After some technical difficulty we are back at it and just in time to get things rolling for the upcoming tournament season.  While I type this the guys fishing the AIM tournament are working hard to put limits of walleye in the boat fishing the Wolf River System in Wisconsin. They, like the rest of us are dealing with a winter that will just not let go.

After a blizzard canceled day one of fishing, they were back on the water dealing with a really tough bite on day two.  With some stable weather I think Day 3 will be much better for most.  I have been watching the Live GPS boat tracking on the AIM website which is a really cool feature.  Best of luck to all the guys today.

So what have I been up to?  Well, first I am patiently waiting for my boat to finish production at Ranger and that is set to happen next week.  I am desperately hoping it will arrive quickly so I can get it wrapped and head out to tackle lake Erie.  As I mentioned earlier this year my 2011 Truck and boat will be sporting the Northern Beer wrap which should be pretty cool.  If you are not familiar with Northern Beer, check it out at www.drinknorthern.com

While I wait for my boat, I have been doing some Turkey hunting as well as getting the pumpkin patch ready to grow a new World Record this year.  Both of these have been hampered by the weather some but are coming along.  Normally I am a big fan of winter and ice fishing, but really, I am getting sick of this and really want to get out to Lake Erie and start trolling up some giant walleye.

This year I will be fishing the entire National Guard FLW Walleye Tour again.  I really like the schedule and the locations this year, as the FLW has done a great job of picking premier locations.  I will again be traveling with Jason Przekurat, Mark Courts and Kevin McQuoid which makes the season more enjoyable both on and off the water.  For those of you who enjoyed our live feed on www.onthewaterlive.com make sure you check in this year as we have some planned improvements that should be very noticeable.  Live streaming should start on May 6th from Lake Erie.

That is my update for now, as I am really looking forward to getting back on the open water!  Pictured above is Matt Carlander with a giant prespawn Lake Erie walleye from the last time we fished out of Port Clinton, OH for the FLW Tour.

The 2011 Eelpout Festival is officially in the books and once again it was a good one.  This  Eelout festival was much different than years past due to several reasons.  First, the Cass County Sheriff's department closed Walker Bay to vehicle traffic from 8AM Friday to 1:30 PM Sunday.  Second, we had 58 degree temps on Wednesday leading up to the festival which melted ALL the snow on the lake.  Third, it got very cold and windy during the festival which always poses a problem for a few "camps" on the lake.  Lastly, our Camp which became known as Camp Northern Beer had a portable bar that ended up being not so portable, but became a huge hit for the thousands out Eelpouters that stopped by to visit.

Lets back up a little.  So the Sheriffs close the accesses and mere advertising of this fact deterred quite a few people from staying on the lake. I would estimate there was roughly 1/2 of the normal people on the ice.  However, the camps that did come did not disappoint and there was fun had by all.  The closings of accesses also made the town of Walker very busy as camps popped up all over town ready to celebrate.  I don't know that there was that many less people than normal, but there was less on the ice.

Do to the conditions Camp Northern Beer set up just outside the Chase on the Lake and I thank them for their Generosity is letting me set up so close to their bar.  Camp Northern Beer also took second in the first annual Eelpout Parade, something that we are planning to win next year!  The $200 second prize money got donated right back to the Chase on the Lake via a bar tab for the folks in Camp Northern Beer for all their hard work.

For those that did not make it to Eelpout, you missed a good time.  Lake travel ended up excellent as you could drive anywhere on the lake with the snow melt.  Rumor has it the perch and walleye fishing was excellent but the Pout were hard to come by.  I am really looking forward to next year as Camp Northern Beer has plans in the works for a bigger and better set-up and if the conditions allow we will be back out there again, just like years past.

Pictured above is a shot of Camp Northern Beer before the party got started and the portable Bar we used in the parade as well as in camp.  The portable bar quickly became an Eelpout festival favorite for many.  Thanks again to everyone that stopped by the try a Northern Beer and remember, if you want to be a Legend...Drink Northern!

I have talked before about the importance of wearing eye wear in the field, but usually I am talking about protecting your eyes from the sun.  Two weeks ago while fishing Leech Lake I had a little incident that probably should have cost me my left eye, but thanks to my Costa's, I am able to type this piece using both of them right now.

