WMT SERIES™ PLACES THE CIRCUITS ON HIATUS FOR THE 2014 SEASON
With a heavy heart, the WMT Series™ has decided to place all three tournament circuits (Wisconsin Muskie Tour™, Professional Muskie Angler Circuit™, and Muskie Country Tournament Circuit™) on hiatus for the 2014 season. The decision didn't come easy nor was it made in haste. Our attempts to secure a corporate title sponsorship, that would have helped us increase pay outs at our tournaments while offsetting operating cost, failed to produce the results that would have secured our circuits for the 2014 season and beyond.
Without the financial assistance that a title sponsor would have provided to the WMT Series™ and our participants, and with the poor economy that we witnessed last year that is certain to continue well into 2014 or beyond, the only option left to us was to put the tournaments on hold. Our thirteen years of experience with the tour (and hosting over 200 tournaments) made us confident that the current downturn in the economy would produce a net loss of at least $15,000.00 for the circuit in 2014 if we would have forced any schedule upon our loyal competitors.
Since the 2008 season, when we witnessed the crippling high gas prices and the beginning of the banking crisis, the option of putting the WMT Series™ on hiatus has been discussed by us before every season since. For numerous reasons, putting the circuit on hold wasn't the best option and we marched on, however after five years going on hiatus is the wise choice this year.
If we didn't put the tournaments on hold in 2014, we would be certain to experience another five figure loss that would produce the demise of the WMT Series™. By putting the circuit on hiatus, we will improve our position allowing us to continue for another thirteen years or more, bigger and better than ever!
Our actions, all be it drastic to some, are in an effort of self preservation, to ensure that the WMT Series™ continues not only for our loyal men, women, and young anglers (who have made us the most successful muskie tournament circuit in the world), but also for those future anglers wanting to share in the fun and the excitement of the competition.
We would like to apologize to our anglers for the disruption that our tournament stoppage might have caused, and for the delay in our announcement. We had given ourselves until February 28th to make the decision whether the tournaments would continue for 2014, but in the end, gave ourselves a little more time for such a difficult choice!
Since the first WMT Series™ tournament in 2001, we have been distributing entry forms and informing our competitors about the other great muskie events that were available to fish, but starting in 2008 our tone changed and we started to ask folks to support other muskie tournaments so they would survive and not fold up like so many tournaments have done in the past. During this time of uncertainty, we would like to ask our competitors to support and recruit other muskie anglers to support more great muskie tournaments such as: Eagle River Spring Classic of Champions, Charlie Baker Memorial on the Moen's Chain, June Jam on Bone Deer and Wapogasset, Steve Schneider Memorial on the Phillips Chain, 22nd Annual Butternut Lake Muskie Tournament, National Championship in Eagle River, World Muskie Championship in Manitowish Waters, Hodag Muskie Challenge in Rhinelander, Paul's Pro-AM on the Eagle River Chain, Kevin Worrell Memorial Classic on Pelican Lake, The Three Lake Muskie Classic, Greater Wisconsin Muskie Tournament, Best of the Best in Green Bay, and the 37th Annual Hayward Muskie Tournament to name a few and other great muskie circuits like the Ironman Musky Trail, the PMTT, and the IMTT. Most of these tournaments I have competed in and had a great time. Please let's keep on supporting these great events (and others that I didn't mention) and do our part to ensure their survival!