10-07-2004, 02:20 AM
2004 - WMT'S INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FINISHES IN DRAMATIC FASHION
The Wisconsin Muskie Tour (WMT) concluded the season at the championship on the Pike/Round Lake Chain in Park Falls on September 25 and 26. Twenty-three legal muskies would be scored for the contest with the lead changing hands six different times. The tournament would come down to the wire with only 14 minutes remaining to decide which team would prevail.
The sixty-five top teams of the WMT's 2004 season competed in the most prestigious muskie tournament in the world, the WMT Invitational Championship. They gathered on the last weekend of September to compete for more than $120,000 in cash and prizes, and to gain the coveted first place victory, along with a new Ranger boat.
Saturday started out slightly overcast without a breath of air. It was widely known by the tournament anglers that once the low-lying cloud cover burned off, the fishing was going to get tough, and by 9:30amm it had done just that. Brad Singsime and Dan Schuelke took advantage of the favorable weather in the early morning and tallied the first muskie of the contest at 7:26am with a 41 inch beauty. At 8:44am, Mark and Dave Baumann would score on a big fish of their own, 39.75 incher. The largest muskie to be measured for the tournament came at 1:53pm when Chad Strutzel and Brad Nelson scored a 42.75 inch lunker, putting the team in first place temporarily. By 2:57pm, Mike and Dan Wojtusik tallied their second muskie of the day, a 35 incher to go along with an earlier 35.25 inch muskie caught at 8:30am.
The lead would change hands again when Bill Ollman and Rory Tuff caught the first fish on Sunday at 7:11am. Scoring on a 40 inch muskie to add to their Saturday catch of 36.75 inches. At 7:35am, Kent Stadler and Jeff Langlois measured a dandy 40.75 inch muskie. The leader board would change again at 7:51am when Keith & Ken Krejci measured their second of the event tallying 39.50 inches to go along with their previous day's fish of 37.50 inches. Pete Hilman and Phil Schweik put the heat on the teams currently on the top of the leader board when they also tallied their second muskie of 35.50 inches to add to their registered fish from Saturday of 36.50 inches. At 9:51am, the defending champions Darwin and Duane Ligman got into the action with their 38.50 inch muskie that was good enough to earn tenth place. Another nice muskie of 40 inches would come at 12:15pm by Steve Laack and Ken Mack.
The last muskie of the contest would come at 12:16pm. It would be the largest muskie for Sunday, scoring in at 41 inches and it would be the third fish to be registered by the Wojtusik brothers, giving them the "dramatic" come from behind last minute victory. For their efforts, Mike and Dan Wojtusik took home a new Ranger boat and cash and prizes totally over $40,000.
Also decided at the WMT's Invitational Championship was the Lapp trophy winner for team of the year. Brian Emmerich of Hazelhurst and Brian Kastner of Woodruff tallied muskies for the 2004 season measuring 45, 39, 41.50, 34.75, 40.75, 42.25, and 44 inches, totaling 287.25 inches. In second place was Scott Lewandowski and Dan Dassow who had a total of 233.75 inches. For winning the Lapp trophy, Emmerich and Kastner will have an automatic entry for the 2005 Invitational Championship to start in the second position, behind 2004 champions Dan and Mike Wojtusik.
When the tournament was over, there was one final activity, holding the drawing for the second Ranger boat. All sixty-five qualifying teams were entered into the drawing. Kenny Bowen of Red Wing, MN and Troy Graetz of Ellsworth had their team number drawn and won the second Ranger boat.
