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The Eagerly Awaited $5,000,000 Wisconsin Muskie Tour 2009 Schedule is Out

The Wisconsin Muskie Tour™ (WMT) has announced its 2009 schedule, held throughout the state on some of the best muskie waters in Wisconsin. The ninth season of the WMT is shaping up to be the most exciting and competitive schedule yet. Over the years, the WMT has listen to our competitors that has resulted in many improvements and additions that have set the WMT apart from the rest, yet still allowing for a high level of sportsmanship and fair competition, while making the tournaments fun and exciting for all of the anglers.

The tour consists of two tournament divisions; the “MUSKIE DOUBLE HEADER”™, and the “MAJOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS”™. There are 12 one-day “MUSKIE DOUBLE HEADER”™ tournaments that are scheduled back-to-back on six weekends, paying out $10,000.00 for first place for each tournament(with a full field) and $20,000.00 each weekend to the team who wins both one day events during the weekend for a total of $40,000.00.

“MUSKIE DOUBLE HEADER”™ division:
Lake Pewaukee May 16 | Lake Okauchee May 17
Lac Vieux Desert May 23 | North/South Twin Lakes May 25
Phillips Chain May 30 | Butternut Lake May 31
Lake Mohawksin June 20 | Lakes Minocqua/Kawaguasaga June 21
Pike/Round Chain June 27 | Squirrel Lake June 28
Boom Lake August 15 | Sand Dam Lake Chain August 16


There are three “MAJOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP”™ qualifying tournaments, that are open to the public to fish, with a limit of 150 team fields, that will pay out $20,000.00 for the first place finish (with a full field).

“MAJOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP”™ division
“Badgerland Open Championship” ™ – Three Lakes Chain June 6 & 7
“R.A.M.M. Cup Open Championship” ™ – Manitowish Chain August 22 & 23
“Autumn Classic Open Championship” ™ – Eagle River Chain August 29 & 30


For the first time in WMT history, the 2009 Invitational Championship will be held on a body of water that was a host location of a qualifying event earlier in the season. September 26th and 27th, the WMT will revisit the Manitowish Chain for the season ending Invitational Championship. Ever since the WMT first included the Manitowish Chain on the series schedule in 2003, the chain has grown to be the most popular regular season tournament with the tournament anglers. It was only a matter of time before the WMT had to place the Championship on such a great muskie fishery.

The WMT is entering in to its ninth season and has hosted 125 tournaments since the inaugural season in 2001. The WMT captured the title of the largest muskie tournament circuit in the world during the third year, a distinction that the WMT has held ever since. Nearly 2,000 anglers, from 18 states, compete in the WMT’s competitive series of tournaments’.

The WMT’s 2009 season is following the historic season of 2008 where the Invitational Champion’s Clay Schroeder and Mark Lijewski, won over $207,000.00 in cash and prizes. The WMT will continue the “MUSKIE GRAND SLAM”™ that paid out $100,000.00 in cash and prizes and the “MUSKIE TRIPLE CROWN”™ that paid out $30,000.00 in cash and prizes to Mark and Clay in 2008 at the Championship, awarding the duo with the largest single muskie pay-out ever. For more details on both of these exciting, life changing bonuses, log on to www.WMTseries.com for more details.

We are proud to welcome Shoeder’s RV & Marine to the WMT family. Shoeder’s RV & Marine will be hosting the $10,000.00 “Shoeder’s Cup”™ that will pay a bonus award of $10,000.00 to the team that wins the Championship, and has bought a new tournament boat (of any make) from May 16th, 2007 thru the day before the 2009 Invitational, September 25th.

Other exciting additions to the WMT’s line up of bonus awards, are the $20,000.00 “GREATER 50 INCH MUSKIE CHALLENGE”™, the $8,000 Tackle Industries (Super D) bonus, and the $3,200 A-Team bonus. The “GREATER 50 INCH MUSKIE CHALLENGE”™ will pay out, over the course of the season, $10,000.00 twice, when teams get into the voluntary 50” challenge and catches a muskie over fifty inches. Also, when a team wins a WMT event with Tackle Industries baits, that team will receive $500 in Tackle Industries lures. And, when a team wins a WMT event with an A-Team lure, that team will receive $200 of A-Team lures.

