Osfer & Raley Win PMTT Mercury Marine`s Summer Challenge on Eagle River
Category: article
Jun 27th, 2019 by Keith Worrall
Modified Jun 27th, 2019 at 9:53 AM
Osfer & Raley Win PMTT Mercury Marine`s Summer Challenge on Eagle River
Perfect weather greeted the Professional Musky Tournament Trail (PMTT) anglers to the Mercury Marine Summer Challenge on June 22nd & 23rd with a bit of sunshine changing to clouds and then Sunday cloudy most of the day making for perfect musky fishing weather. People say there is luck involved in fishing, and maybe sometimes that may be the case. When the teams that placed in first and second place are consistently in the top ten at this annual event hosted by the Eagle River Area Chamber of Commerce you can forget about the luck.
This was the case again in this year’s PMTT Mercury Marine`s Summer Challenge tournament on June 22 and 23 on the Eagle River Chain of lakes. The first-place team of Nate Osfer of Marathon City, WI. and Matt Raley of Minoqua, WI. and the second-place team of Ben Michlig of Minoqua, WI. and Matt Michlig of Milwaukee, WI. have either won the event or placed in the top ten several times. Both teams know the water very well. Osfer and Raley won over $18,000 with the two beautiful rings from Feldstrein Jeweler’s and the huge 1st place trophies after catching four muskies measuring 37, 36.25, 36 and 33.50 inches.
The two anglers were using three different baits, Medussas, X-Toads and a bucktail on three different lakes. Osfer and Raley caught three of the muskies on the weed edge and one on top of the weeds. The two anglers said that they did not have any following fish, every fish they caught were the only ones that bit. The Michligs that came in second place caught three muskies measuring 43.25, 37 and 30 inches. The Michligs were using X- Toads and Medussas in and around cabbage beds to entice their muskies.
The third-place finishers are the father and son team from Ashland, Kentucky, Darrel and Lance Seasor. The Seasor`s caught four muskies 34, 33.50, 32.50 and 31 inches between 11:30 and 12:00 in a 30-minute window while trolling 4.5 miles per hour 6-8 feet down in 12 feet of water on crankbaits. In fourth place Jason Walls of Chillicothe, Ohio and Wyan Chuckbanboun of Columbus, Ohio caught three muskies that were 36.75, 34.50 and 30.75 inches while trolling white and green Slammer crankbaits in open water. Rounding out the top five in fifth place was Tony Stubbs of Middletown, Ohio and Rick Busalacchi of Waukesha, WI. caught 39- and 39.50-inch muskies.
Big Fish of the event a 45.25 was caught by local angler Jared Adomovich of Eagle River with his partner Clayton Spiess also of Eagle River, WI. the musky was caught on a white Seaductress bait. Big fish for Sunday was a 44-inch musky caught by Al Gould and Andrew Willemsen of Minnetonka, MN. On a DK crankbait. 54 muskies were caught in the event and as always, the anglers all had a great time because of the incredible hospitality from everyone in Eagle River.
Cheyenne McDaniel 41.75 inch musky
Tournament Director Tim Widlacki thanked all the PMTT`s fantastic sponsors, especially Mercury Marine for sponsoring the tournament and the entire trail. Also, the Eagle River Area Chamber of Commerce for hosting the event and the great hospitality they have given us every year. Also, Ranger Boats, Musky Hunter Magazine, Keyes Outdoors, MotorGuide, Chaos Tackle, Vitaminerals, Feldstrein Jeweler’s, Morehead Tourism and all the associate and contributing sponsors. Please let these fine people know that you appreciate their promotional efforts in support of freshwater’s most challenging fish and those extreme anglers who chase her on the first, best and only truly national Professional Musky Tournament Trail circuit, the PMTT.
2019 pmtt Eagle River 41.75 inch tiger musky Abe Lang
Our next event will be the Musky Hunter Magazine`s Late Summer Showdown
on Lake Minnetonka August 9-10 near Minneapolis St. Paul and then our $120,000 Mega Tournament on Leech Lake, September 13th-15th. To obtain more information on becoming a member of the PMTT, or to view event photo album, please visit them on the web at www.promusky.com or call the PMTT office at 815-478-4092.