I ordered a battery and a charger today using PayPal and got an immediate confirmation. Thanks!

The bite has been pretty steady on Lake Sakakawea since we’ve been on the ice. The western half of the lake typically fishes better overall than the east end in that the daily bite window usually is a bit longer. The water tends to have more color as you move west. February and March are good on SAK. I’d say January is typically the slowest month. Best fishing is on structure that you have to yourself. Be careful near shorelines- there are some springs and be mindful of current in the river section near New Town and west. 18-30 FOW has been good lately for walleye in the low light periods. Good Luck!

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

Lots of good fishing close to Minot. Lake Darling would be a good place to start for walleye, perch, and pike. Truck or walk out only, no ATV’s, and don’t drive near areas with current like the bridges or harbor mouth at the Grano Crossing launch. SE of Minot has some excellent small lake fishing and as the previous poster said Devils Lake isn’t too far away. Good Luck!

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

Ice fishing on Devils Lake is typically best early and late in the season. Before Jan 1st or after March 1st would be the peak times but you can catch fish and have a great trip anytime during the winter season up here. There is a lot of water to look at and lots of good guide services available. It’s not a bad idea to hire a guide if its your first trip or be prepared to do your homework before you come. Nice class of perch in the lake this year, I caught a bunch of them jigging deep last week. Should be another great ice season on Devils Lake!

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

Good points above. Another consideration might be what kind of fish are you targeting? I definitely like my Otter Cottages for chasing walleye so we can spread out over the structure or area, we just catch more fish that way. I can haul three in the back of my long-box truck. But for schooling perch it really doesn’t seem to matter as much and when the perch are biting a bit of commotion doesn’t hurt. The Otter Lodge is a great 2-man flip.

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

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Woodland Resort is a great place to stay, with a variety of accommodations, bait shop, and restaurant. Kyle and his crew work hard for their guests. If you are looking for an easy, comfortable trip where you will be shuttled out and back each day to hard side fish houses they will do a great job for you. Woodland places their houses on the main body of Devils Lake and the fishing can be really good, especially for walleyes on structure.

Fishing off the main body of Devils Lake can also be really good. Look at Stump lake or Lake Irvine. If you want to fish these areas I’d suggest bringing your portables or hiring a guide service that fishes the entire region.

Good Luck in North Dakota!

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

Hey Dan…Unfortunately the owner of Northern Bright Lights passed away while on an ice fishing trip to South Dakota on November 30th. Kevin was a really nice guy who worked hard and had a lot of fun in life and he’ll be missed. I heard that some friends got together and filled his remaining orders before they shut his website down. I don’t know if the business will start up again or not. RIP Kevin…

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

The cool thing about Devils Lake is there is usually a good bite going on somewhere for something. But there are peak periods and if I was scheduling a trip for perch/walleye I’d look before New Years or sometime after March 1st typically for the best fishing. It’s going to be another good year on Devils Lake this winter.

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

If the Casino doesn’t work for you another good lodging option is Haybale Heights. Good access to the east side of Devils Lake and big perch!

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

There are still openings for this weekend’s AWWS events at Leech Lake-

AIM

Presented by Yamaha Marine and Warrior Boats

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Published July 8th, 2014

FEED BAG IS ON FOR LEECH LAKE EVENTS

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 http://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.

I’m hoping that somebody will push close to 40 pounds. My guess is low 38’s will take it. Lots of talented anglers in this field.

Also, for anyone in the area AIM hosts Ride & Drive’s at all our events. Stop by and take a new boat for a spin!

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

John- We use VHF Channel 68

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm TONIGHT (June 4th) We have a few openings – currently 90 boats registered – Max field size is 100 boats

http://aimfishing.com/articles/mille…aim-tournament

AIM
Presented by Yamaha and Warrior Boats
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Published June 4, 2014

MILLE LACS LAKE BITE HEATING UP FOR AIM TOURNAMENT

The bite is heating up just in time for the AIM Weekend Walleye Series (AWWS) “Alumacraft Open” at Mille Lacs Lake on June 8th.

With water temperatures warming into the upper 50’s, the bite on the lake is improving every day. “You are going to see a mix of everything from rigging, to bobbers, to cranks,” stated Steve Kulifaj, new owner of the Red Door Resort. “Most of the fish being caught right now are pretty deep and we are seeing lots of fish in the 20-26 inch range,” he added. “As of a week ago, there were reports of fish that were still spawning.”

Yamaha Pro Ross Grothe and his seven-year-old son Reid are hoping to take advantage of fishing Mille Lacs to its’ fullest potential since the lake’s 18-20 inch state imposed slot limit won’t be in play. “I love the AIM format of Catch-Record-Release (CRR). We don’t have to worry about which size fish we can and can’t keep.”

Grothe laughed recalling the first AWWS tournament of the season. “Reid couldn’t understand why we were throwing the fish back. It took him awhile to get the concept. I also made the mistake of bringing my Lake Erie net along, which was a little big for him to handle!”

