The 2026 Recon Boats World Championship delivered exactly what anglers hoped for when the PMTT visited the legendary Lake of the Woods for the first time. Hosted by the Lake of the Woods Tourism Bureau, there were big fish, plenty of movement on the leaderboard and a championship race that came down to the wire. The field caught and released 117 muskies over three days, with 18 of them at 4′ in length or greater. This is probably the best overall tournament in the PMTT 28 years for numbers and size of muskies registered. Productive patterns ranged from current-swept rock rubble, to shallow weeds and slop. Successful teams demonstrated the value of adapting, covering fresh water and trusting their decisions under pressure. Everything came together perfectly and the competitors took advantage of it.
1st. Place: Jarod Donar & Pete Blicharz
Jarod of Oregon, WI and Pete Blicharz from Three Lakes, WI put fish on the board all three days with nine muskies up to 48 inches totaling 728 points. Fishing Lake of the Woods for the first time, the duo overcame a difficult pre-fishing period and committed to shallow combinations of weeds, rocks and slop. Big rubber produced most of their fish, including some strikes close to the boat. Natural colors were best, with black and gold among their most productive patterns. Rather than abandoning their program when fishing became difficult, Donar and Blicharz trusted what they had learned and continued running new water, often covering 20 to 30 miles per day. They adjusted their retrieves based on the mood of the fish, staying aggressive when muskies responded well and slowing things down during quieter windows. Their victory earned them a championship first place prize package, including a new Recon 2085T boat, a Recon Trailer, rigging, a 150hp Mercury Marine Outboard, $1,000 Recon Boats bonus, Thorne Bros. gift cards and others all valued at more than $58,000, and the coveted 2026 PMTT Recon Boats World Champions title.
2nd. Place: Bob & Jackson Harris
Bob and Jackson, a father and son team from Monticello, WI. finished a close second with nine fish and 722 points. Their catch included two 50-inch-class muskies measuring 50.5 and 50 inches, the two largest fish landed by any of the Top Five teams. The Harris team primarily targeted shallow rocks and weeds with perch-pattern Dying Dogs. Despite struggling during pre-fishing, they returned to areas that had produced throughout the summer and finished only six points away from the title.
3rd. Place: Mark Lijewski & Ryan Wallis
Mark of Minocqua, WI and Ryan from Eagle River, WI. placed third, also with nine fish and 713 points. All nine of their fish measured at least 40 inches, led by fish of 47.75, 47.5 and 47 inches. Working both rocks and weeds, they found success with several different baits and colors. Location proved more important than any single lure pattern.
4th. Place: Jace Loge and Darian Rubner
Jace from Hackensack, MN and Darian from Pine River, MN made one of the tournament’s biggest moves to finish fourth with seven fish and 459 points. After being shut out on Day One, they abandoned their original northern rock-rubble pattern and turned to extremely shallow slop weeds. That adjustment paid off in a huge way on the final day when they boated five fish in approximately two hours. Weightless Suicks and rubber ripped through the weeds produced their best action, with perch patterns accounting for all seven of their tournament fish.
5th. Place: Michael Gorman and Jason Stock
Michael of Cushing, MN and Jason from Princeton, MN rounded out the Top Five with six fish and 450 points. Their best areas featured shallow rock rubble, strong current and only one to two feet of water. After discovering two nearby points loaded with muskies, they generated action on bucktails before adjusting to a small black Medusa, a Super Shad and a Matlock. One fish crushed the Super Shad after it was allowed to rise toward the surface, while another attacked the Matlock late in the tournament.
The championship also brought an outstanding season-long Top Gun race to a close, with Josh McDunn and Sean Boland earning 2026 PMTT Top Gun Team of the Year honors with 619 points. McDunn and Boland put together an extremely impressive and remarkably consistent season. They won two of the four events and registered multiple fish at every stop on the trail. Combining that kind of consistency with two tournament victories made them deserving winners of the PMTT’s season-long title.
2026 PMTT Top Gun Top Three
1. Josh McDunn and Sean Boland – 619 points
2. Jarod Donar and Peter Blicharz – 583 points
3. Rob Ornberg and Bob Chitty – 581 points
PMTT Tournament Director, Tim Widlacki, acknowledged the Trail’s deep appreciation to their many outstanding sponsors for both their continuing support and the important part they have played and are playing now in our growth over the past 28 years as America’s 1st and only, truly national, Professional Musky Circuit. Leading the way with new, challenging, and innovative formats on some of the country’s top musky fishing destinations; Highlighting freshwater’s most elusive and challenging fish and the fast-growing community of extreme adventure anglers who give her chase.
Special thanks the event title sponsor & official boat of the PMTT, Recon Boats. Equal thanks to the host site sponsors of The Lake of the Woods Tourism Bureau, Nathan Truedell and the entire staff at Jerry’s Bar & Restaurant. Also, Throne Bros, Vacation Okoboji, VitaWorks West, Mercury Marine, BioBuilt Technologies, Morehead – Rowan County Tourism, Three Lakes Area Visitors Bureau, Lake Okoboji Resort & Conference Center and our entire family of Contributing & Associate Sponsors.
