AIM Fishing
Published January 12, 2011
Dubuque, Iowa Will Host the Third Event of the 2011 AIM Pro Walleye Series™
Dubuque, Iowa will host the third tournament of the 2011 AIM Pro Walleye Series™ schedule. The Pro-Am fishing tournament will be held June 22 to 24, 2011. Like all AIM Pro Walleye Series™ tournaments, there are no restrictions on where the anglers can search for the limits of winning walleyes – as long as they return exactly on time to the check-in. The AIM® Pro Anglers will have access to literally hundreds of square miles of the Mississippi River and backwaters.
Located in the Tri-State Area, (where the Mississippi River creates a natural border between Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa) Dubuque is within a day’s drive of the largest cities in the Midwest (and the homes of many of the AIM® Pro Anglers.) Dubuque is Iowa’s oldest city, but is also the most innovative. Dubuque recently completed a nearly $400 million renovation of its riverfront. It is home to museums, historic sites, wineries, and art galleries. This is all in addition to its location on the river which is home to millions of hungry walleyes!
Katie Simmons, Sports and Events Manager for the Dubuque Conventions and Visitors Bureau welcomes the AIM Pro Walleye Series™ competitors to the area. She said, “When we were offered the opportunity to host the second AIM Pro Walleye Series™ of the 2011 season, we knew Dubuque would be a perfect fit. This sport has a considerable amount of community support and we are thrilled to help make this event a success in any way we can”.
This AIM Pro Walleye Series™ tournament will feature the exclusive AIM Catch-Record-Release™ (CRR) format that uses digital photo technology to verify each fish as it is recorded on the Official Scorecard. The fish are then immediately released – where they were caught – and NOT transported to the landing. This means the Pro Anglers can continually upgrade their catch all day, every day. CRR also means that NO “dead fish” penalties will be assessed at the weigh-in. With this format, the angler who catches the 21 largest walleyes over the three day tournament will win!
The CRR format is significant because traditional “catch and release” walleye tournaments have not been permitted for many years on this stretch of the Mississippi. Historical problems with fish kills following a delayed release - that is, after spending the day in a “live well” and then being released many miles from where they were caught and many hours later. The exclusive AIM® CRR format was instrumental in receiving a tournament permit that did not require the total harvest of all fish (that is, a “kill” tournament.)
Entries are now being accepted for both Pro Anglers and Co-anglers. The Co-angler entry fee is $250 for two days of fishing, each with a different AIM® Pro Angler. After Day Two the number of Pro Anglers is reduced to the top 50% of the field. Half of the Co-angler field will also be selected to fish an additional day for free!
