Raley & Osfar Win PMTT Ranger Boats World Championship & Top Gun – Team of the Year!
Oct 8th, 2019 by Keith Worrall
Modified Oct 8th, 2019 at 8:43 AM
Ranger Boats World Champions and Top Gun Team of the Year Matt Raley Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin and Nate Osfer of Marathon City, Wisconsin
Raley & Osfar Win PMTT Ranger Boats World Championship & Top Gun – Team of the Year!
On October 5th & 6th, the PMTT held their season ending Ranger Boats World Championship on the Spirit & Okoboji Chain of Lakes in Northwest Iowa. The top 40 teams from throughout the year were competing for the 1st place prize package of a 2020 Ranger 619FS Fisherman, with a RangerTrail Trailer and powered by a Mercury Marine Outboard for a total valued at over $50,000. On day one the anglers were met by some of the worst wind and rainiest weather that the PMTT has ever seen. 20+ mph winds and driving rain were affecting the boat control immensely as there were only 7 muskies caught on Saturday. On Sunday, the sun came out and the wind calmed down and the muskies responded as they doubled the day one total by catching 14 muskies caught on Sunday.
The team Nate Osfer of Marathon City, Wisconsin and Matt Raley of Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin did not catch a musky on Saturday but on Sunday their luck changed in a big way. At one point the two anglers caught muskies on back to back casts as they were still registering their first musky. Osfer and Raley pre-fished on all of the lakes and only had success on Spirit Lake and their choice paid off for them by catching five muskies up to 41.5” on Sunday. They caught all their muskies using Medussa baits in natural perch colors, while working the Medussa’s rather aggressively with quick hops over the shallow weed tops. Their success made them the 2019 PMTT Ranger Boats World Champions and won them the 2020 Ranger 619FS Fisherman with a RangerTrail Trailer powered by a Mercury Marine Outboard worth over $50,000. Osfer and Raley have won the World Championship the last two out of three years as they also won the award in 2017.
Top Gun Team of the Year Top three teams Left to Right Back Row Third Place Bryan Schaeffer of Tomahawk, Wisconsin and Mike Keyes of Nekoosa, Wisconsin, Second Place Brian Barker and Tim Barker of Morehead, Kentucky Front Row First Place Matt Raley Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin and Nate Osfer of Marathon City, Wisconsin
There were 21 total muskies caught by the top 40 participating teams. In second place is the father and son team of Chris and Peter Blicharz from Three Lakes, Wisconsin. Their muskies were 39.50”, 37” and 36” and also caught their muskies on Medussa’s and Rippin Dawg baits while fishing weeds on Spirit Lake. In third place, brothers Ben Michlig of Minoqua, WI. and Matt Michlig of Milwaukee, WI. with two muskies measuring 41.75” and 39.50” caught on double dawg bulldawg baits while fishing a windblown point. In fourth place Corey Montgomery of Ames, Iowa and Don Myers of Ankeny, Iowa with two muskies that were both 37.25” long casting Phantom Jerkbaits while working pockets in shallow weedbeds. Rounding out the top five were Danny Lowe of Des Plaines, IL. and Chris Pack of Fox Lake, IL. with the big fish of the tournament at 46” caught on a bucktail in shallow weeds. The 46” musky also helped them win $250 from Musky Hunter to the largest fish caught in the event while wearing Musky Hunter apparel.
Big Fish of Tournament 46 inch Danny Lowe of Des Plaines, Illinois partner Chris Pack of Fox Lake, Illinois.
The prestigious PMTT Top Gun – Team of the Year was also decided at this event in very close fashion. This award is awarded to the most consistent team that catches muskies through the year during the whole trail. In first place with 479 points was again Nate Osfer of Marathon City, WI. and Matt Raley of Arbor Vitae, WI. Tournament director Tim Widlacki asked the two anglers what they do to prepare for tournaments to have such continued success. Osfer replied by saying that they look at maps ahead of time and pick spots that they feel would be productive. Then they network with other anglers from that part of the country with information on the lake or lakes that they will be fishing. Then Osfer and Raley go to the lake and mainly drive their boat to learn areas and then they do a little fishing. They also work their baits speed according to the fish’s mood and then mimic that action on their retrieve. Finishing in second place in the top gun standings Mike Keyes of Nekoosa, WI. and Bryan Schaeffer of Tomahawk, WI. with 474 points. In third place in the top gun standings are two brothers from Morehead, KY Brian and Tim Barker with 472 points.
Group photo of Top 5 teams in Ranger Boats World Championship PMTT Back Row Left to Right Fourth Place Don Myers of Ankeny, Iowa and Corey Montgomery of Ames Iowa, Fifth Place Chris Pack of Fox Lake, Illinois and Danny Lowe of Des Plaines, Illinois, Third Place Ben Michlig of Minoqua, Wisconsin and Matt Michlig of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Front Row Left to Right Second Place Chris Blicharz and Brian Blicharz of Three Lakes, Wisconsin, Matt Raley of Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin and Nate Osfer of Marathon City, Wisconsin Ranger Boats World Champions and Top gun team of the year Professional Musky Tournament Trail
Tournament director Tim Widlacki thanked all of the PMTT’s fantastic sponsors especially Ranger Boats for their support of not only the PMTT but also their continued effort to improve the entire sport of musky fishing. And the Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center for hosting the championship event. Also, Mercury Marine, Musky Hunter Magazine, Eagle River Area Chamber of Commerce, Morehead Tourism, Keyes Outdoors, Chaos Tackle, Vita-Minerals, Feldstein’s Jewelers and all of the associate and contributing sponsors. Please let these fine people know that you appreciate their promotional efforts in support of fresh waters most challenging fish and those extreme anglers who chase her on the first, best and only truly national professional musky tournament circuit, the PMTT.