Other anglers who tallied muskies were:
Joey Rozanski & Chris Draeger 35
Troy Schulfer & Scott Cisewski 38.25
Jacob Wills & Jeff Coey> 34.50
Dan Dassow & Scott Lewandowski 37.50
Tony Podhora & Mark Gillich 36
Marty Moser & Tony Warkoczewski 34.50
Clay Schroeder & Doug Smith 34
Rob Pritzlaff & Alan Dirmeier 36.75
The WMT's Invitational Championship tournament paid down ten places:
1st place: Dan & Mike Wojtusik, both of Rhinelander
2nd place: Keith & Ken Krejci, both of Schofield
3rd place: Bill Ollman & Rory Tuff, both of Oconomowoc
4th place: Pete Hilman & Phil Schweik, both of Mosinee
5th place: Chad Strutzel and Brad Nelson, both of Stoughton
6th Place: Brad Singsime, Waukesha & Dan Schuelke, Greenfield
7th Place: Kent Stadler & Jeff Langlois, both of Wausau
8th Place: Ken Lack & Steve Laack, both of Tomahawk
9th Place: Dave & Mark Baumann, both of Mosinee
10th Place: Darwin & Duane Ligman, both of Plover
Sponsors for the WMT's Invitational Championship tournament are: Heckel's Marina, Ranger Boats, Evinrude, Minn Kota, Fittante Taxidermy, G. Loomis Rods, Bully Braid Musky Line, Rollie and Helen's Musky Shop, Moose Jaw Resort, Idle Hour Resort, Rib-Er Side Inn, Haskell Lake Lodge, Musky Jack's Musky Buster Lures, Figure 8 Lures, The Duke Snaps, Ducktail Lures, Suick, Mepps, KDC Lures, Crafty Tackle, Plano, Super Slayer Tackle, Miljat Muskie Prints, Rampage Lures, Snowcrest Lures, Fudally Tackle, Yakima Baits, Bucher Tackle, Drifter Lures, Mania Tackle, Skimmer Tackle, Nimmer Swimmer Lures, Musky Innovations, Wood on the Water Lures, T.W. Lures, TNT Tackle, Luhr Jensen, Grandma Lures, Hellraiser Lures, Fishall-Lures.com, Phantom Lures, Cat Tail's Lures, Pebblebrook Homes, Hooksetters Guide Service, Catch 32 Guide Service, Frabil, Shipman Muskie Prints, Highway 13 Bait & Tackle, Ross's Sport Shop, Kurt's Island Sport Shop and Aquatic Arts Tackle Shop.
(Excert from the WMT website)
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The Wisconsin Muskie Tour (WMT) concluded the season at the championship on the Pike/Round Lake Chain in Park Falls on September 25 and 26. Twenty-three legal muskies would be scored for the contest with the lead changing hands six different times. The tournament would come down to the wire with only 14 minutes remaining to decide which team would prevail.
The sixty-five top teams of the WMT's 2004 season competed in the most prestigious muskie tournament in the world, the WMT Invitational Championship. They gathered on the last weekend of September to compete for more than $120,000 in cash and prizes, and to gain the coveted first place victory, along with a new Ranger boat.
Saturday started out slightly overcast without a breath of air. It was widely known by the tournament anglers that once the low-lying cloud cover burned off, the fishing was going to get tough, and by 9:30amm it had done just that. Brad Singsime and Dan Schuelke took advantage of the favorable weather in the early morning and tallied the first muskie of the contest at 7:26am with a 41 inch beauty. At 8:44am, Mark and Dave Baumann would score on a big fish of their own, 39.75 incher. The largest muskie to be measured for the tournament came at 1:53pm when Chad Strutzel and Brad Nelson scored a 42.75 inch lunker, putting the team in first place temporarily. By 2:57pm, Mike and Dan Wojtusik tallied their second muskie of the day, a 35 incher to go along with an earlier 35.25 inch muskie caught at 8:30am.
The lead would change hands again when Bill Ollman and Rory Tuff caught the first fish on Sunday at 7:11am. Scoring on a 40 inch muskie to add to their Saturday catch of 36.75 inches. At 7:35am, Kent Stadler and Jeff Langlois measured a dandy 40.75 inch muskie. The leader board would change again at 7:51am when Keith & Ken Krejci measured their second of the event tallying 39.50 inches to go along with their previous day's fish of 37.50 inches. Pete Hilman and Phil Schweik put the heat on the teams currently on the top of the leader board when they also tallied their second muskie of 35.50 inches to add to their registered fish from Saturday of 36.50 inches. At 9:51am, the defending champions Darwin and Duane Ligman got into the action with their 38.50 inch muskie that was good enough to earn tenth place. Another nice muskie of 40 inches would come at 12:15pm by Steve Laack and Ken Mack.