For those not familiar with Leech Lake, when it is windy the walleye move very shallow on wind blown shorelines and you can usually pitch jigs to these fish.  While moving along some wind blown rocks in 4 feet of water with my Minn Kota Fortrex I was pitching up into 1 foot of water and the fish were just crushing the Northland Jig/Minnow Combo.  The fish were not huge but the action was great and pitching jigs is about as fun as it gets.

As I was moving down the shore the wind was blowing hard against the outside of the boat, and with any mistake, I could have easily been pushed up onto the rocks. The conditions were perfect and the bites were fast.  These were the kind of bites that when the jig hit the water the line was already running to the side....fish on!

Then there was a cast that I will remember for a long time.  I pitched up shallow just like a hundred times before and just like many other casts, the line shot to the side and I set the hook.  However, this time the jig came flying back at me like a bullet from a gun hitting me in the left eye.  I wasn't quite sure what happened for a second, but as I regrouped, I could tell that both eyes were still working and my sunglasses seemed to be cracked.  After further inspection, my Costa 580 lenses were indeed cracked, as the jig struck area where the glass lens meets the frame, but they were still intact.

Despite being in disbelief of what just happened I kept fishing and continued to wear the cracked Costa's.  Now, as I look back on that day three things come to mind.  First, I was very lucky, as that jig had a 2/0 hook on it and no matter what it hit, it would have hurt to have it taken out.  Second, I am very lucky to not have lost an eye or put a hook in my eye.  Lastly, thank you to Costa or making the best sunglasses available as they saved me from what could have been a serious injury. 

Most people that know me well know that I really like to garden, but more specifically I really like to grow pumpkins.  So, this year I set out to grow a pumpkin over 1000 pounds.  You may recall last year I grew one that ended up weighing 701 pounds but did a lot of things wrong and knew I could do better.

This year I started early and followed the advice of Chad Revier of Spicer MN, the current Minnesota State Record holder.  As with anything, if you want to be good at it, you learn from the best, and Chad is one of the best.  So, here we are.  I am one week away from weigh-off and have 4 nice pumpkins in the garden that are coming to the end of their growing life.  In fact, it sounds as if tonight will be the first killing frost, so that will put an end to it fast.

Pictured here is my biggest pumpkin in the patch with my three neighbor kids.  It has a circumference of 15 feet 3 inches and should weight between 1200 and 1300 pounds.  I am proud of the pumpkins I grew but know I can do better next year.  The weather we had this summer made growing giant pumpkins tough.  Six hail storms in two months with damaging winds is not a recipe for growing big pumpkins but I seemed to manage this year.  I am already looking forward to making a run at the 1485 pound state record next year.  I will report back with my actual weights after the Oct 9th weigh off at the Stillwater Harvest Festival.

As everyone knows, these are trying times in our great country, and it seems that everywhere we turn we see or hear depressing news. The government is flawed, the economy is in the dumps, drug wars on the border, it’s raining, it’s snowing, and walleye tournaments are done. Admittedly times could be better, but not all is gloom and doom and the sun will most likely rise again tomorrow! So that being said, let’s look at the world of walleye tournaments, and at least reflect where we stand from a realistic point of view right now, and project a bit to what the future can be. This is a mini blog that pertains to the relatively new Anglers Insight Marketing (AIM) Pro Walleye Series tournament tour.

Let’s start a little over two years ago. AIM was not in existence. As most of you know this was a business started and owned by anglers. Some were hard-core tournament types, while others just had a desire to see this sport take a turn in the right direction. The overall desire of this organization is to get walleye tournaments headed down the right path, one of having fun, having fair competition, fair payouts, and growth, while doing as much as possible to respect our favorite fish (walleyes of course), and show case anglers, sponsors, and the sport. During this time frame I’d like to recap what has been done.

AIM started the Catch, Record, and Release (CRR) ideology as it pertains to a major circuit. This was highly criticized at first, but after fishing this format for a year now, it has to be considered one of the most fair, and fun ways to run an event. CRR allows for 7 fish to be counted, without the worry of slot limits, or “no cull” restrictions. The result of this format has made AIM tournaments more exciting, and dramatic. More so than any events that we’ve previously had in the past… as major comebacks, huge weights, and more skill with a reduction of luck are all part of every competition! Ask any angler who has fished an AIM event, and they will tell you that these events have been the most fun they’ve had in years and the way of the future. The weigh in process was a challenge. However, with much hard work from our truly talented technical team, AIM weigh ins (with all of the great video and big fish photos on stage) have been every bit as entertaining as when actual fish had been brought to the stage. And with this format, the fans actually can see all of the big fish that were caught, even when they were in the slot size category. These fish would have never been viewed by the public with previous formats. In addition, CRR has made a positive impact with local fisheries managers, lake associations, and host communities, because of a virtual lack of fish mortality.

