Canadians Chris Johnston 21st, Gallant 42th , Kung 51th, Gustafson 81th & Cory Johnston 86th
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| Idaho's Brandon Palaniuk leads the Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee in Okeechobee, Fla., with a two-day weight of 58 pounds, 1 ounce. (Photo Seigo Saito/ BASS) |
BASS Press Release
OKEECHOBEE, Fla. — Big Florida bass are notorious for making you wait for their feeding windows. Brandon Palaniuk knows the game, and his patience paid huge dividends with a phenomenal day that moved him atop the leaderboard for the Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee with a two-day total of 58 pounds, 1 ounce.
Palaniuk, the five-time Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series winner and two-time Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year from Rathdrum, Idaho, placed third on Day 1 with 23-7. Following a 90-minute Day 2 fog delay, Palaniuk returned to the canal spillway he fished a day earlier and sacked up 34-10 — his personal best and the heaviest bag weighed in a Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee.
Palaniuk heads into Semifinal Saturday with a lead of 9-12 over Day 1 leader Greg DiPalma.
“This is the most epic day I’ve ever had — pure insanity,” Palaniuk said. “I caught seven bass today.”
Palaniuk’s mega sack comprised two bass over 9 pounds, along with a 7 1/2, a 4-0, and one nearly 3 1/2.
“It was an absolute incredible day,” Palaniuk said. “It’s not like I caught a bunch. I had seven bites all day; I just had the right ones. All week I’ve been saying, ‘High hopes, low expectations.’
