Moore and Rand WIn WMT's "R.A.M.M. Cup Championship"™

The Wisconsin Muskie Tour™ (WMT) hosted the second of three "MUSKIE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP"™ qualifiers for the 2010 tournament season on the 21st and 22nd of August, on the Manitowish Chain of Lakes. There would be a total of twenty one muskies registered for the weekend event.

Early reports of fishing activity by WMT tournament anglers pre-fishing the Manitowish Chain were very encouraging with numbers of muskies being caught and released, with several real trophies being landed as well. However, the weather and fishing conditions would change with a cold front that passed through the area Thursday night and early Friday, ushering in heavy rains, lightning, and cooling temperatures. The calm of Saturday morning's weather had an opposite effect on the attitude of the muskies with five muskies being registered in the first thirty five minutes of the tournament. Getting "on the board" first was the team of Kevin Moore and Kevin Rand with a 36.50" muskie at 6:12am, but the duo wasn't finish yet scoring on another muskie of 40.50 inches at 9:37am. Although, Moore and Rand's two muskies was not enough to overtake day ones first double from David Whitney and James Schroeder who tallied muskies of 45.50 inches at 6:33am and 36.25 inches at 8:21am. Scoring on a big 45 incher at 10:01am, would be the team of Matt Raley and Jeff VanRemortel. After Tony Piantek and Bill Vierkandt registered a 39.50" muskie at 10:21am, the muskie activity would slow down to a crawl. Where the first five muskies of the contest would be landed in the first thirty five minute, it took over five hours of fishing to scratch out the last five muskies registered for the day.

The slow fishing carried over to Sunday as only six muskies would be measured. The team of Moore and Rand's choice to stay on Rest Lake for the entire tournament paid off when the tallied their third muskie of the contest and the eventual winner at 6:32am and measuring 39 inches. At 7:00am, the team of Ryan Wahlgren and Rick McClellan would score on a dandy 42.50" muskie. Mark Gillich and Joey Rozanski would be the third team to score on multiple muskies for the contest when they tallied a 35.50" muskie at 7:36am to add to their previous Saturday's catch of 35.50 inches at 6:15am. The big fish of the contest would be captured by Joel McClung and Jason Faust with a 48" beauty at 8:43 am. Gene Erickson's 41.75" muskie at 9:58am, would conclude the muskie activity for the tournament. Reports from successful anglers, and from those who had opportunities at muskies for the two days of fishing, the hottest lure choice was a Double Cowgirl (an inline spinner with large double Colorado blades) fished in nine feet or less in cover or on the edges of the aquatic vegetation.

Other anglers to score muskies during the WMT's Manitowish Chain "R.A.M.M. CUP"™ "MUSKIE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP"™ on Saturday were: Ron and Ryan Meyer 38.75" at 6:26am, Bob Morrison and Tim Nordland 36.25" at 6:35am, Gary George and Bob Lass 39" at 10:18am, Marcus Malyuk and Ben Bain 36.25" at 11:13am, Charles and Deane Galloway 34.50" at 11:29am, Bill Hill and Neil Barnett 34.75" at 2:53pm, Randy Lewis and Ben Michlig 39.50" at 3:21pm, and George Kingsland 37.25" at 2:20pm. Kent Stadler and Doug Bloch would catch a 37.25" muskie on Sunday at 7:59am.

The WMT's Manitowish Chain "R.A.M.M. CUP"™ "MUSKIE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP"™ top eight finishers were:

1st - Kevin Moore/Kevin Rand
2nd - David Whitney/James Schroeder
3rd - Mark Gillich/Joey Rozanski
4th - Joel McClung/Jason Faust
5th - Matt Raley/Jeff VanRemortel
6th - Ryan Wahlgren/Rick McClellan
7th - Gene Erickson
8th - Tony Piantek/Bill Vierkandt

The next tournament for the WMT is the final qualifier of the season and a "MAJOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP"™ on the Eagle River Chain of Lakes on the weekend of August 28th and 29th. There are still some spots open for the tournament. The Eagle River Chain "Autumn Classic Open Championship"™ is open to the public. If you would like to fish the Eagle River Chain event, you can sign up for the tourney on Friday, August 19th at The Wild Eagle Lodge on Chain O Lakes Road in Eagle River on Duck Lake, between 5:30pm and 7:30pm.

Teams competing in the Eagle River tournament who do well and those team who finished high in the standings at the Manitowish Chain event will go on to compete in the WMT"S INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP™ on the Pike and Round Lake Chain just west of Minocqua on the last weekend of September. Anglers earning their place at muskie tournaments fishing most prestigious event, the WMT' INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP™ will be fishing for the guaranteed $30,000.00 first place money and for the $42,000.00 purse. The field of sixty six teams at the Championship will be finalized after this weekend's WMT's Eagle River tournament.

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) 277-4411.

Local sponsor partners for the Wisconsin Muskie Tour Manitowish Chain and Eagle River Chain tournaments are: Rollie and Helen's Musky Shop, Little Bohemia Restaurant, Rustic Roadhouse, Tooth Tamer Rods, Timberline Inn, Fittante Taxidermy, Wild Eagle Lodge, Tackle Industries, Chanticleer Inn, and Eagle River Inn.en's Lures, Yakima Bait Co., Bobbie Bait Muskie Lures, Cat's Tails Lures, RJ Lures, Skimmer Lures, Beast Teaser, HellRaiser Tackle Co., Musky Armor, Mud Puppy Lures, Grim Reaper Lures, Esox Edge Custom Lures, Trophy Hunter Glittertail Musky Lures, Inhaler Muskie Lure, www.MonsterLures.net Musky Mayhem Tackle, Dreamcatcher Bucktails and Tackle, River Run Tackle, Ducktail Lures, Big Game Tackle Co. LLC., Figure Eight Lures, Inhaler Lures and Tackle Co., and www.BigTalesTaxidermy.com and Lures.