WMT Geared Up for Biggest Season
Category: press release
Mar 28th, 2008 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Mar 28th, 2008 at 12:00 AM
WMT Geared Up for Biggest SeasonThe Wisconsin Muskie Tour (WMT) is poised to begin its eighth and biggest season ever in May. After seven years and hosting 107 tournaments, the WMT has fine tuned its schedule with top producing muskie waters during optimum times of the year to maximize the excitement and thrills for the competitors. The improved 2008 format continue the WMT’s established high level of sportsmanship and fair competition, while making the tournaments fun and exciting for all anglers.The WMT’s 2008 season consist of fourteen one-day events and three two-day “Open Championships” for a total of seventeen qualifying tournaments. The season will conclude with the “WMT’s Invitational Championship” to be held on September 27th & 28th on the Big St. Germain Chain.In 2007, the WMT introduced the “Muskie Double Header”, but this year the bonus has been increased two-times for a total that could reach $140,000.00. During the seven weekends of back-to-back one-day tournaments, if a team should win both tournaments on the same weekend, that team would receive an extra $20,000.00 cash, and because the one-day tournaments pay-out $10,000.00 to first place with a full field, that would be a $40,000.00 weekend for the winners.The three “WMT Open Championship” two-day events are open to the public to compete in but are limited to 150 teams. With a full field of competitors, anglers will be fishing for the $20,000.00 first place prize. In addition, qualifying “Heckel’s Cup” teams who win a “WMT Open Championship” will win a bonus of $5,000.00 offered at each “Open Championship”, and a bonus of $10,000.00 at the “WMT’s Invitational Championship”. Any WMT team who buys a new boat, of any make, from one of the three Heckel’s Marinas (Eagle River, Mosinee, or Sun Prairie) since August 11, 2006, is eligible to win the $25,000.00 “Heckel’s Cupä” contingency bonus. Plus, those teams who buy a new boat this year from Heckel’s Marina can win an extra $25,000.00 during the 2009 WMT season for a total of $50,000.00.2007 was the WMT’s second and most exciting year of the “Muskie Grand Slam”. The team of Neil Barnett and Bill Hill came literally inches away from winning over $250,000 (cash and prizes) at the Invitational Championship. In the race to win the “Muskie Grand Slam”, Neil and Bill had won a one-day event, an Open Championship and had a significant lead in the team of the year race. The team was only 2 ½ inches away from taking over first place at the Championship after measuring their second fish and completing the fourth and final leg of the “Muskie Grand Slam”. In addition, if Barnett and Hill could have captured the “Muskie Grand Slam”, the team would have earned a 10 year paid tour exemption with future earnings potentially reaching over $4,700,000.00. For two years in a row the WMT has had teams come very close to winning the biggest prize in muskie tournament fishing and perhaps in 2008, someone will be winning the life changing “Muskie Grand Slam”.The WMT will host seventeen qualifying tournaments in Wisconsin, giving anglers from all over the country a chance to qualify for the “Invitational Championship”. The 2008 schedule:ONE-DAY “DOUBLE HEADER” TOURNAMENTS:Lake Monona May 10 Butternut Lake June 1Waubesa, Upper Mud May 11 Pike/Round Chain June 28Pewaukee Lake May 17 Squirrel Lake June 29Lake Okauchee May 18 Lake Mohawksin August 23Lac Vieux Desert May 24 Boom Lake August 24North/South Twin May 26 Eagle River Chain September 6Phillips Chain May 31 Sand/Dam Lake Chain September 7’MAJOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENTS”Badgerland Open Championship”, Three Lakes Chain June 7 & 8″R.A.M.M. Cup Open Championship”, Manitowish Chain August 16 & 17″Autumn Classic Open Championship”, Minocqua Chain September 13 & 14The WMT is open to the public on a first come, first serve basis. Even though the WMT is the largest muskie circuit in muskie tournament history, increasing numbers of anglers of ALL skill levels join the tour. The thrill of the competition, learning new waters and new techniques, coupled with the camaraderie and fun, has made the WMT a very attractive and popular circuit among muskie anglers. The WMT has always paid out over 100% back in cash and prizes because it has been our philosophy to create a muskie circuit that gives something back to the muskie anglers who have given so much to the sport of muskie fishing.