There is no doubt that the economy has taken its toll on many tournament anglers, and their ability to compete in events. All events saw a decrease in participants last year, and there is no sugar coating that fact. AIM would have loved to see more anglers in each event last year, as would have all tournament circuits (many bass circuits included). Fortunately many of the most recognized anglers in the sport fished the AIM tour, and the tournaments had lively, hard hitting and exciting competition with some real eye opening results- like the discovery of just how good the Saginaw river system is for fish (after twenty years of tournaments where the bay was thought to be the only place to win an event), and Todd Riley’s unbelievable catch on Lake Winnibigoshish! Wow, what a catch! Co-Anglers had a blast, and events were exciting. But over the course of the year it became very obvious that to maintain decent paybacks (even when paying back 100 plus percent of the entry fees) that a different methodology of payback had to be initiated so competing anglers could better cover their expenses. Historically, high paying first place paychecks have been the norm. Subsequent placing paybacks for lower places had huge reductions, and many anglers had to go home without covering their expenses. Last October, AIM called a meeting of all of their anglers to discuss the state of their business. Collectively, the anglers decided on a payback schedule with a reduced first place, but much better payback down the list so that the last money finish would allow the angler to cover their entry fees and expenses. Now, if you cash a check, you’ll at the very least break even, with most anglers making money. Instead of taking a top spot to break even as in the past, the new AIM break point goes significantly down the list so more anglers can make a go of it. Field size is not as much of a factor, and even if the economy limits angler participation, payouts will be good. The coolest thing about this is that the anglers chose to go this route, and after all they are the customers as much as the sponsors are! Word seems to be getting out about these paybacks as right now the AIM office has as many anglers, or more, signed up for each tournament as we had fish each event last year… with literally a month and a half before the first event in Saginaw!

AIM also looks at sponsors a little differently than other previous tournaments. Anglers can wear any logo on their jerseys and represent any sponsor that they want. No restrictions, like a true professional sport. Fishing oriented sponsoring companies do not have huge sponsor fees, and are not allowed to have exclusivity. Because it is affordable to be part of AIM, they are encouraged to showcase their products though their sponsored anglers and the quality and fish catching capabilities of their product line. Companies like Lund boats, Crestliner boats, and Mercury outboards (along with others) have already shown confidence in their pro staffs and strength of their products to be part of the AIM circuit, while at the same time encouraging other companies to join them in supporting the growth of walleye tournaments as a true competing sport! The AIM organization is working hard to bring on more companies like these, in an affordable way, to help take this sport into the future.

This year AIM is proud to offer a special event in Brimley, MI with the support and fantastic help from the Bay Mills Casino who is supporting this event with a huge increase in the cash payback for the anglers that are competing in the tournament. The payback in this invitational event is well in excess of the usual 100 percent that is usually paid.

The newest news is the groundbreaking partnership with the state of South Dakota. AIM anglers are working hand in hand with South Dakota to showcase their fantastic fishing and outdoors opportunities; and the South Dakota Walleye Classic and Festival is the center of attention! With the help of the AIM anglers South Dakota would like to see this event become the “Sturgis” of the outdoors world, and after participating in this unbelievable event last year I’d say they are well on their way. This was the most fun event that I’ve attended in 10 years and should truly become a yearly destination on any outdoorsman’s calendar. There will be three AIM anglers that are sponsored by the state, including fully wrapped boats, along with their presence at various travel and sportshows during the year. Fifty of AIM’s anglers will be sporting South Dakota logos on their vehicles, boats, and jerseys and many will also be helping with the various shows, and with a special Pro-Celebrity tournament right after the Akaska event. These anglers will be directly benefiting in this partnership by having a greatly reduced entry fee at the South Dakota Walleye Classic and Festival/AIM event, therefore again, cutting some of the angler cost and increasing the percentage payback! This has never been done in the history of walleye tournaments, and we applaud the State of South Dakota for working with the AIM group!