The last muskie of the contest would come at 12:16pm. It would be the largest muskie for Sunday, scoring in at 41 inches and it would be the third fish to be registered by the Wojtusik brothers, giving them the "dramatic" come from behind last minute victory. For their efforts, Mike and Dan Wojtusik took home a new Ranger boat and cash and prizes totally over $40,000.
Also decided at the WMT's Invitational Championship was the Lapp trophy winner for team of the year. Brian Emmerich of Hazelhurst and Brian Kastner of Woodruff tallied muskies for the 2004 season measuring 45, 39, 41.50, 34.75, 40.75, 42.25, and 44 inches, totaling 287.25 inches. In second place was Scott Lewandowski and Dan Dassow who had a total of 233.75 inches. For winning the Lapp trophy, Emmerich and Kastner will have an automatic entry for the 2005 Invitational Championship to start in the second position, behind 2004 champions Dan and Mike Wojtusik.
When the tournament was over, there was one final activity, holding the drawing for the second Ranger boat. All sixty-five qualifying teams were entered into the drawing. Kenny Bowen of Red Wing, MN and Troy Graetz of Ellsworth had their team number drawn and won the second Ranger boat.
Other anglers who tallied muskies were:
Joey Rozanski & Chris Draeger 35
Troy Schulfer & Scott Cisewski 38.25
Jacob Wills & Jeff Coey> 34.50
Dan Dassow & Scott Lewandowski 37.50
Tony Podhora & Mark Gillich 36
Marty Moser & Tony Warkoczewski 34.50
Clay Schroeder & Doug Smith 34
Rob Pritzlaff & Alan Dirmeier 36.75
The WMT's Invitational Championship tournament paid down ten places:
1st place: Dan & Mike Wojtusik, both of Rhinelander
2nd place: Keith & Ken Krejci, both of Schofield
3rd place: Bill Ollman & Rory Tuff, both of Oconomowoc
4th place: Pete Hilman & Phil Schweik, both of Mosinee
5th place: Chad Strutzel and Brad Nelson, both of Stoughton
6th Place: Brad Singsime, Waukesha & Dan Schuelke, Greenfield
7th Place: Kent Stadler & Jeff Langlois, both of Wausau
8th Place: Ken Lack & Steve Laack, both of Tomahawk
9th Place: Dave & Mark Baumann, both of Mosinee
10th Place: Darwin & Duane Ligman, both of Plover
Sponsors for the WMT's Invitational Championship tournament are: Heckel's Marina, Ranger Boats, Evinrude, Minn Kota, Fittante Taxidermy, G. Loomis Rods, Bully Braid Musky Line, Rollie and Helen's Musky Shop, Moose Jaw Resort, Idle Hour Resort, Rib-Er Side Inn, Haskell Lake Lodge, Musky Jack's Musky Buster Lures, Figure 8 Lures, The Duke Snaps, Ducktail Lures, Suick, Mepps, KDC Lures, Crafty Tackle, Plano, Super Slayer Tackle, Miljat Muskie Prints, Rampage Lures, Snowcrest Lures, Fudally Tackle, Yakima Baits, Bucher Tackle, Drifter Lures, Mania Tackle, Skimmer Tackle, Nimmer Swimmer Lures, Musky Innovations, Wood on the Water Lures, T.W. Lures, TNT Tackle, Luhr Jensen, Grandma Lures, Hellraiser Lures, Fishall-Lures.com, Phantom Lures, Cat Tail's Lures, Pebblebrook Homes, Hooksetters Guide Service, Catch 32 Guide Service, Frabil, Shipman Muskie Prints, Highway 13 Bait & Tackle, Ross's Sport Shop, Kurt's Island Sport Shop and Aquatic Arts Tackle Shop.
(Excert from the WMT website)
[signature]