Presented by Yamaha Motor Corp USA and Warrior Boats Inc.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 11, 2024
Contact: Denny Fox, 920-505-0122
Anglers Insight Marketing LLC (AIM™)
Newcomb, Brantner Nearly Take It All As They Cruise To Rivers Division Team Of The Year On The Mississippi Sunday
In the points race to win the Yamaha Motor Corp. USA Team Of The Year title in the AIM Weekend Walleye Series Rivers Division, the highest total any team could achieve was 800. Joe Newcomb and Kyle Brantner came within 8.64 points of perfection, taking the title by more than 56 points at this past weekend’s (Oct. 5-6) Division Championship, while also winning that same Championship.
“Winning a Team Of The Year title is something most tournament anglers treasure above anything, and these two from Pepin, WI, nailed it going away. Congrats, guys,” said Denny Fox, AIM national tournament director. “They led the points race coming into the Championship at Hager City, WI, by more than 33 points and piled more on with their win, taking home that beautiful Yamaha 9.9 four-stroke kicker and a spot in the 2025 Warrior Boats National Championship Shootout.
“But, since they double-qualified by winning the championship, it means another team in the points standings will get to move up and go as well. It’s a great way to end the season and allow a team that wouldn’t otherwise have qualified for the Shootout to now make plans to be there come next June,” Fox said. “And, since the second-place TOY team headed by Joe Okada scored second in TOY and fourth at the Championship, that means a second team in the TOY standings will be able to move up to the 2025 Shootout as well.”
Besides winning the Championship, they started off with an 18th place finish at the season’s first event on the river April 7 in Guttenberg, IA.
“I think we had like maybe five pounds total, only two fish. It was horrible. After that it was Genoa Wisconsin (May 5) and we won. Then we went to Dubuque and came in second and almost won,” Newcomb recalled.
“That one, the boat batteries for the trolling motor gave up. Then we went to Hastings, (Oct. 4), and took second. We actually fished the first event in Guttenberg, then fished the Minnesota Division AIM qualifier at Hager City and bombed that. Kyle and I looked at each other and said, we’ve got to step up our game. Then something changed. We got our heads into the game and went to work, I guess,” he said.
“The amount of fishing we did this year and how many times we kinda lucked out, and even prayed a bit, saying ‘just give us enough,” Newcomb added. “I told Kyle if it’s meant to be it’s meant to be, not making the lock on Saturday (at the Championship) and going back and catching those fish that put us in first, that was meant to be. Kyle was getting down when we didn’t make the lock, but it’s just the little things here and there that have to go right, and sometimes have to go wrong.”
He was speaking about watching Joe Okada waiting to slip into the lock Saturday, and making the decision to fish a bit more, then watching as the lock closed, meaning a two-hour wait for the next opening. They then went upstream and banged the walleye that put them in first.
“It was just unbelievable,” he said, and due to the high spring and early summer water on the river that postponed the June qualifier, also was a plus for them.
“In June, not being able to use our live bait would have been tough. Things go wrong for a reason sometimes,” he said. He’s looking forward to the next season, and to the Shootout.
“All of next season looks pretty good for us,” Newcomb added.
Finishing second in TOY Joe Okada, from Cambridge, WI, and his regular Rivers Division partner from this season, Galen Bremmer. Okada fished the final qualifier Friday with substitute partner Jake Hendrickson, from Prior Lake, MN. Okada’s team won Friday’s qualifier, boosting their chances of scoring first, but Newcomb and Brantner were having none of it.
“Our first event was a third at Guttenberg,” Okada said. “Down in the lower pools, Galen spent his whole life down there and I don’t know anyone else who’d be able to pull a rabbit out of his hat there other than that man. He’s very in tune with that river.” Bremmer will be at the 2025 Championship Shootout with Okada.
“I think last year we finished fourth in Team Of The Year. Newcomb and Brantner, those guys were impossible to beat this year. I feel really good about where we finished,” Okada said. I’m looking forward to the Shootout. It’s basically a free tournament and to have a one in 1 in 40 shot at a $100,000 boat package, I’ve bought lottery tickets with worse odds than that.”
Here are the rest of the teams that will represent the Rivers Division at the Shootout, based on their TOY finishes. In third in the points standings, the family team of Connor Steffens of Muskego, WI, and Taylor Steffens of Fairfax, IA. Fourth is occupied by Will Shaw and Brett King, both of Hager City, WI.
In fifth, Aaron Fortney of Gays Mills, WI, and Tom Stiner of Moline, IL. Because of double-qualifiers, two more teams are heading to the Shootout, based on their points. They are Chris Staebell of Eldridge, IA, and Paul Hebbeln of Cordova, IL, and another family team, Carter and Bob Thill of La Crosse, WI. Congratulations, teams!
Fan Nation, anglers, whether you’re on a tournament trail or on the water for the day, are always learning, and always having fun. You don’t improve unless you do.
Are you ready to have some fun, learn new water and learn a lot in the process, too? Go to aimfishing.com for information on how sign up for the 2025 season. The dates and locations, which could change, are already posted at AIM’s Facebook page. Surprise yourself with how much you know and how much you can know new. See you with more on the upcoming season soon.
You know you want to. You know you can.
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