Barnett and Hill Win WMT Squirrel Lake Tournament

There were sixteen legal muskies registered at the WMT's Squirrel Lake tournament Sunday, June 29th. The night before the tournament started, a severe cold front passed through the area making the fishing conditions tough...to say the least. The first muskie of the tournament would come at 7:28am by the team of Neil Barnett and Bill Hill with a 41 1/2 incher, and when they scored on their second of the day, the only team to double up, at 1:56pm with a 38" muskie, the duo would finish in first place. At 7:42am, Dan Buss and Bob Chitty scored on a 41 1/4" muskie. Chas and Chris Martin would get on the board at 8:50am with a 41 3/4 incher. The team of Mark Lijewski and Clay Schroeder tallied a 38 1/4 inch muskie at 1:56pm. The biggest muskie of the tournament, and the eventual second place finisher, a dandy 45 incher would be captured by Doug and Don Grant at 3:24pm.

Other teams to score muskies for the one-day event were: Josh & Pat Fuller 36 3/4" at 8:24am, Kenny Bowen & Troy Graetz 37 1/2" at 10:16am, Dan White & Andy Lepien 36 1/2" at 10:33am, George & Patrick Kingsland 36 1/2" at 11:13am, Garret Shipman 36 1/2" at 11:30am, Mark VanRossum & Clay Schmoeker 36" at 12:03pm, Kyle Stankevitz & Bryant Gerbers 35" at 1:05pm, Frank & Bill Kasowicz 38" at 2:26pm, Brian Kastner & Brian Emmerich 37" at 3:32pm, and Matt McCumber & Rod Moe 36 3/4" at 3:47pm.

The WMT's Squirrel Lake "MUSKIE DOUBLE HEADER"(TM) tournament top five finishers were:
1st - Neil Barnett/Bill Hill
2nd - Don & Doug Grant
3rd - Chas & Chris Martin
4th - Dan Buss/Bob Chitty
5th - Clay Schroeder/Mark Lijewski

The next tournament for the WMT is a "MAJOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP"(TM) on the Manitowish Chain August 16 & 17. The "R.A.M.M. Cup Open Championship"(TM) on the Manitowish Chain is open to the public and is limited to 150 teams. With a full field of 150 teams, the first place pay-out would be $20,000.00. The Manitowish Chain tournament is a Heckel's Cup(TM) event that will pay a bonus of $5,000.00 to the qualifying Heckel's boat owner who wins the tourney. In addition to the prize money and Heckel's Cup(TM) bonus, anglers will be hoping to land the over $18,000.00 pool for the first muskie over 50 inches.

The "R.A.M.M. Cup Open Championship"(TM) on the Manitowish Chain is open to the public and there are still some spots open. It is still possible to sign up for the tournament by logging on to the WMT's web site for the entry form and mailing it to the WMT. Registration for the Manitowish tournament will be at the Little Bohemia Restaurant on HWY 51 Friday, August 15th between 5:00pm and 7:30pm.

All of the WMT's "DOUBLE HEADER"(TM) tournaments and "MAJOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP"(TM) are open to the public to fish. You can fish one tournament or as many as you like.