2008 Ranger Boats World Championship
Lake Bemidji - Minnesota
October 11th & 12th, 2008

Thomas & Grochowski Win Ranger Boats World Championship on Lake Bemidji!
 Largest PMTT Musky EVER - Gives Them Their 2nd Championship Victory!

Click Here for the 2008 Ranger Boats World Championship Photo Album

Click Here for a complete list of Teams that caught fish

Click Here for details on the World Championship on Lake Bemidji, MN

                              1st Place - Gregg Thomas        Thomas & Grochowski Win a        Top Gun Team of the Year
                                  & Dave Grochowski                 Ranger Fishermen 619VS          James Reiter & Cesar Saucedo

                                   Event Big Fish - 54"                      Ranger Cup Winners                   Saturday Big Fish - 40"
                                Thomas & Grochowski          James Reiter & Cesar Saucedo      James Reiter & Cesar Saucedo

Final Results - PMTT RBWC @ Lake Bemidji, MN October 11th & 12th, 2008

Field safely released 6 fish - 3 Sat & 3 Sun - Event BIG FISH 54 inches

Ranger Boats Championship # 2 for Thomas & Grochowski!
Tournament Director
Tim Widlacki

Lake Bemidji in the northern Minnesota town of Bemidji was the focus of the angling community’s attention the weekend of October 11th & 12th as the Professional Musky Tournament Trail rolled into town for the 2008 RANGER BOATS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, to bestow one of Musky fishing’s most highly regarded honors, the Ranger Boats World Championship crown. With hundreds of the top musky anglers, representing 15 states and Canada, who competed in this challenging series of 4 national qualifiers, only 33 teams earned the right to be there eagerly wanting to prove that they are indeed the “best of the best” in musky fishing today!

Under cloudy skies and rain, with air and water temps both in the upper fifties, the team of Greg Thomas from Morehead, Ky and Dave Grochowski of Fairfield, OH put together one of the most exciting finishes in the PMTT’s ten year history. They captured two muskies on the second day of the event giving them the 2008PMTT-Ranger Boats World Championship Title, a Brand New 2009 RANGER 619 Fisherman - RangerTrail Trailer & 150 Mercury Optimax motor!

“After basically seeing no muskies pre-fishing and during the first day of the tournament we knew we had to do things a little different on the second day if we were going to have a shot at catching a fish let alone winning this thing”, stated Grochowski. As they cast their Cowgirls on day two of the tournament, they moved up shallow and away from the crowds and landed their first fish at 42.75”.

“We figured that with everyone beating the weeds and breaklines so hard pre-fishing and during the first day of the event, that maybe the active fish would move up onto the shallow sand flats in three foot of water or less”, stated Thomas. Well, their strategy paid off as they boated their second fish of the day on a Killer Eel and the largest musky ever registered in the ten year history of the PMTT at a whopping 54 inches with less then an hour to go and sealed up the victory by a quarter of an inch and one point.

While leading after day one with two fish of 48” & 48.50” the team of James Reiter and Cesar Saucedo, both from northern Illinois could not get another fish to bite on the second day. They were casting big double #10 bucktails off the deep weed edges the first day, but had no takers on day two. They walked away with the Big Fish award for day one and also the coveted Ranger Cup Award for an additional $1,000 for the event and a second place finish totaling $6,770 in cash.

In third place was James Stella and Ty Sennett with a 46 incher taken on a Double Cowgirl bucktail and $2,790 cash. Rounding out the top four was Scott Donovan and Chris Riebe with a 42 incher taken on a Pacemaker surface bait and $2,170 in winnings.

The PMTT Top Gun – Team of the Year Award was also handed out as the duo of James Reiter and Cesar Saucedo both from Vernon Hills, Illinois racked up 496 points to take one of the most prestigious award in musky fishing today. Along with their trophies, they also got $3,100 in cash as they placed in three out of the five tournaments. Runner up in the Top Gun standings was the team of James Stella and Ty Sennett, with third place going to Chris Riebe and Scott Donovan.

On hand to speak to the crowd was Joe Carlson, from Ranger Boats. “New model innovations, a Ranger Cup Program that has paid out millions of dollars and long time relationship in support of and working with great organizations like the PMTT are proof positive that Ranger Boats is way more than just the best built fiberglass boat available today… they are our partners in ensuring a brighter angling future for all of us”, stated Carlson.

Tournament Director Tim Widlacki thanked all of the PMTT’s incredibly fantastic sponsors, especially Ranger Boats for sponsoring the tournament. In addition Mercury Marine, Musky Hunter Magazine, Keyes Outdoors Television, Rollie & Helens Musky Shop, Eagle River Area Chamber of Commerce, Wildlife Energy Drink, Extreme Muskie Expo's, Heckel's Marine, Crash's Landing, Morehead Tourism Commission, Lake Shelbyville Tourism and all of the associate and contributing sponsors. Please let these fine folks know that you appreciate their promotional efforts in support of freshwaters most challenging fish … and those extreme anglers who chase her on the first, best and only truly National Professional Musky Circuit … the PMTT!

To obtain more information on becoming a member of the 2009 PMTT, results or to view event photo album, please visit them on the Web @ www.promusky.com or call the PMTT @ 815-478-4351