If all of this isn’t enough, the JJ Keller Fishing team has also just announced their partnership with the AIM Pro Walleye Series, and will be sponsoring a $10,000 award to the AIM Angler of the Year! Because of this new addition in sponsor prizes, AIM will be returning to a 50% cut in the Pro Field on the last day instead of the original plans of a tougher cut. The reason for this is so that anglers can have a better chance of improving their standings in the Angler of the Year race and the ranking for the 2011 Brimley invitational event. The anglers expressed a desire to have more anglers compete on the last day and AIM responded! The additional good news is that 50% of the co-anglers will now be able to fish on the last day also. In addition, the JJ Keller Foundation will offer a total of $25,000 dollars ($5000 per community) for local charities as a way to give back to these communities that have been so supportive of fishing and the AIM tour! Just imagine as an example; now a local charity could go out into the community and ask for pledges… say for instance, twenty five cents per pound for the winning AIM weight, and any money that they raise for the charity up to $5000 will be matched by the JJ Keller Foundation! Wow, we’ve never seen anything like this in walleye fishing! This is the type of thing that big time sports venues would do in a community! And on top of all of this, the Keller Fishing team, through Brian Keller’s PK Media is supplying additional help to our already powerful media team to increase the amount of online video coverage that AIM already has in place.

During all of this, the grass roots tournament anglers are not forgotten and in fact are an extremely important part of this new AIM movement. We have an affiliation with close to 100 various tours, large stand-alone events, and fishing clubs, all which hold tournaments during the course of the fishing season. Already close to 100 clubs in the course of only one year! As many of you know, the Teams of the Year from many of these fine tours where invited to the AIM championship last year. This year we are going to ratchet it up a notch, but that’s news for another press release to be announced soon!

As you can see, the walleye tournament world is not dead, it just needed to have a new direction, and I would hope that all of you would agree, that this has been a fun and interesting two years, and that perhaps the future can indeed be bright. I would encourage all of you to participate in the AIM events. Enter as a Pro. Enter as a Co. Or come, watch a weigh in and see what we’re all about. I don’t think that you’ll be disappointed!

Gary Parsons

My last piece titled Angler Disconnect apparently got a lot of people thinking about tournament fishing because it generated a lot of emails.  Several of the emails were asking how do we make tournament fishing more exciting?  How do we increase the interest in walleye fishing in order to make the sport grow?  I actually get those questions a lot and while it may seem like a tough answer, it really is not in my opinion.

There is no doubt there is a huge interest in Reality TV.  Tournament fishing is actually reality TV at its best, it just is not being presented in that fashion.  Under the current and previous TV Tournament format, which for 2010 will be non-existent, shows focused on the Finale.  I liken previous tournament TV coverage to the final show of the Bachelor, Dancing With the Stars or American Idol, albeit not as popular.  You get a quick recap and then see who wins.  The problem with this format in fishing is as a viewer you didn't get the time to become vested in the process or the contestants.  Lets face it Reality Shows get huge ratings on their FINALE show because over the coarse of time, we as viewers have watched and become familiar with the cast.  We have our favorites and ones we are pulling for.  We have taken interest in the process, even if the process is not really that interesting to start with.  On the contrary, the Finale of a Reality TV show is not very interesting if you haven't watched previous shows and therefor don't know the people in the finals.  Same holds true for walleye fishing.

So what am I really getting at?  It is hard to have an interest in walleye fishing if you don't know who the contestants are.  It is hard to have a vested interest in someone when you have never seen them perform.  The current model in fishing is failing because we have gotten away from promoting and focusing on the anglers.  I can accept the fact that very few people know who Scott Steil is despite competing at the professional level for 6 years with moderate success.  Why is this?  The main reason is the fact anglers have not been given the platform to showcase themselves.  The second reason is the fact that when anglers are given a chance, they don't utilize the opportunity and the end product seems lifeless, far from the excitement of reality TV.  We can all do better!

So, where do we go now?  We utilize the technology available to bring the spotlight back to the anglers. We show the angler live on the water catching fish, losing fish, battling 7 foot waves.  We show the thoughts and decision making that takes place on the water; the highs and lows and how the angler deals with both.  That is REALITY and what people want to see.  We need to bring the focus back to the REALITY portion of fishing where the audience can see just who the real "characters" are in this business.  I know as sponsors read this they may be saying, what about us?  The truth is if a sponsored angler excels, sponsors are rewarded with increased media and coverage of that angler and it is a win win for all.

