I remember the first time I met Brandon Palaniuk. Even at 23 years old, he still had the boyish look of someone who had yet to pick up a razor. The year was 2011 and we were both on the bus driving to the Champion’s Toast after Kevin VanDam had secured his fourth Bassmaster Classic title, this time on the Louisiana Delta. That New Orleans event was Palaniuk’s first Classic. He had qualified through the B.A.S.S. Nation. Nobody knew his name. Pair that with the fact that he was from Idaho and had never fished against the best anglers in the world, it was safe to assume that nobody gave him a chance in hell to do well. But everyone was wrong. The kid finished in fourth place.
On that bus, I recognized him from the Classic stage. He was hard to forget. As a B.A.S.S. Nation qualifier, he honored Bryan Kerchal, the only Nation angler to ever win a Classic, by blowing a fish whistle (Kerchal’s go-to move every time he landed a bass). I congratulated him on his exceptional finish. He thanked me and, with quiet confidence, promised he’d be back. Not only did he live up to that promise, he came very close to winning the 2013 Classic when he landed in second place behind winner Cliff Pace.
It would take several pages to detail Palaniuk’s career now. In short, he has qualified for 13 Classics, won six Elite Series events, has accumulated more than $2 million in B.A.S.S. winnings and has a beard the Duck Commanders envy. But that’s not what is special about him. Ever since the moment he blew that fish whistle on stage, the kid from Idaho has dedicated his time to not only hone and perfect his craft, but to appreciate the heritage of our sport and go out of his way to protect its integrity.
I remember when I went to Ray Scott’s Celebration of Life ceremony in Montgomery, Ala., Oct. 2022. There were some legendary anglers in attendance, but only one current Elite Series competitor: Brandon Palaniuk. I told him I was surprised to see him, given the season was over and his home was about 4,000 miles away. His response: “If it wasn’t for Ray, I wouldn’t be doing what I love. I wanted to be here out of respect for everything he did for the sport and my family.”
I remember the 2016 Bassmaster Elite on the St. Johns River. Palaniuk ended up 37th in that event. Still, he hung around until the final day weigh-in, camera in hand, to watch Rick Clunn hoist the Elite Series trophy. He has made it a habit to experience that moment with the champion of every Elite Series event since.
Most recently, at the Champion Power Equipment Bassmaster Elite on Lake Okeechobee this past March, the world witnessed Palaniuk not only share a small spot with three other competitors, but we saw him give those competitors the bait he used to catch back-to-back 9-pounders during the event. Think about it. More than $100k on the line and your closest competitor is rubbing rails with you while casting to the same spot. Would you share a bait that could knock you out of the top spot? To me, that’s the stuff of legends.
Yes, Palaniuk is a relentless competitor. But, there’s a lot of those guys out there. His selflessness, integrity and love for our sport and its heritage is Palaniuk’s real superpower. My greatest hope is that the next generation of pros follow very precisely in his footsteps.
