Rathdrum's Palaniuk claims sixth Bassmaster Elite win

From Bassmaster news service

OKEECHOBEE, Fla. — The gift that kept on giving finally stopped giving. 

Thankfully, that gift had given enough for Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum to cruise across the finish line Sunday with a four-day total of 95 pounds, 4 ounces for victory in the Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee.

“It’s so crazy how things happen for a reason,” Palaniuk said of a slow day that tested his resolve. “This morning, me and (seventh-place Greg DiPalma) were fishing next to one another and I watched him lose several big ones. I hate that and I love it, at the same time.

“I don’t wish that upon anyone, but if he would have caught those, I would have been sweating bullets. I could not get a bite, and then I just kept sticking with it and picking off one here and there.”

Starting strong with a third-place, first-round limit of 23-7, Palaniuk, who wrestled at Lakeland High and North Idaho College, moved into the Day 2 lead by sacking up 34-10 — his personal best and the heaviest bag weighed in a Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee. That feat sent Palaniuk into Day 3 with a 9-12 lead over Day 1 leader DiPalma.

On Semifinal Saturday, the fish shied from the previous days’ pressure. Enduring a few painful losses and a close call that sent a big crankbait colliding with his face (no serious injury), Palaniuk caught 23 pounds and expanded his lead to an 18-3 advantage over Day 1 leader Greg DiPalma.

Palaniuk, a two-time Bassmaster Angler of the Year, endured a stingy Day 4 and sealed the deal with a final-round limit of 14-3. Beating John Garrett by 15-13 — the fourth-largest winning margin in Bassmaster Elite history and Palaniuk’s second double-digit win (also his first Elite win at Bull Shoals, 2012) — he collected the $102,000 top prize and his sixth blue trophy.

All week, Palaniuk has camped in a small stretch of the C-41A Canal, which flows southeast from Lake Istokpoga. The key location was a ridge with an adjacent trench passing between the high spot and the riprap bank.

“I think the biggest thing was this spot had deep water and spawning areas nearby and it allowed those fish to funnel through and replenish every day,” Palaniuk said. “The structure set up right for them to position and funnel into there.

“In the back of that trough was a flat that came off the bank. That created an area where those big females could get sun, and there was tons of bait that they could feed on.”

The final round started slowly for Palaniuk, as the early afternoon found him with only four fish for less than 10 pounds. Losing a key fish sent him huddling to his deck, but Palaniuk recomposed himself, got back to work and ended his day with a 5 1/2-pounder that crushed his Clutch The Boss glidebait.

After the first day’s weigh-in, Palaniuk noted that he cycled through a wide array of baits to determine what would trigger the fish. As the week went on, he dialed in a few key performers, including the Megabass Kanata jerkbait, a prototype Megabass crankbait and the hulking Megabass Big M 4.0.

He also caught fish on a KGB glidebait, a Neko-rigged green-pumpkin Zoom Magnum Finesse Worm, and an XZone Lures Muscle Back Craw punched through a hyacinth mat.

Reviewing this week’s accomplishment, Palaniuk said marking a half dozen Elite victories has stoked his fire for future achievement.

“We’re not done yet,” Palaniuk said. “I’m 15 years into it; I figure I have at least that many more. I feel like we’re just getting started.”

Garrett, from Union City, Tenn., finished second with 79-7. Kyoya Fujita of Yamanashi, Japan, took third with 77-4. 

Palaniuk won the $2,000 Rapala Crush City Monster Bag award for his Day 2 limit of 34-10.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Palaniuk earned an additional $4,000 for winning.