06/04/2026
North Dakota’s Audubon Is Weedy and Ready For AIM’s Revisit Saturday For The 2026 Warrior Boats Open
Presented by Yamaha Motor Corp USA and Warrior Boats Inc.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 4, 2026
Contact: Denny Fox, 920-505-0122
Anglers Insight Marketing LLC (AIM™)
It’s w**dy, but it’s full compared with neighboring Lake Sakakawea, but the winning fish on North Dakota’s Lake Audubon may be a little harder to find as the AIM Weekend Walleye Series Warrior Boats Open qualifier returns to this 16,000-acre lake that’s also a federal wildlife refuge on Saturday (June 6).
“Sixty percent of this lake is off-limits to fishing because that part’s a refuge, but there’s always plenty of water left to play in for AIM anglers,” said Denny Fox, AIM national tournament director. “We’re hearing that while the Army Corps of Engineers is keeping the water level up, the w**ds are thick and that means finding fish in them will be one of the problems our teams will have to solve on this weekend double-header. Sunday AIM will also be on Minnesota’s Lake Mille Lacs for that state’s third qualifier of the year.”
Rufus Hostetler and Daniel Miller of Bismarck are out right now tracking down walleye with their Garmin LiveScope 16-inch screen aboard their Mercury 350 V-10 powered boat, and Hostetler hopes their experience on Audubon where he’s very comfortable is better than the last AIM event on Sakakawea. They’ll be on the water through Friday’s cutoff time.
“I’m still learning the settings but my experience is with scanning structure that it really helps me and builds confidence. If you can see fish, you can catch fish,” he said. Deciphering what kind is the remaining issue, but if they win Big Fish Thursday, those two scholarships to Tom Huynh University’s Forward Facing Sonar Class will help solve that.
On Lake Sak, he said, “I caught more walleye on tournament day there than all of our prefish. Audubon, I know very well. It’s not that big of a lake and doesn’t take you long to check spots to figure out where the fish are,” he said. “You can really break down a body of water real quick. With LiveScope and side-imaging, drop in on them and see what they are. That’s our plan for now.
“They’ve filled up the lake pretty good so I can assume I’ll be checking some of the shallow areas to see where the fish are. Audubon has w**ds, so I’m sure I’ll be checking out the edges,” he added.
Those w**ds and w**d edges also are where the husband-wife team of Shaeli and Craig Kolden of Garrison will be looking, too, after taking a year off to raise their family and start new jobs. They fished the Sakakawea tournament at New Town and finished a very respectable 10th. They’re hoping to better that score on this water near their home. You’ll see them in a Mercury 225 Optimax-powered boat with Garmin in the electronics.
“As far as Audubon goes it stays the same depth every year. It rose up about three weeks ago and the Corps stopped pumping. It pumps in cold water, so it puts the fish into a little funk, but the water changed eight degrees from last week,” Shaeli said.
“A lot of fish were in the refuge where a lot of spawning takes place and now they’ll be spreading out across the lake and moving around more,” Craig added. The always present w**ds make all that a challenge, too.
“I would have to say 30 percent of the area we can fish is w**ds. There’s w**d piles everywhere. In the eight- to 13-foot depths there’s a lot and from 13 to 18 feet a lot. About 19 feet is where you start to get gravel and good edges. The lake gets to about 55 feet. We live eight miles from the lake and am continuing to learn and figure out ways to fish that,” Craig said. “It’s not just throwing jigs around. There’s a lot of different presentations you can do.”
Those w**ds are also on Peyton Sumners’ mind. He will be fishing with Grant Werkmeister, both from Williston. They’ll be in a 2090 Warrior with all Garmin graphs and a Mercury 250 Pro XS. Sumners last fished Audubon two years ago at an AIM tournament and will be getting on it today (Friday) to scout it out.
“I heard the w**d growth is tall this year, so that might play a factor,” Sumners said. “I’ve heard it’s been kind of tough, with a lot of smaller fish being caught. Friday we’ll go look at the whole lake, put the trolling more down and drive around and sharpshoot’em is the plan. Probably pitching plastics and night crawlers.
“Two years ago, 18 pounds won it (actually 17.3) so I think it’ll be right there, but everyone is so much better with LiveScope, it could be higher. First place may be in the lower 20s and to get on the podium, maybe 16 pounds,” he said.
We’ll see if teams can best the score on Audubon from mid-May 2024, AIM’s last visit. They’ll hit the water at 7 a.m. Saturday, returning by 3 p.m., and we’ll all find out who figured out those w**ds and w**d edges at the afternoon awards ceremony. Good luck all teams, and stay safe.
This weekend’s two events are prologue to the big NXT Pro Guide Batteries June 11 and 12 at Mille Lacs. More on that big show planned for next week. There’s still a whole season to go yet, Fan Nation. Go to aimfishing.com for the complete list of all upcoming events, and jump aboard.
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 Inc.
AIM Official Vehicle Sponsor: Bell Ford
AIM Supporting Sponsors: Mercury Marine, Garmin, Adventure Recreational Finance, Visit Oconto County WI., Forever Barnwood, Off Shore Tackle, JT Outdoors Products, Pro Guide Batteries, Rosemore Outdoor Gear, The Bighorn Store, Tom Huynh University
