Lijewski and Scroeder Catch Four to Win the R.A.M.M. Cup Open Championship

There were thirty-four muskies registered at the WMT's R.A.M.M. Cup Open Championship tournament on the Manitowish Chain August 16th and 17th. The first muskie of the event was caught at 6:11am and measured 37 inches by Jeff Piazza and Ivan Stross, who would also catch another 37 incher at 9:04am. At 6:28am, Ryan Bock and Tyler Maney would capture the big fish of the day with a 43 1/2 incher, nudging the team of Chad Briesemiester and John Bittorf out of the big fish award who would also catch a 43 1/2 inch muskie but five minutes later at 6:33am, giving Bock and Maney the time tie-breaker. The second team to double for the day would be Mark Lijewski and Clay Schroeder at 9:04am when the duo scored their second fish of 34 inches to add to their earlier muskie of 42 1/2 inches at 7:00am. A dandy 42 1/2 inch tiger muskie would be registered at 7:44am by Ron and Ryan Meyer. The team of Brad Wirt and Kurt Hagen would be the third team to double up with their first coming at 10:36am and 42 1/2 inches and a 34 incher at 1:35pm. Soon after at 1:42pm, Jeff Langlois and Kent Stadler would score on their second that measured 36 inches to add to their earlier 36 incher at 10:15am. The 2007 R.A.M.M. Cup Champion's Joe Swiander and Justin Jankowski would get in to the action when they landed two muskies of their own with the first coming at 8:02am, measuring 37 1/2 inches and a 35 3/4 incher at 2:54pm. The sixth team to double for the tourney would be Jason Weik and Jason Baratka when they scored a 35 incher at 2:13pm and a 35 3/4 " muskie at 3:12pm. The final muskie of the day would come at 3:45pm and 42 3/4 inches, fortunately, it would be Garett Shipman and John Kleczewski's second fish of the day with their first coming at 6:52am and scoring 42 inches that would put the duo on top of the leader board at the end of the first day of competition.

The final day of the R.A.M.M. Cup Open Championship would only produce three muskies, but the three muskies would drastically change the final standings. The first two muskies would be scored by the same team of Lijewski and Schroeder to give the team four muskies for the event and first place. Their first would come at 10:27am and measure 36 inches and their second would score 35 inches at 11:01am. At 11:08, the team of Stross and Piazza would tally their third muskie of the tourney with a 38 1/2 incher and a second place finish.

Other teams to score muskies for the R.A.M.M. Cup Championship on Saturday were: Chad Popp & Alan King 38 3/4" at 6:50am, Neil Barnett & Bill Hill 40 1/4" at 6:55am, Randy Kabble & Joel McClung 41 1/4" at 9:10am, Steve & Mike Schneider 34 3/4" at 8:45am, Bob & Michael Lass 34" at 8:32am, Lance Hemauer & Brad Burg 41" at 9:53am, JT Del Alcazar & Matt Mazur 37 3/4" at 10:19am, Joe Brezinski & Randy Miller 42" at 10:51am, Brian Kastner & Brian Emmerich 34 1/2" at 12:29pm, Tony Warkoczewski & Mike Buckna 35" at 1:15pm, Ben Bain & Marcus Malyuk 42" at 1:38pm, Andy Grimm & Mike Serwa 35 1/2" at 3:17pm, Larry Mengsol & Will Wiese 34 1/4" at 2:55pm, and Andy Huffmaster & Peter Fruin 38 1/2" at 3:20pm.

The WMT's R.A.M.M. Cup Open Championship top ten finishers were:

1st - Mark Lijewski/Clay Schroeder
2nd - Jeff Piazza/Ivan Stross
3rd - John Kleczewski/Garett Shipman
4th - Brad Wirt/Kurt Hagen
5th - Joe Swiander/Justin Jankowski
6th - Kent Stadler/Jeff Langlois
7th - Jason Weik/Jason Baratka
8th - Ryan Bock/Tyler Maney
9th - Chad Briesemeister/John Bittorf
10th - Ron & Ryan Meyer

The next tournaments for the WMT is a "MUSKIE DOUBLE HEADER" (tm) weekend with the Lake Mohawksin tournament on Saturday, August 23rd and the Boom Lake tournament on Sunday, August 24th. One team could win nearly $60,000.00 over the weekend. A bonus of $20,000.00 will be awarded to the team that would win the two tournaments, back-to-back, and if both tournaments should fill up, a first place prize of $10,000.00 will be awarded reaching a total of $40,000.00. An extra total of more than $19,000.00 will also be paid out for the first team who scores a muskie of 50 inches or better that entered in to the fifty inch pool.

Both of the Mohawksin and Boom Lake tournaments still have some open spots. It is still possible to sign up for the events by logging on to the WMT's web site www.WMTseries.com for registration details. Also, you can sign up for the tournament(s) on Friday, August 22nd at Sara Park in Tomahawk from 5:00pm to 7:30pm. And, you can sign up for the Boom Lake event at the Dog House Bar and Grill on HWY 47 north in Rhinelander Saturday night from 6:00pm to 7:30pm.

All of the WMT's one-day tournaments and Major Open Championships are open to the public. You can fish one tournament or as many as you like.

For a more detailed description and full color photos of the WMT's R.A.M.M. Cup OPen Championship, pick up the next issue of the Badger Sportsman Magazine.