Rip-Jigging Propels Niklasch and Kumorkiewicz to Win the AIM ‘Nitro Boats Open’ on Green Bay
Category: npaa
May 21st, 2015 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified May 21st, 2015 at 12:00 AM
In competitive fishing, you’ve got to learn to adapt, and think fast in changing conditions, or you’ll always be looking at the podium from the audience.
And when the wind kicked up Sunday, May 17, on Wisconsin’s Green Bay, the fishing team of Lynn Niklasch and Mark Kumorkiewicz tweaked their technique to win the AIM Weekend Walleye Series “Nitro Boats Open” Wisconsin Division qualifier.
“We got lucky actually,” Niklasch, of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin said. He and Kumorkiewicz, from Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin, finished in first place with 41.69 pounds, earning them a $7,000 check.
At first, they ran their 250 Pro XS Mercury-powered boat to their first spot about 40 miles from the launch.
“We caught our first five fish quickly, in about an hour. But by the time we moved to the bay’s east shore, it was starting to get rough,” Niklasch said. So what do you do? If the weather pitches you a change-up, you react accordingly. And Nicklasch and Kumorkiewicz hit a home run: switching to rip-jigging with jigging Rapalas and blade baits instead of trolling. Here’s how to do it:
“Basically, you drift your boat over structure, keying in on the wind-blown side or high spot. Cast out until you hit bottom, then hop your bait back up,” said Niklasch, who has been tournament fishing since 2001 and also is a licensed guide.
“The key is to ‘follow’ your bait back to the bottom. They usually hit it on the fall,” he said. To help control the boat, Nicklasch relied on his PowerTran steering system for the kicker motor.
“It’s operated with a cordless remote you wear around your neck. That way you don’t have to sit with the kicker or stand and steer it. It’s hands-on steering without touching anything. I can walk around the boat and still steer,” he said.
The second place team was Danny Woodke from Gillett, Wisconsin and Perry Nievinski of Mosinee, Wisconsin with 39.90 pounds, good for a $2,100 payday. Woodke has been tournament angling since the early 1990’s when he got the bug after fishing a Father’s Day tournament with his father and brother.
“That sparked tournament fishing for me,” he said. Woodke says they had great conditions early into the event, and also changed tactics to finish the day. Only they went 180 degrees from Nicklasch and Kumorkiewicz, leaving jigging for trolling.
“The morning was beautiful. You could run anywhere. We started out jigging in the morning. Then it got so windy and rough, we ended up trolling. I’m a troller at heart and love it. We went back to what we know how to do and wound up catching some bigger fish at the end,” he said.
“Trolling with Off Shore planer boards and Offshore’s snap weight system was a huge factor for us. With conditions as rough as they were, you needed to get baits down and keep them down,” he said, and the weights did the trick
Rounding out the field, in third place Nate Curell and Brian Talvensaari with 33.41 LB good for $1,600.00. Fourth place went to Cameron Lewis and Scott Rohloff, with 33.32LB and a check for $1,300.00 followed by fifth place winners John Schneider and John Clumpner topping the conversion chart at 30.86LB and $1,200.00.
Check back for NAVIONICS Big Fish Thursday, May 21, come back to see who gets free Navionics Platinum Hotmaps chip for landing the tourney’s largest walleye.
Contact: Denny Fox, AIM National Tournament Director, 920-505-0122; [email protected]
Anglers Insight Marketing LLC (AIM™) is a unique tournament organization created and owned by many of the most accomplished and recognizable professional walleye anglers, along with others who share the mission of advancing competitive walleye fishing and making it sustainable into the future. AIM is committed to marketing excellence on behalf of its tournament competitors, the tournament host communities, and the brands that partner with it. AIM is also committed to maintaining healthy fisheries across the nation by the development of the exclusive AIM Catch-Record-Release™ format which is integral to its dynamic events and unparalleled consumer engagement. For more information about AIM™, AIM Pro Walleye Series™, AIM Weekend Walleye Series, AIM sponsors and AIM anglers, visit www.aimfishing.com.
AIM Presenting Sponsors: Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A. and Warrior Boats.
AIM Supporting Sponsors: Mercury Marine, Nitro Boats, Starcraft Marine, Amsoil, Navionics, Powrtran, Power Pole, Worldwide Marine Insurance, Off Shore Tackle, Team Lodge, National Fleet Graphics, Gemini Sport Marketing, The City of Oconto, Eagle Bay Marina and Eagles Landing Casino, Montevideo MN Chamber of Commerce, Randall’s Milan Beach Resort,