Times have changed, the industry has changed and so has technology.  The best way to move forward is admit the current model is not working and adjust.  AIM started some very exciting things last year with the way they covered their tournaments and it is a start in the right direction.  A lot has to be done yet to build on those positive things and in the end we need to remember that if the audience can "connect" with an angler the sponsors, anglers and circuits all benefit with a bigger audience and renewed interest in a great sport.

It is no secret that the fishing industry is struggling.  Obviously it is much bigger than that, as the fishing industry is just seeing the trickle down effect of a poor economy.  When families don't have discretionary income to spend on their wants, the first thing to fall by the wayside is recreational spending.  But, besides the poor economy, the fishing industry and us anglers have been particularly hurt by a much bigger problem.  Part of the problem is apathy and the other is letting others take care of "things" for us.

If I go back to my college years when I would work the summers up on Lake of the Woods, I can remember how exciting it was for the PWT to come to town.  For a young guy, it was great to see all the different boats, motors and equipment the Pros were using as well as how good these guys really were.  Faced with tough conditions, the fish they could produce was always impressive. 

So, why do I bring up those years?  Because back when walleye fishing was gaining momentum it was up to each and every pro to go out and obtain their sponsors, and they did this with hard work.  Those pros worked very hard to land sponsor deals that allowed them to fish the "tour".  These anglers used their connections inside and outside the industry to introduce many NEW companies to the sport of competitive fishing, of which, several are still around today.  Back then professionals established a relationship with a company and in return worked hard for that company promoting its product and making appearances.  As a result, for many of us, these anglers became household names.

So, lets fast-forward to today.  My issue today is that their is a huge Angler Disconnect in our sport.  The focus has now moved from the angler to the product.  As the sport of competitive fishing grew and particularly with the introduction of the FLW, the sport changed.  We as anglers became apathetic and allowed the circuits to land the sponsors and in turn, received sponsorship from these companies that were already vested in the circuit we were fishing.  Remember, in years past it was the anglers who brought "their" sponsors to  the circuit and now the circuit is bringing "their" sponsors to us.  There is no doubt the model has changed but it does not have to be a bad thing.

For the sport we all love and are so passionate about to grow we as anglers need to take back the reins to some extent.  There has to be some balance in this game.  While circuit sponsors are vital and required for the sport to grow we as anglers need to get back to knocking on doors and bringing new sponsors into the sport.  In tough economic times we as anglers need to support the circuits but we also need to support ourselves.  While circuit sponsors are a piece of the puzzle, they are not the finished product.  We need to get out there and find sponsors that are willing to back "us" because in the end there is no circuit without "us", we are the product.

So what is this rant all about?  Well, instead of complaining about the industry, get out there and do something about it.  As an angler, if you rely solely on the sponsors of a circuit, you have to be prepared that they may not be there tomorrow.  The key to success is getting out and finding companies that are willing to back you and in return, you work very hard for them, just as they did many years ago.  If you control the relationship with a sponsor, you are more likely to continue that relationship and sponsorship.  For the sport to grow, we all need sponsorship, both circuits and the anglers.  The anglers that can find a balance between both will thrive in these tough economic times as long as they have some control over that relationship.

Another Eelpout festival has come and gone and being a second year veteran of Eel pout I thought I new better what to expect.  However, once again I was amazed at the creativity some people have.  If you can pull it behind a snowmobile or drive it on the ice, you most likely saw it this past weekend on Leech Lake in Walker.  But, in the end it all comes down to getting together with friends for a great weekend.

I had some personal highlights from the weekend but almost all of them include lots of laughs with some good friends.  One thing that was really impressive was the Ice Bar at the Chase on the Lake Bar.  The Chase puts out a tent bar and really outdid there selves this year.  I can't imagine how much time it took to do, but you really had to see it to believe it.

Also impressive was the Ranger Boat floating in the water.  Ok I am not exactly sure how the boat got in the water, as it was in by the time I got there, but that was pretty cool to see.  I can honestly say I have never seen a boat sitting in the water at an Ice event but seeing that Ranger on the water really made me want to get mine out and fish some open water.

