angler entries are accepted on a first-come basis until the field is full (and a waiting list will be maintained.)
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. The AIM International Walleye Championship at Akaska, SD on September 15 to 17 will also crown the 2011 AIM J. J. Keller Angler of the year who will receive a $10,000 cash prize.
Anglers Insight Marketing, LLC (AIM) is a unique tournament organization which is owned by stockholders, the majority of which are Professional walleye anglers. AIM® Professionals are among the “All Stars” of professional 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 exposure for the host tournament sites and corporate partners.
Additional AIM Marketing Partners:
Bay Mills Resort & Casino, Lund Boat Company, Mercury Marine & MotorGuide, Yamaha Marine, Crestliner Boats, JJ Keller Fishing Team, The Reel Shot, Navionics, Oahe Wings & Walleyes, John Butts Outdoors, Luck E Strike Lures, National Fleet Graphics, Worldwide Marine Insurance, Pier of d’Nort piers, Reef Runner Lures, Hatcams, The Judge Tournament Ruler, Rite in the Rain Paper, Come By Chance Resort, G2 Angling, M419 Guide Service
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It�s On to the Championship and C-R-R for Chad Schilling |
AIM Pro Walleye Series competitor and hometown favorite for the 2011 AIM International Walleye Championship, Chad Schilling has one thing on his mind: walleyes in the still flood-swollen Missouri River at Lake Oahe.
Schilling hopes to be on the tournament podium and in the running to be the AIM 2011 Champion. Schilling finished a respectable 10th in the 2010 AIM tournament held in Akaska last August and is looking to improve on that by about 10 places this year!
He placed fifth in the AIM J.J. Keller Angler of The Year competition in 2010. At age 35 and in his 5th season on the pro circuits, Schilling lives, breathes, and eats outdoor fun.
Chad is always enjoying the bounty of the Akaska area. He spends half of his time guiding anglers on Lake Oahe. Then in the fall, he switches over to guiding hunters after pheasant from his Oahe Wings & Walleye guide service on the bird-rich Dakota plains.
He hopes the September AIM Championship event favors those who can decipher the walleye patterns on the enormous Lake Oahe --now even larger due to flooding -- namely him. The AIM Pro Anglers will have hundreds of square miles of water available for fishing on Lake Oahe, the fourth largest manmade reservoir in the nation.
What’s his take on the coming tournament? It’s not going to be a runaway bite like it was in 2010 when nearly every Pro found both numbers of fish and large fish. In 2010, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Pro, Jesse Buechel, won the tournament after he perfected a slow trolling presentation.
“Last year we experienced my least favorite conditions. When you’re on your home water, you don’t want the fish biting every off single point,” he said, but that’s how it was during the tournament. “The September bite will still be good and strong, but not like last August, at least not normally. But remember, this is the Missouri, and fishing conditions change like the South Dakota weather.”
Right now, huge snowmelt from the Rockies has elevated the river behind Oahe dam another seven feet above last year, Schilling said, making conditions, especially in sunken forests like at the mouth of the nearby Moreau River, that much more interesting. “That’s a lot of water anywhere else, but here that’s a month’s change,” Schilling pointed out. “Just after last year’s tournament, the water dropped six feet, so you adjust.”
“Fortunately, the water levels haven’t really negatively affected us. Our parking’s the same, the launch is the same, and points you fish off are the same. The only thing is, it’s a little deeper. That’s the great thing about Oahe. It’s pretty predictable, and you’re going to catch fish.”
Normally September coincides with a lull on Lake Oahe as the walleyes begin adjusting to dropping and cooling water. But that is the time the best anglers like the AIM Pro Anglers will find the fish. Chad said, “It’s a lot more favorable for me. It’s when and where you want to be on your home water.”
Schilling, who was one of AIM’s founding owners, was returning to South Dakota from another tournament that did not use AIM’s Catch-Record-Release® format when he was interviewed. He was eagerly looking forward the C-R-R format on Lake Oahe. “C-R-R takes a lot of stress out of your day. You don’t have to worry about babysitting walleyes in the livewell to make sure you don’t get a dead fish penalty. It’s a lot of fun not to worry about killing fish, and not worrying about slot fish and in what order you caught them,” he said.
