A
s a native of Idaho,
Brandon Palaniuk
grew up in Hayden
and got his start on many of the same lakes
that local clubs and weekend
warriors now compete
on each and every week.
Now, the well-established,
28-year-old, Bassmaster
Elite series pro competes on fisheries
across the nation.
His experience on the B.A.S.S. tour has given
him a diversified understanding of lakes and fishing
situations.
Palaniuk discussed and compared these in relation
to a deep-diving crankbait. He also shared some of
the recent advancements with the technique.
During his years in pro competition, Palaniuk has
learned the biggest difference between cranking out
West in comparison to the rest of the country is the
way the fish position themselves.
He has found that while efficiency with the
technique is important, an understanding of this
positioning and what the fish are keying on (during a relevant time of year) is a very crucial aspect to success with a deep-diver.
DIFFERENCE MAKERS
“The majority of lakes
and rivers we fish back
home are
grass dominate - they will
have a grass ledge, not necessarily a rock ledge,” said Palaniuk. “The Columbia River, for example, has rock bars and rock piles, but the majority of river systems have a grass ledge that will be home to lots of big fish.”
Asking Palaniuk to choose one lake where he learned the most about deep cranking, he responded, “The first lake that really shaped me when fishing away from home was Clear Lake, Calif. It has a lot of deep rock and even though it is labeled a swimbait lake, a lot of tournaments are won on deep-diving crankbaits there.”
SUMMER 2016
61