Rathdrum's Palaniuk continues to surprise in Bassmaster Elite Series event in Alabama

From Bassmaster news services

SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. — Most of this week, Brandon Palaniuk has worn a wry smile on his face. It is one of disbelief more than anything that he has actually found the quality of bass he has during the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake.

By adding 16 pounds, 5 ounces Friday to his Day 1 tally of 19-7, the Rathdrum native now has a two-day total of 35-12 and holds the lead for the second day in a row. Alabama rookie Will Davis Jr. is second with 34-3 and veteran Florida pro Bernie Schultz is third with 31-8.

“I’m just the clueless leader out there,” said Palaniuk, who wrestled at Lakeland High and North Idaho College. “I’m 100% in disbelief. The fact I was able to fish for all of those fish the first day blew my mind. The fact I went back there and caught 16 pounds today blows my mind, too. I’m going to have to go again tomorrow because I don’t know what is going to happen. I might have another 15 or 16.”

Palaniuk has been maximizing one specific area of Lay Lake and has had to adjust to the conditions every day. Even though thunderstorms moved through the area Thursday night, the water had dropped a couple of inches when he arrived Friday morning. As the day progressed, it began to rise again.

“It is almost like a tidal fishery this week,” Palaniuk said. “They keep bringing the water up and down, up and down, so it has been hard for me to get dialed in to any one thing. You can see the water clarity change and you can see the current move in one direction and then back the other. It definitely changes everything.”

Friday morning when the water was at its lowest, there was very little activity in the area. The shad were stagnant and the bream beds were not active. But once the water rose, activity increased and the bite improved.

Adding to his disbelief, Palaniuk has had his area largely to himself, with only a couple of anglers filtering in and out.

“The way everyone else fishes it, it is really hard to get a bite,” he said. “The way I am fishing it, I have been able to get bites here and there. That is the biggest difference. I am fishing in an area that has bass, but doing it differently than everyone else. I can’t even describe how obvious it seems, but yet everyone missed it.”

On Thursday, Palaniuk did most of his damage sight fishing and caught the Day 1 Phoenix Boats Big Bass — a 5-14 largemouth — on his second pitch to one particular bed. On Friday, the two-time Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year excelled by finding postspawn bass that were either cruising or in specific cover he saw on his Humminbird MEGA 360.

He pitched his drop shot, rigged with an X Zone Lures Deception Worm to that cover. That presentation produced his biggest bass Friday, which was over 5 pounds. He also caught a couple of bass on a frog.

“I didn’t catch a bass off a bed today. I didn’t even see any,” he said. “I saw one that was maybe set up on a bed but wouldn’t lock on.”

He also caught a 4-pound cruiser and bream came into play as the day progressed.

“They aren’t on all of them, though. Just certain ones for sure,” he said.

Palaniuk added that he had several missed opportunities, including a bass he saw and coaxed into biting with a glidebait. Unfortunately for him, the bass made one big jump as it neared the boat and came free.

That bass went back to the same spot, and Palaniuk said he plans on trying to catch it again today. He also dialed in a specific pattern that led to several culls later in the day.

“I did figure out a little something late where I culled up quite a few times,” he said. “I started catching fish off of my Humminbird 360 that clued me into something different. I don’t know how much I can expand on it.”

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