Rank    1st Partner        State        2nd Partner         State   Lbs.     Winnings

1       Mark Keenan        WI           Tom Keenan          WI      50.30    $13,000
2       Tom Albrecht       MN           Rick Stange         MN      44.20      7,500
3       Jay Brindle        WI           Pat Schuette        WI      43.84      5,000
4       Randy Blasczyk     WI           Matthew Daanen      WI      37.40      3,500
5       David Bjorkman     WI           Ken Bjorkman        WI      36.20      2,500
6       Shane Gilbertson   MN           Steve Kurtzbein     MN      35.92      1,500
7       Jay Mott           WI           Craig Slonski       WI      35.86      1,350
8       Neil Hammargren    IA           Doug Newhoff        IA      35.78      1,250
9       Richard Nascak     MN           Joe Wilson          MN      35.24      1,150
10      Joe Schilling      IL           Doug Wegner         IL      34.20      1,000
11      Wayne Siegfried    WI           Salty Walter        WI      34.06        900
12      Craig Anderson     MN           Eric Anderson       MN      33.74        900
13      Blaine Hornes      WI           Chris Schrader      WI      33.62        900
14      Tom Sowinski       WI           Jeff Zawicki        WI      33.14        900
15      Kevin Dahl         WI           Steve Stack         WI      33.04        900
16      Pete Retzloff      WI           Mitch Watson        WI      32.72        700
17      Steve DeLain       MN           John Renschen       MN      32.32        700
18      Jim Minnema        WI           Tim Minnema         WI      32.30        700
19      Robert Bodin       MN           Scott Mann          MN      32.26        700
20      Mike Hendricks     WI           Bob Woodke          WI      32.12        700
21      Steve Labs         WI           Nick Woodke         WI      31.82        500
22      John Maxa          MN           Jim O’Connor        IA      30.70        500
23      Mel Reichling      SD           Rick Small          SD      30.48        500
24      Donald Solis       MI           Bert Wilson         MI      30.30        500
25      Keri Solis         WI           Richard Solis       WI      30.21        500
26      Zach Boudreau      WI           Brad Kaczorowski    MN      30.10        400
27      Patrick Byle       WI           Jim Schiefelbein    IL      29.74        400
28      Jesse Murphy       WI           Matt Stevens        WI      29.70        400
29      Wayne Butz         WI           Don Frederick       WI      29.66        400
30      Bob Obuchowski     IL           Ed Obuchowski       IL      29.42        400
31      Scott Carlson      MN           Ralph Diercks       MN      28.80        350
32      Patrick Neu        WI           Mike Schaefer       WI      28.52        350
33      Mark Cretton       WI           John Skwor          WI      28.44        350
34      Troy Patterson     WI           Dale Radcliffe      WI      28.10        350
35      Kevin Carstensen   WI           Michael Zsido       WI      27.88        350

                                                               CASH PAYOUT = $52,000

                         Big Fish Pot (Three daily prizes: $1,100; $950; $725) 5,550

Ranger Proud Boat Owner’s Award (highest-ranking Ranger team)
Mark & Tom Keenan, 1st Place                                                   1,000

Comeback Award, sponsored by local merchants
Jim & Tim Minnema (advanced 136 places)                                          450

                                                         TOTAL CASH PAYOUT = $59,000

Mercury Outboards Big Fish Award - $1,000 Engine Rebate Jim & Tim Minnema - 11.30 lbs.

Big Basket Awards:
Day 1 - Neil Hammargren & Doug Newhoff, 24.56 lbs., 
Goldeneye Panther Auxiliary Motor Lift (value $500)

Day 2 - Jim & Tim Minnema, 32.30 lbs.,
Big Jon Manual Downriggers (value $500)

Stats

Teams Entered: 200
Fish Caught: 846
Weight: 3,081.61 lbs.

The reigning MWC Team of the Year titleholders weighed an eight fish MWC limit totaling 50.30 lbs., a 6.29 lb. average.  They collected $13,000 for the win plus an additional $1,000 for being the highest ranking Ranger boat owner team.

It was the first circuit victory for the veteran team, who has fished over 60 MWC tournaments, garnering five second place finishes.

According to Tom, "We wanted to win one on Kaz’s watch before he retired."  (MWC Executive Director, Bob "Kaz" Kaczkowski, is retiring at the conclusion of the current MWC season.)

Mark told a huge weigh-in audience, "We fished the Monument Shoals area of the Bay both days with a side trip to the Menomonee River the first day.  We took our fish in depths between 15 to 31 feet, with the best bite being between 11 a.m. and noon.

Tom added, "We trolled Lindy Hatchet Harness nightcrawler rigs from in-line planer boards and bottom bouncers between 1 and 1-1/2 MPH.  We used the large number six and eight gold- or silver-colored Hatchet blades.  The Hatchet blades give off a sound totally different than any blade on the market.  They’ve been a big part of our fishing success."

Mark concluded, "We spooled our reels with ten pound test Berkley XT line, with 14 pound XT leaders.  You need strong leaders because of the sharp zebra mussels which cling to the rocks on the shoals."

Second place finishers were Minnesotans Tom Albrecht (Coon Rapids) and Rick Stange (Blaine).  They weighed six walleyes, 44.20 lbs., earning $7,500.  They also pocketed $1,100 for a 9.42 lb. lunker, which was the heaviest fish caught the first tournament day.

Third place, worth $5,000, went to the Wisconsin team of Jay Brindle (Manitowoc) and Pat Schuette (Two Rivers), whose eight fish weighed 43.84 lbs.

After blanking out the first day, two-time MWC Father/Son Team of the Year titleholders Jim (Randolph, Wis.) and Tim Minnema (Markesan, Wis.) struck walleye gold with a whopping four fish final day catch of 32.30 lbs. (an 8 lb. average), which included the biggest fish of the tourney weighing 11.30 lbs.

The Minnemas finished in 18^th place, $700; advanced 136 places to win the Comeback Award, $450; won the final day Big Basket Award, a pair of Big Jon downriggers valued at $500; $1,100 for the second day Big Fish Pot prize; and the Mercury Outboards $1,000 engine rebate big fish award.

First day leaders, Neil Hammargren and Doug Newhoff of Waterloo, Iowa, were awarded a Panther auxiliary motor lift valued at $500 for their first day four fish catch of 24.56 lbs.  They finished 8^th, winning $1,250.

The 200 team field caught 846 walleyes weighing 3,081.61 lbs. (3.64 lb. average) in the MWC catch and release format.  The top 35 teams shared a cash purse of $52,000, plus added cash awards, totaling $59,000.

Each team contributed $10 to the MWC Conservation Fund. The $2,000 plus $170, a percentage from MWC clothing sales, a total of $2,170, was donated to the Oconto Sportsmen’s Club for habitat improvement on the Oconto River to add wing dams and large boulders to enhance walleye spawning.  To date the MWC Conservation Fund has donated more than $30,000 to Wisconsin fishery projects, part of the nearly $200,000 donated to similar programs in states where MWC tournaments are held.

MWC Executive Director, Bob "Kaz" Kaczkowski, stated, "The support of the tournament by the residents, merchants and service organizations of the Oconto community was overwhelming.  Signs welcoming the MWC were everywhere.  It was a tremendous show of support, and the anglers are already looking forward to next year’s Oconto tournament."