Altmann and Holland Win Pro MAC™ Autumn Muskie Classic™
The 2012 regular season of the WORLD MUSKIE TOURNAMENT SERIES™ (WMT Series™) concluded with the Professional Muskie Angler Circuit™ (Pro-MAC™) qualifier the weekend of September 15 th and 16th on Lake Namakagon at the Autumn Muskie Classic™. Teams converged at the Autumn Muskie Classic™ not only as their last chance to qualify for the most prestigious and highest cash pay-out in muskie tournament series history at the WMT Series™ Invitational Championship™, but also to win the Pro-MAC™ Championship by virtue of scoring the highest points throughout the year of qualifying events. The Lake Namakagon tournament produced nine (9) fish total with four muskies on Saturday and five (5) on Sunday.
The major cold front that passed through the area on Friday helped to slow down the early morning action as the first muskie wouldn’t be registered until 7:45am by the brothers Ron and Ryan Meyer when they tallied a 37 incher. The second muskie of the contest, also the largest as well, was a hefty 47.25 inches at 10:35am by the team of Dan Altmann and Mats Holland. At 12:12pm, the team of Tim Rutzen and Paul Peterson (subbing for Ryan Bock) iced the Pro-MAC™ Championship with a total of 429.67 points for the season, when they tallied a 38.50" muskie. The final fish of the day would come at 12:50pm that measured 42.25 inches by Terry Mager and Jim Anderson.
The following day of competition on Sunday, the field of anglers sensed that the muskie action would improve from the previous day and five muskies would succumb to their offerings during the half day of fishing. The first muskie of the day wouldn’t take long to bite when at 6:58am a 35 incher was scored by Don Grant and Al Krieger. After just witnessing the first muskie of the day for Don and Al, the team of Dan Altmann and Mats Holland would take a trip across the lake to their second spot of the morning and landed a 46.25" muskie on their first cast at 7:08am. The muskie action had heated up as Jim Komar and Chris Ceccato tally a 41.50" muskie shortly after at 7:26am. Rob Kahl and Jon Johansen would also join in on the fun at 7:46am measuring a 42.50" muskie as well. The final muskie of the day would come at 9:15am by the father and son team of Tim and Tom Mathu that scored 36.25 inches.
The Pro-MAC™ Lake Namakagon Autumn Muskie Classic™ tournament top eight finishers were:
1st – Dan Altmann/Mats Hollandbr>
2nd – Terry Mager/Jim Andersonbr>
3rd – Rob Kahl/Jon Johansenbr>
4th – Jim Komar/Chris Ceccatobr>
5th – Tim Rutzen/Paul Petersonbr>
6th – Ron & Ryan Meyerbr>
7th – Tim & Tom Mathubr>
8th – Don Grant/Al Kriegerbr>
The top anglers from the 2012 Pro-MAC™, and the top finishers from the Muskie Country Tournament Circuit™ will converge on October 6th and 7th at the Eagle River Chain of Lakes for the most prestigious muskie tournament, the World Muskie Tournament Series™ Invitational Championship™. Anglers attending the Championship will make muskie tournament fishing history with the highest cash pay-out ever for a muskie tournament circuit championship that was set by the WMT Series™ in 2011 at Pewaukee Lake.
All WMT Series™ events are open to the public. If you are interested joining us in 2013, expanding your muskie knowledge and enjoying the competition with others who share your interest, log on to www.WMTSeries.com web site or www.professionalmuskieanglercircuit.com for info and an entry form or you can call 715-277-4411. The 2013 Pro-MAC™ and Muskie Country Tournament Circuit™ schedules and applications will be on our web sites shortly, so please continue to monitor the web sites and register soon after to ensure yourself an early ease-out number.
Sponsors of the 2012 WMT Series™ are: Tooth Tamer Rods, Fittante Taxidermy, Tackle Industries Super D’s, Dream Catcher Bucktails & Tackle, T’s Tackle, Suick, Yakima Bait Company, Worden’s Lures, Poe’s, www.Mudpuppylures.com , Trophy Hunter Accessories – Glittertail, River Run Tackle, Super Slayer Tackle Company, Optimum Bait Company, Figure 8 Lures, Lucky Craft Lures, and Salmo Performance Fishing Lures.