PARISE AND ETZEL WIN WMT’S WAUBESA QUALIFIER

Photo Album ( Not All Photos Available )

On Sunday, May 14th, the Wisconsin Muskie Tour hosted the second qualifier of the year on Lake Waubesa in Madison, where the weather played a major role in the location of muskies and the proper presentation for making contact with an active fish. The foul weather allowed only 7 muskies to succumb to the competitor’s offerings.

At 6:44am, the team of Paul Parise and Mike Etzel scored on a 42 ½” lunker that would secure for the team the first fish and big fish of the day. That fish would have been enough for the duo to secure first place; however, they were able to put on the board another muskie measuring in at 38 ¾ inches at 1:45pm as insurance to seal the victory. “We were working jerk baits in very shallow water where there was current that seemed to have the muskies stacked up in a very small area”, Mike Etzel told the crowd at the awards ceremony.

The team of Justine Gaiche and Tom Hanaman would score on a 37 inch muskie at 8:11am, fishing a mid-lake bar where they had been moving a lot of fish. During the day’s competition, most of the muskies would be taken on a shallow water pattern, but Michael Winther and Kurt Southworth would tally a 36 inch muskie at 9:43am, fishing a steep, deep water breakline with a soft plastic bait called a bulldawg. Tallying a 39 ¾ inch muskie at 11:58am was the team of Scott Kuharske and Joe Perry. Mike Esselman and Steve Paulbeck scored on a 37 ½ incher at 1:15pm. The final muskie of the day would be landed by Ivan Stross and Jeff Piazza at 2:00pm, measuring in at 41 inches; this fish would propel the team in a second place finish.

The tournament paid down five places:

1st place: Paul Parise and Mike Etzel, both of Ladysmith
2nd place: Ivan Stross, Oak Creek and Jeff Piazza, Lake Tomahawk
3rd place: Scott Kuharske, Milwaukee and Joe Perry, Oregon, OH
4th place: Mike Esselman, Saukville and Steve Paulbeck, Theinville
5th place: Justin Gaiche, Appleton and Tom Hanaman, Sun Prairie