He continued, “He also had to learn to multi-task. He sat down to have a sandwich, and a couple bites in he hooked a fish. He wasn’t sure if he should finish his sandwich or reel in the fish! Overall it was very rewarding and I felt like I had already won before I got on the water. I’m so grateful that Yamaha is backing the Weekend Walleye Series, giving me the opportunity to fish with my son. AIM and Yamaha are investing in the future!”

Boats will take off from the Red Door Resort in Aitkin, MN, at 7:30am and return at 3:30pm. The awards ceremony will take place at 5:30pm.

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 http://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.

Reminder to anglers thinking about fishing this event:

Registration CLOSES Wednesday at Midnight!

Also, AIM has changed the tournament competition hours due to the large field expected and the DNR night fishing ban in place on Mille Lacs Lake. Competition hours will now be 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM.

This will allow anglers more time on tournament morning to get their boats launched and get ready for a great day of fishing!

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

Video report from this week here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBJSS1aisYI

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

The two main tactics right now on Devils Lake are bobber and pitch. A small jig and a leech under a bobber will get you a lot of fish. Look for emerging weeds and inside or around the edges of flooded trees. A good tactic is to pitch around these areas until you catch a fish or two then bobber them. If the fish aren’t too active you will probably catch more bobbering. You want a leader in front of anything you pitch- swimbait or crank. The pike are thick and chomping hard right now. Swimbaits have been better than cranks so far but as the water warms up that may change. Pretty hard to beat a Berkley Ripple Shad in the new 3.5″ size. Pearl White, Fire Tiger, Racy Shad, and New Penny will cover it. I use mostly 1/4 oz heads this time of year, some 3/8 oz if I need to fish faster or deeper. Pitching around cover you will want a tough superline like FireLine. I use 14 to 17 lb. hi-vis line. 17lb. Nanofil is my favorite because it casts so well.

Look up in Pelican Lake for the warmest water you can find off the edges of the main lake. The launch directly into Pelican is right near where you are staying or you can go under the Mauvee Coulee bridge from the main lake side.

I fished it on Wednesday and 100 fish days are easy right now. Most will be pike but you can catch some really nice eyes too if you work at it. Bobbering will keep the pike count down a bit. Hope you have a great trip to North Dakota!

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

Thanks Will! Rules meeting is June 7th… Fish on the 8th

JC

65 Teams are entered. Good Luck everyone!

Press Release:

http://aimfishing.com/articles/aim-weekend-walleye-series-minnesota-division-opens-otter-tail-lake

Great job this year guys! I really enjoyed watching the ice shows. I’m sure the tight deadlines created some headaches but the effort was worth it!

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

I “mod” my Otters to pull by machine with gear survival and durability in mind. But I do pull by hand on early and late ice when there typically isn’t too much snow. If you are hand pulling in snow try and keep your gear light.

This thread has some pics of “mods” that I’ve done:

Otter Pro Cottage

Also, a picture of my latest version of inserts.

Lots of fun modding Otters!

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

The bite has been strong and I think you are going to hit it pretty good. There are still lots of perch roaming the deep basins but there are also perch that are starting to move up shallow. If you can find them shallower they are generally much easier to catch. Look in the south end of Black Tiger or the north end of Six Mile. Walleyes in both areas too. I’d chase perch during the day and fish walleyes in the low light periods on structure. Sunny days are better for perch. Pelican Lake probably has the biggest average perch but they can be tough to locate and stay on. Fish are starting to be caught along the edges of sunken trees too. Great Lake – Good Luck!

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

They are measured in centimeters from end to end, including the hooks. So a #9 jigging Rap (9 centimeters) is about 3 1/2″ long.

The Rap in the picture is a #5. Hope this helps…

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

AIM has opened up registration for the AIM Weekend Walleye Series!

For more information see: http://aimfishing.com/

Presented by Yamaha Marine and Warrior Boats

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Published January 29th 2013

AIM™ Announces Additional AIM Weekend Walleye Series Details
Anglers Insight Marketing LLC (AIM™) is pleased to announce further details for the new AIM Weekend Walleye Series tournament circuit aimed squarely at the grass-roots walleye angler.

The 2014 AIM Weekend Walleye Series will feature exciting team-style competition, with anglers competing in separate Minnesota and Wisconsin divisions.

Each State Division will consist of three AIM Weekend Walleye Series Qualifier events and a season-ending AIM Weekend Walleye Series State Championship.

In addition, to help anglers qualify for their respective State Championships and deal with any potential scheduling conflicts, AIM is adding an additional Wild-Card Qualifier event open to both Minnesota and Wisconsin anglers.

Anglers must enter in at least three events to qualify for their State Championship.

