Palaniuk second for second straight week at Bassmaster Elite Series event

From Bassmaster news services

DECATUR, Ala. — Coming off his second-place finish at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake last week, Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum finished second Saturday at the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Wheeler Lake.

Palaniuk was in 56th place on Day 1 with a modest five-bass limit of 14 pounds. Adding a second-day limit of 19-9, Palaniuk gained 50 spots to sixth. With a Championship Saturday limit that went 20-15, the reigning Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year made a serious run at the top spot but fell just short with 54-8.

Adam Rasmussen of Sturgeon Bay, Wis., posted a three-day total of 54 pounds, 15 ounces.

“I only got a day and a half of practice out here, so I can’t complain,” Palaniuk said. “I was still figuring them out on Day 1, then I got clued in enough that I was able to continue to dial it in a little bit better.”

Spending most of his time on the Decatur Flats, Palaniuk caught his bass on two Megabass jerkbaits — the Vision OneTen and the hulking Kanata 160 — the same bait Palaniuk used during his fifth-place finish at the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes in April.

Rasmussen notched his first B.A.S.S. win. He earned $51,567 and qualified for the 2024 Bassmaster Classic March 22-24 in Tulsa, Okla.

Palaniuk, a six-time B.A.S.S. winner, earned $25,047.