So back to our Camp. This year there was a much larger crew at our Camp.  I have to use the term "our" camp lightly because this is one of the few outings I go on in a year where I don't do any of the planning.  The credit for our camp goes to Matt Grow and Kelli (soon to be Grow) who put a lot of work into making Eel pout a great event for our camp each year.  Well there are many others who deserve thanks also like Roger and Ashley, Lori and Craig, Charlie Walker Construction and all the other people that help set up and clean up. Like I said, I am fortunate to be part of the camp as all the hard work was done by the time I got there.

If you have never been to Eel pout, you may ask what is it really like.  I kept asking people  this weekend how would you describe this to someone who has never been there.  I guess the best description is a country music festival on ice, minus the country music.  OK, maybe it is more like the camping at a country music festival.  Lots of individual parties going on in individual "camps"  which cover the ice is some semblance of order.  There is actually a main street and then side streets, some cul-de-sacs and then some people who choose to keep their camp well distanced from main group which tend to yield better sleep.

Speaking of sleep, well when you come home from Eelpout you can expect to be a little tired or at least I tend to be a little tired.  Oh, did I mention that Matt tends to go up a day early and make sure our camp in not only on Main Street but at the center of Main Street.  Needless to say, the music stays on late and thus the lack of sleep.  One thing I find really interesting is that it may be Very loud at 3 AM but other then the hum of generators it is extremely quiet at 9AM.  This year I found that staying up late and sleeping in yielded the best sleep, so I made a mental note of that for next year.

Well that is the Eel Pout update for 2010.  I am already looking forward to 2011!

I am very fortunate to get to spend a lot of time on the water, whether that be frozen or open water.  While fishing I often reflect back on how the sport has changed over the years and what changes still need to be made.  I still enjoy eating a meal of fish and do quite often, I also know the importance of conservation efforts to keep the sport growing.  Most of us take our resources for granted and don't realize that we can all do a part to keep the sport of fishing and competitive fishing alive.

Recently, I was elected to the board of AIM.  AIM or Anglers Insight Marketing is a professional walleye tournament organization that is trying to merge the sport of competitive walleye angling and conservation.  AIM's new CRR or Catch, Record, Release format is a perfect example of what anglers can do to ensure their sport  not only survives but thrives.  While fish kill during a professional tournament is usually minimal and far less than that from recreational anglers, it is the perception that professionals are going out and killing fish that is the problem.  The new CRR format AIM has put in place is one example of Professional Fisherman getting together and doing the right thing in the name of conservation and the future of the sport.

While visiting the Costa Store the other day online I came across this VIDEO online.  The video is well put together and talks about the country of Belize and how they are facing some of the exact problems we are facing here in the United States with development of Lake Shore, loss of fish habitat and the effects of over-harvest of certain species.  While I have never been to Belize, I thought it was interesting after watching the video how they face many of the same problems we do here.  No matter where you live, conservation efforts are crucial to maintaining a sustainable fish populations.

These two examples of conservation could not be farther apart geographically, but essentially have the same goal in mind.  The idea of conservation is to not only leave something behind for future generations to enjoy but to leave them better than they were.  We all need to do our part toward conservation as it is not something that can be done occasionally, it is a way or life. 

If you have not read the recent press releases, you may not know that I was elected to fill  the seat on the AIM (Anglers Insight Marketing) Board of Directors that was tragically vacated by the sudden death of Dave Anderson.  Obviously stepping in midterm is not easy but I vow to do my best to help move AIM forward as we continue to grow.  I am really looking forward to the challenges ahead.

If you are not familiar with AIM I suggest you take a look at the AIM website and become familiar.  AIM is an angler owned circuit, which simply means the entire company is owned by the anglers they represent.  The fisherman that fish the AIM Pro Walleye Tour are made up of both owners and non-owners and represent some of the best in the business.

What is really unique about AIM is their Trademarked Catch-Record-Release format which is explained in more detail HERE  Essentially the Catch-Record-Release format allows the AIM circuit to fish anybody of water, even when that particular lake has strict harvest slot.  With the Catch-Record-Release format fans get to see just how nice of fish are in the lake and truly the best fisherman wins a the end of the day.  What I mean by that is that it sometimes takes more luck than skill to catch fish in a specific slot and with AIM everyone is after the biggest walleye in the system.

If you are not familiar with AIM, I suggest you take some time to read about the exciting things they are doing.  I am honored to be part of the Board of Directors and welcome ANY feedback anyone has in order to make AIM better.  The only way to continue to improve is to listen to others feedback and I am all ears!