Schedule of Events- Divisional State Qualifiers

Minnesota AIM Weekend Walleye Series Qualifiers
May 18th – Ottertail Lake
June 8th – Mille Lacs Lake
July 13th – Leech Lake

Wisconsin AIM Weekend Walleye Series Qualifiers
April 27th – Winneconne, WI
May 11th – Bay of Green Bay
July 13th – Lake Winnebago

AIM Wild-Card Event (Qualifier for both Minnesota and Wisconsin Anglers)
June 29th – Mississippi River (Pools TBD)

Entry Fees and Payouts for Divisional State Qualifiers and Wild-Card Event
$300 Team Entry Fee for State Qualifiers
$35 AIM Angler Membership Fee (per angler)
Qualifier Payouts are based on 100 boats, and will be adjusted accordingly to reflect actual field size

1st- $8,000.00* 9th- $900.00
2nd- $2400.00 10th- $800.00
3rd- $1800.00 11th- $700.00
4th- $1500.00 12th- $600.00
5th- $1300.00 13th- $500.00
6th- $1200.00 14th- $400.00
7th- $1100.00 15th- $300.00
8th- $1000.00

*The winning team in each State Qualifier tournament will also receive a free entry ($1250 value) into the 2014 Oconto AIM Pro Team Challenge event (30K + 1st Place Prize)

Schedule of Events- Divisional State Championships

Minnesota AIM Weekend Walleye Series State Championship
August 9-10th – Minnesota State Championship on Lake Winnibigoshish

Wisconsin AIM Weekend Walleye Series State Championship
September 6-7th – Wisconsin State Championship on the Bay of Green Bay
Entry Fees and Payouts for Divisional State Championships
$500 Team Entry Fee for State Championships
Championship Payouts are based on 100 boats, and will be adjusted accordingly to reflect actual field size

1st- Alumacraft Escape 165 Tiller powered by a Yamaha F40 Tiller plus $4k
2nd- $8,000.00 9th- $1000.00
3rd- $2400.00 10th- $900.00
4th- $1800.00 11th- $850.00
5th- $1500.00 12th- $750.00
6th- $1300.00 13th- $650.00
7th- $1200.00 14th- $550.00
8th- $1100.00 15th- $500.00

Schedule of Events – AIM Border Battle Shootout
Spring of 2015 (Location TBD)
Teams finishing in the “Top 5” in the each State Championship, as well each state’s “Top 5” teams in points in the “Team of the Year” race will qualify to fish in the Warrior Boats Border Battle Shootout in 2015.
Qualifying teams from both states will fish for a chance to win a brand new Warrior 1898 DC powered by a 150 HP Yamaha outboard. Final details of this “AIM Border Battle” between anglers from Minnesota and Wisconsin are still being worked out, but this event will be a NO ENTRY FEE shootout for the Warrior boat package!

*REGISTRATION WILL BE OPENING SOON SO STAY TUNED!

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 http://www.aimfishing.com.
AIM Marketing Partners: Yamaha Marine, Warrior Boats, Alumacraft Boats, Navionics, Power Pole, and Worldwide Marine Insurance

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Check these out HERE

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I’m a big fan too, obviously…

But these lights are really bright, rugged, and rigged for use in a portable.

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

There was a period last winter when perch fishing on Stump Lake was quite a bit better than on Devils Lake. It has a lot to do with forage conditions (mainly freshwater shrimp) and how much they have to eat.

The water in Stump Lake is quite clear and the perch schools seem to move around a lot. One reliable place to start looking is on the outside edge of any flooded trees in 35′ plus FOW. Mobility is key to consistent success on Stump.

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

If I understand your post, you said you’re fishing with a partner about half the time and always pulling by hand? You will definitely like the size of the Otter Lodge when fishing with somebody else, but a house of that size will be a handful when fishing alone. It will take quite a bit more effort when loading/unloading, and set-up and moving around will take more time too. And you will likely need a larger heater and carry more propane to comfortably heat it. Pulling a Lodge loaded with gear any distance by yourself through snow will be all the “gym work” you need to stay in shape.

I had a Lodge (which I hardly ever pulled by hand) and I guess I just don’t see many guys solo fishing with a house that large.

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

There are several good ice guide operations- Perch Patrol, Bry’s Guide Service, Perch-Eyes to name a few.

You can catch jumbo perch all winter long but I’d say early and late ice are usually best. I’d target before Christmas and after the first week in March unless we have some unusual weather. The main lake areas are generally better early in December, and the adjacent waters are typically better later in the year.

Jim Carroll NPAA #13

OK Guys… We are going to Mille Lacs for sure. Where else in Minnesota would you like to see an AIM style event and when would be the best time to hold it?

Jim Carroll NPAA#13

Up here in North Dakota, we typically get on smaller waters just before Thanksgiving. Devils Lake, usually before December 1st for walk out fishing. It’s going to be tremendous early ice perch bite up here, can’t wait!

Jim Carroll NPAA #13