Presented by Yamaha Motor Corp USA and Warrior Boats Inc.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 8, 2024
Contact: Denny Fox, 920-505-0122
Anglers Insight Marketing LLC (AIM™)
‘Cats Take The Mississippi On Pool 8 At Genoa For
Newcomb, Brantner; Trollers Einerson, Ferguson Land 2nd
Any Mississippi River Rat knows what live bait to carry, and when AIM Weekend Walleye Series Rivers Division teams went onto Pools 8 and 9, willow cats were the bait that punched the first-place ticket for Joe Newcomb and Kyle Brantner, who took it with 25.26 pounds Sunday (May 5). But, trolling did it for second place’s Keegan Einerson and Kolebe Ferguson.
“The first-place duo snuck into a seam big enough for only one boat, and landed their five out of the same spot,” said Denny Fox, AIM national tournament director. “It was their first time ever on Pools 8 and 9, so watch these two when they head to this year’s AIM Warrior Boats National Championship Shootout on North Dakota’s Lake Sakakawea in only a few weeks. They’re in it, and if this is any indication, the other 39 teams had better beware.”
Newcomb and Brantner are both from Pepin and thank a friend who directed them to that small seam near the dam on Pool 8. They also scouted the area using Google Maps.
“I saw the spot, and we fished that because of previous experiences on different pools where we’ve done well. We talked to a buddy who I fished against before, so he jumped into the boat and showed us how to get in there,” Newcomb said. “When we got there, Kyle tossed in a willow cat and the first time he caught a 22 or 23-incher. We decided that unless we found something else spectacular, that was going to be it.”
After locking through from Genoa Sunday, they ran through calm water in their Garmin-equipped, Mercury 300 Pro XS-powered boat, but slowed when they ran into thick fog about five miles later. It took them an hour to get to their spot.
“Kyle was in the up position in the boat, and I baited up and tossed in and said, ‘you might as well get the net ready,’ and at that I already had a bite. I set the hook and he hadn’t heard me so we scrambled a bit,” he said. His 23-incher was in the boat, and Kyle was next up.
“His 28-1/2 was maybe just five minutes later. We were pretty excited about that one. It got us pumped up,” Newcomb said. Next up was a 22-incher that came unbuttoned as it reached the top, then a 23, a 22, a 21 and an 18 rounded up their card.
“We had all our carded fish by 10:30 a.m. We had a few smaller ones. We left around 12:30 and ran back to pool 9 and fished the rest of the day there bouncing around looking for spots,” he said. They only got seven on the card, but the top five were enough. But like any angler, they figured they needed just one more.
“We thought, if we had just one more 20-inch fish, and we’d have a shot. We figured 25 pounds was in the check cashing range, probably second or third place. Kyle and I are kind of known for finishing second,” he smiled. Dock talk then told them different.
“When we started talking in the parking lot, it was pretty exciting. We had 25 and that’s more than the 21 or 23 we heard,” he said. That difference brought them $3,000 from AIM, plus first in the AIM Side Pot Challenge for another $900, and another $300 in Garmin Rewards cash for having all Garmin aboard, not to mention Yamaha Outboards USA Team Of The Year points.
“We had a bad first tournament so I’m hoping that first one is our throw-away. We’ll probably be mid-pack but if that is our throw-away, we’ll do alright. We plan to fish all the events, and the division championship is on Pool 4, our home water, so hopefully we’ll finish strong,” Newcomb said. “We’re going to the Shootout next. I’ve never been in the state of North Dakota. It sounds like it should be a good time.”
Finishing in second were Keegan Einerson of Waukon, IA, and Kolebe Ferguson of Genoa, who carded 23.42 pounds for $2,000 and second in the Side Pot Challenge for another $540. They did it in a boat powered by a Yamaha 90, also with Garmin. Pre-fishing didn’t go well, Einerson said.
“Pre-fishing was tough. We had about a day-and-a-half and didn’t get much due to the weather. On Pool 9 we caught one legal walleye. I knew a spot on Pool 8. I fish it Thursday in La Crosse and it’s a place where we usually catch fish throughout the year,” Einerson said. That’s where they went on Sunday.
And unlike the winners, they trolled Salmo deep divers, with best fishing going upstream about 1.8 mph over sand flats and rocks in 15 to 20 feet of water. It was a short troll, maybe 100 yards, and that’s all they needed.
“We had our first two 26-inchers and a 19 and didn’t have anything for a couple of hours. We moved 50 yards and dialed in on a patch where we could sort through fish. Our biggest was a 26-1/4. Fishing outside of a rock wall, we moved to the inside and that’s where we pulled the remainder of our fish,” Einerson said. And like the winners, they figured they had a chance at cashing a check, but second? Nah.
“There’s a lot of good fishermen in this division. I thought it would take 30 or 32 pounds to win, and when we checked in, it gave me a little bit of hope. I thought we were going to get a plaque for top five but didn’t think it’d be good enough for second. We thought we needed an upgrade. We had a high 18-incher and a low 19 and needed to get into the 20s” to do better.
Since they finished sixth at Guttenberg, they’re sitting happy in TOY points.
“I’m planning on fishing two of the next three,” Einerson added, hopefully to add to their total.
In third place and winning $1,000 were Bob and Carter Thill of La Crosse, with 19.22 pounds. Fourth place and $700, plus $360 in third place Side Pot Challenge cash were Conner Steffens of Muskego, WI, and Taylor Steffens of Fairfax, IA with 19.16 pounds. Tom “Tuna” Beck of Genoa and Robert Lampman of De Soto brought in 18.25 pounds, good for fifth and $500.
What’s next in this rapid-fire early season? North Dakota, you’re on Lake Audubon this Sunday, May 12. That’s followed by a double-header on Sunday, May 19, with Wisconsin’s Garmin Open at Petenwell Flowage and Minnesota taking on Big Stone Lake in the Warrior Boats Open.
All that is prologue to the AIM Warrior Boats National Championship Shootout, with that beautiful $100,000 Warrior boat, Yamaha four-stroke and Garmin electronics and trolling motor package at stake, May 31-June 1. Follow all the fun at AIM’s Facebook page. Go to aimfishing.com to join in.
You know you want to. You know you can.
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.
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AIM Presenting Sponsors: Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A. and Warrior Boats inc.
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