Lijewski and Shroeder make Muskie Fishing History

When the second day of competition was completed at the 2008 Wisconsin Muskie Tour Invitational Championship, Mark Lijewski and Clay Schroeder would make muskie fishing history by winning the most money in a tournament, over $207,000.00 in cash and prizes. Mark and Clay’s victory at the Invitational Championship was as impressive as their run in the second half of the season on the WMT tour.

For the team of Lijewski and Schroeder, the 2008 WMT series was a tale of two seasons. Eighteen tournaments were scheduled for the 2008 season, and at the end of the ninth qualifying tournament, Mark and Clay had not registered a muskie yet and were trailing the leaders of the Lapp Trophy (Team of the Year) by 269.5 points (inches). However, the second half of the season for Mark and Clay would be history in the making.

Saturday, June 28th would prove to be the start of the most impressive turnaround ever in muskie tournament fishing. Lijewski and Schroeder would score on their first muskie of the year at the one-day “Muskie Double Header™” event on the Pike/Round Lake Chain, with a 41 ¼ inch beauty. The next day, the WMT qualifying tournament was held on Squirrel Lake and their 37 ¾” muskie would land the duo in fifth place. It wasn’t until the next qualifying tournament (the two-day R.A.M.M. Open Championship on the Manitowish Chain), where Mark and Clay quadrupled to win the event, did the men start to think they had a chance to catch the Lapp Trophy leader and a chance to win muskie fishing’s great prizes – the “Muskie Grand Slam™” and the “Muskie Triple Crown™”.

Lijewski and Schroeder entered into the next one-day event on the schedule trailing the new Lapp Trophy leaders by 88.25 points. Mark and Clay would score on two muskies during the Lake Mohawksin tournament, giving the team the victory and the second leg of the “Muskie Grand Slam™”. Mark and Clay would continue to battle during the WMT’s remaining qualifying season, putting more muskies “on the board” and winning the final qualifier of the season at the “Autumn Classic Open Championship, held on the Minocqua Chain.

Entering into the final event of the season, all Lijewski and Schroeder had to do is win the WMT’s Invitational Championship to earn the biggest prize in muskie fishing history. However, they would be competing again the top 65 muskie tournament teams of the 2008 season and they would have their work cut out for them! At the end of the first day of competition on Saturday, September 27th, there would be a total of eleven muskie registered, with Lijewski and Schroeder being the only team to double-up for the day. On Sunday, seven muskies would be scored, one being a 37½ incher by Mark and Clay to seal the deal and give the team the victory.

Mark Lijewski and Clay Schroeder would set several new records during their 2008 run to be the best. They set the record for the most points in a single season with a total of 579.25 to take home the Lapp Trophy. During the 2008 season, the duo would be the only team to ever win four tournaments in a single season. But the biggest accomplishment that the two experienced was winning all of the following: the $30,000.00 cash bonus for the “Muskie Triple Crown™”, an Open Championship, the Lapp Trophy, Invitational Championship and the $100,000 cash bonus for the “Muskie Grand Slam™”, which includes all of the “Muskie Triple Crown™” criteria in addition to winning a one-day “Muskie Double Header™” event.

By winning muskie fishing’s biggest prize, the “Muskie Grand Slam™”, Mark Lijewski and Clay Schroeder are at the pinnacle of their profession and their status as being one of the top muskie tournament professionals can never be in doubt.

If you would like to meet Mark and Clay, a press conference has been schedule for 11:30am on Wednesday, November 12th at Rollie & Helen’s Musky Shop in Minocqua.

If you are interested in becoming the next big winner, meeting a great bunch of men and women, and learning more about this great fresh water game fish, fish the Wisconsin Muskie Tour. For more information about the WMT, log onto www.wmtseries.com or call (715) 369-1394. The 2009 season schedule is now available online or call for an application.

Sponsor partners for the 2008 Wisconsin Muskie Tour season are Heckel’s Marina, G Loomis, Smokey’s Musky Shop, Fittante Taxidermy, Rollie & Helen’s Musky Shop, Hawg Seeker Tackle, Ace Baits, Suick, Bait Rigs, Optimum Baits, Worden’s Lures, Yakima Bait Co., Bobbie Bait Muskie Lures, Cat’s Tails Lures, RJ Lures, Smity Bait, Drifter Tackle, Duke Snap Co., Skimmer Lures, Beast Teaser, HellRaiser Tackle Co., KDC Lures, Lunker City LLC, Musky Armour, Tackle Industries, Mud Puppy Lures and Grim Reaper Lures.