“With C-R-R, I always believe I’m going to catch bigger and better fish. There’s enough to contend with in any tournament other than worrying about what order you land your fish. In other tournaments, if you’ve caught a 10-pound walleye after you’ve caught your slot, oh well. With C-R-R, there’s no second-guessing. And there’s nothing more frustrating than fishing to a slot limit and making the wrong decision on keeping or not keeping a fish.”
For Schilling, competition on the water came easy. “It started with my brother and I having a good run as tournament partners. We won the biggest tournament in the area here three years in a row, and for about a six-year period I put together 11 wins, so I decided I might as well make money at it,” he said. “I got into the pro-am format and never looked back,” he says.
Schilling has seen the positive results of C-R-R format as a way to not only preserve fish for local anglers, but add a different twist into the mix. He says it took only one try of C-R-R to convince him that this was the way of the future of tournament fishing. “I’ve been on some tournaments, like on Mille Lacs (in Minnesota), where I caught 14 fish over 27 inches and never had one touch 28, and the slot was one over 28 that year. I had the best fishing of my life, but never got to weigh a single big fish for that tournament. “
“If it was an AIM C-R-R event, I would have had an incredible weight, instead, of being short a quarter-inch about five times,” Schilling said. “C-R-R takes all human error out of the equation, and it’s better for the fish, and the fisherman.”
Anyone interested in either a guided South Dakota walleye or pheasant trip can contact Chad Schilling at www.oahewings.com.
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King Leads the J. J. Keller Fishing Team Angler of the Year Race Going Into Dubuque, Iowa. |
Plymouth, WI – June 13, 2011
The AIM Pro Walleye Series rolls into Dubuque, Iowa for the third tournament of the 2011 schedule. The Pro-Am fishing tournament will be held June 22 to 24, 2011. The location for the daily weigh-ins will be the Mystique Casino. The weigh-ins will be held indoors to eliminate any chance of inclement weather affecting the multi-media show.
But there is more on the line than just a tournament victory – as important as that is to these professional walleye anglers. Once again for 2011, the J. J. Keller Fishing Team is dangling a $10,000 prize for the Angler of the Year. This award recognizes the most consistent angler over the four tournament season.
The Dubuque AIM Pro Walleye Series tournament is the third of the 2011 season. The Angler of the Year standings are calculated on the weight of each angler in relation to the winning weight of each tournament. Finish places are not important; total tournament weight alone is used for the calculations. And the larger margin of victory the better. This formula has vaulted Brett King into the AOY lead after his decisive victory at the 2011 AIM Bay Mills Invitational on June 4th. Close behind him in overall points is Joe Okada. Lurking in third is Mike Gofron who scored fourth place finishes in both of the first two tournaments. The top five in AOY standings are rounded out by Yamaha Pros Ross Grothe and Robert Blosser.
Tournament veteran Mike Gofron is returning to one of his favorite locations on the Mississippi River for the Dubuque tournament. It is too early to be looking ahead to the end of the season, but Lund Pro Staffer Gofron also knows that Lund Boats has placed a $5,000 bounty on any Lund Pro that wins an AIM tournament. In addition, if the Angler of the Year has fished all four of the AIM events from a Lund he or she stands to pick up another $10,000 bonus!
The AIM Pro Anglers at the Dubuque tournament are also competing for an additional $1,000 incentive added by Crestliner Boats. Any Crestliner angler that scores a first place finish will receive this $1,000 bonus!
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. The AIM website will also provide fans with the opportunity to watch the daily weigh-ins LIVE each day via streaming video.
Anglers Insight Marketing, LLC (AIM) is a unique tournament organization which is owned by stockholders, the majority of which are Professional walleye anglers. AIM® Professionals are among the “All Stars” of professional 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 exposure for the host tournament sites and corporate partners.
Additional AIM Marketing Partners:
Bay Mills Resort & Casino, Lund Boat Company, Mercury Marine & MotorGuide, Yamaha Marine, Crestliner Boats, JJ Keller Fishing Team, The Reel Shot, Navionics, Oahe Wings & Walleyes, John Butts Outdoors, Luck E Strike Lures, National Fleet Graphics, Worldwide Marine Insurance, Pier of d’Nort piers, Reef Runner Lures, Hatcams, The Judge Tournament Ruler, Rite in the Rain Paper, Come By Chance Resort, G2 Angling, M419 Guide Service
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