$20,100.00 to Win over $30,000.00 in Cash and Prizes
Devils Lake
Manitou Beach, Mi
Sunday January 31, 2016
Entry Fee for 2016 is $200.00 per 2 man team
150 Teams Total
2016 Entry Process begin January 19, 2015 and end March 1st, 2015
Go to
www.midwestopentournam ent.com for more information
Entry process for the 2016 Midwest Open
Top 2 – 20
The Top 2 thru 20 teams from the 2015 Midwest Open will have an
automatic berth into the 2016 Midwest Open. Any change in partners
between events will automatically forfeit your entry into the 2016
Midwest Open. Your team will still have to fill out an entry form and
pay the entry fee within the entry period, failure to do so will
forfeit your entry. Any open spots because of Past Champions
qualifying in the top 20 will be filled by the next team in line.
Example 2 Past Champions qualify, that means Place 21 and Place 22
will make the field. Also is you qualify in the “Top 5” of the Crotton
Dam event and have qualified in the top 20 in the most recent Midwest
Open you will be entered in from the Crotton Dam event allowing
another Team climb in to the Top 2-20 and thus making them eligible
for the 2016 event.
Qualified Teams (2 - 20) from the 2015 Midwest Open
2nd Place – Zach Bivins/Isaac Bivins 12th Place – Denny Tison/Chad
Tison 3rd Place – Andrew Clement/Jeff Clement 13th Place – Jeff Brafford/
Troy Hamlin 4th Place – Blake Wecker/Mark Wecker 16th Place – Roy Mutter/Myron
Gilbert 5th Place – Mike Boedeker/Myron Gibert 17th Place – Tod Todd/Slappy
McAndrews 6th Place – Joseph Jaworski/Bart Sitarz 19th Place – John Kopcok/
Derric Soullier 7th Place – Dusty Koltoniak?Jesse Whittaker 20th Place –Bob Lisowski/
Jay Winne 8th Place – Michael May/Chad Drobny 21st Place–Chad VanSplintern/
Aaron VanSplitern 9th Place –Nick Schertz/Peter Venturi 22nd Place –Hunter Martin/
Colton Duvall 10th Place – Kevin Riley/Dave Young 23rd Place – Dan Duffield/Brian
Martinez 11th Place – Chad Pitock/Bronson Burch
Up to 8 Past Champions Spots Available
All past Championship teams from either the Midwest Open or earlier
Ice team events are eligible. Any change in partner will automatically
forfeit your team’s entry into the 2016 Midwest Open. Any remaining
spots from the Champions list will be put in the last chance draw.
Your team will still have to fill out an entry form and pay the entry
fee within the entry period. Failure to do so will forfeit your
entry.Below is a list of past Champions.
2002 – Ben Wright & Jeff Wright 2003 – Glen Martin & Jim Martin
2004 – Tim Tesmer & Tim Angel 2005 – Ben Wright & Jeff Wright
2006 – Cancelled due to Weather 2007 – Ben Wright & Jeff Wright
2008 – Joe Pikulski & Myron Gilbert 2009 – Ben Wright & Jeff Wright
2010 – Bob Richardson & Chad Hamlin 2011 – Keith Kniffen & Ron Kniffen
2012 – Canceled due to Weather 2013 – Albert Avendano & Eric Moore
2014 – Joe Thornburg & Marc Melson 2015 – Steve Romsek & Brian Romsek
5 spots from NAIFC Croton Dam pond tournament
The top 5 teams who qualify from the 2015 NAIFC Croton Dam Pond
Tournament, Newaygo, MI will be allowed entry into the 2016 Midwest
Open. Your team will still have to fill out an entry form and pay the
entry fee within the entry period. Failure to do so will forfeit your
entry. Qualified Teams from the 2015 Croton Dam Pond Tournament
3 – Doug
Smith/Randy Rogers
1 – Brandon Newby/Ryan Wilson 2 – Bill Casper/Chris Sparks
3 – Doug Smith/Randy Rogers 4 – Matt Strong/Luke Triplett
5 – Chad Schaub/Jake Shellenbager
70 spots from 17 Ice Belt States and Canada
We are going to take teams from each of the following states. Each
state’s entrants will be placed in a hat and randomly drawn. Any state
that does not have all of its entries filled will have their remaining
spots placed in a last chance draw.
Entries per State: 2 - Maine, 2 - Vermont, 2 - New Hampshire, 3 -
Massachusetts, 5 - New York, 5 - Pennsylvania, 5 - Ohio, 5 - Indiana,
5 - Illinois, 5 - Wisconsin, 5 - Minnesota, 4 - North Dakota, 4 -
South Dakota, 4 - Iowa, 3 - Nebraska, 3 - Montana, 3 - Wyoming
and 5 - the Country of Canada
40 spots from Michigan
We are going to take 40 teams from Michigan. Again all Michigan teams
will be put in a hat and randomly drawn. If Michigan does not have 40
entries all remaining spots will be placed in the last chance draw.
6 Spots plus 35 reserves
Any remaining spots will be drawn from all remaining entries. We will
begin with a list of 35 reserves to fill any vacancies that may occur
during the year.
Rules of Entry for non-qualified teams
You will be required to state your partner at the time of filling out
your entry form. Failure to do so will automatically disqualify your
entry. Also you will be able to change your partner only once (can not
change captain). You will have until the January 22nd, 2016 to make
your one change. Any change after January 22nd, 2016 will forfeit your
entry and entry fee into the Midwest Open. Making more than one entry
will null and void all of your entries into the Midwest Open. This
includes trying to enter with a different partner. You may only enter
one time with one partner. If you are entering the contest with a
partner from a different state, the person who is listed as team
member #1 will be the State that is used as the home state for the
team. Team Member #1 will be considered as the team captain. You may
enter online at the Midwestopentournament.
com website or by calling
1-800-248-9318 for those outside Michigan and at 1-800-292-0857 for
those who are reside in Michigan.
New for 2016 – Any change of partner or team that cancels after
January 22nd, 2016 will loose it’s entry fee. We are sorry for this
inconvenience, this is to give the alternates time to make
arrangements to be in the tournament.
You will be required when filling out your entry form to enter a valid
Credit Card to pay for the entry fee if you are chosen to be a
contestant in the 2016 Midwest Open. Your card will not be charged
unless your team has been chosen to fish the 2016 Midwest Open.
Failure to put a credit card or form of payment on your entry will
make your entry null and void.
If it is found that you or your partner has been disqualified from any
form of fishing tournament in the past your entry will be revoked. The
reason for disqualification will be based on the intent to defraud the
contest, not minor rules infractions. Example for being revoked
“Hiding Fish” with the intent to later enter them in the contest.
Examples for not being revoked; missed entry time, too many fish in
bucket, etc.
The entry process will take place starting January 19, 2015 at 11:00
a.m. Eastern time. The entry process will conclude at 11:59 p.m. on
March 1, 2015 Eastern Standard Time.
The entry list for the 2016 Midwest Open will be posted no later than
March 15, 2016 on the Midwest Open website and at Knutson’s
Thank you and good luck.
Jim, Jan and Tom Knutson
Midwest Open Ice Fishing Tournament
164 Wamplers Lake Road • PO Box 457 • Brooklyn, MI 49230
www.midwestopentournam ent.com
