With consistent catches of 22.34 lbs. the first day and 22.24 lbs. the second day, the winning tandem from Wisconsin took home a cash purse of $10,500 for the win. This is the first tournament win for Frederick and Butz who have been fishing professionally as a team for eight years. "If your going to win, I love to win on my home ground," said Don Frederick.

According to Butz, their success was determined by their technique. "We switched blades a lot and we switched colors - keeping them off the bottom was our secret, also not getting snagged up in any zebra muscles." The tournament showcased a balance between the anglers who came in with big fish in heavy baskets and those who couldn't even bring in one catch for the weigh-in. Five teams who eventually would finish in the money among the top 35, had zero weights on one of the two tournament days.

A new Masters Walleye Circuit record was broken in the overall big fish category. The team of Mike Gibson from Dyer, IN and Tim Horneman of Lansing, IL hauled in a 12.34 lbs. walleye.

Brothers Mark Keenan of Appleton, WI and Tom Keenan of Hatley, WI who were defending their championship, weighed in five fish totaling 32.08 lbs., this included a first day basket of one fish for 4.98 lbs. An 8th place finish earned them a cash purse of $1500. The huge jump from 66th place to 8th place also earned them the Motorguide Comeback Award of $500 and a new outboard trolling motor.

Overall, there was $41,000 in prize money up for grabs to the top 35 teams, with added cash awards and prizes for the biggest catch, the biggest comeback and the biggest tournament basket weight. For this 2000 MWC tournament, the water boundaries had been a particular concern for the anglers. All of the Wisconsin waters on the Bay of Green Bay could be fished. That included the Menomonie River. The Fox and Oconto Rivers were off limits to the teams.

Last year each team contributed $10 to the MWC Conservation Fund. A total of $2,170 was donated to the Oconto Sportsmen's Club for habitat improvement by adding wing dams and large boulders to enhance walleye spawning on the Oconto River. At the beginning of the 2000 MWC circuit, the conservation fee paid by all MWC anglers was increased to $25 per team per tournament. The change raised the entry fee per tournament to $375 per team, and resulting in an additional $25,000 available for fisheries conservation projects.

The Wildlife Forever-Masters Walleye Circuit is a nonprofit corporation that conducts a series of professionally operated fishing tournaments, stressing family participation and conservation of fishery resources. To date the MWC Conservation Fund, the only fund of its kind in professional fishing, has contributed $213,000 to fisheries programs in states where MWC tournaments are held. All MWC tournaments are catch-and-release.

The 2000 Wildlife Forever-MWC title sponsors are: Abu Garcia, Berkley Trilene, Lindy Little Joe, Mercury, MotorGuide, North American Fishing Club/North American Fisherman, and Ranger Boats. Supporting sponsors are Big Jon, Inc., Panther Marine Products and Walleye Central-the official web site of the Masters Walleye Circuit (www.walleyecentral.com).