Brandon Palaniuk says his 2013 disqualification at La Crosse, Wis., site of this week’s Elite season finale, worked to his benefit.
“Looking back on it, it was probably better for my career than if I would have won,” Palaniuk said. “In the long run, yeah, because I think it was a character-builder. It showed something more than just winning.
“From a relatability standpoint to the fans, I think it was more beneficial. My banker might say otherwise. A lot of good came from that, and it was a good lesson learned.”
Palaniuk holds the lead for Progressive Angler of the Year as he returns to La Crosse for the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Mississippi River. After two solid days there in 2013, Palaniuk led Aaron Martens by 6 pounds and felt he was on the fish to win. He was settling in for the night when he received a call from tournament director Chris Bowes. Palaniuk was forthright in answering questions, and soon it was determined he broke Minnesota’s no-cull rule.
Palaniuk thought he was in Wisconsin, but the state line zig-zagged away from the main channel and oddly across an island. He had no idea he culled simply yards on the wrong side, which led to his Day 2 weight being disqualified and dropping him to 77th.
“I remember in the moment, just my heart sinking,” Palaniuk said. “I was just instantly numb. Because as he was asking me these questions, I realized where this road was leading. It was in that moment that I realized what I had done, because before that phone call, I had no idea.”
Palaniuk, who had won his first of six B.A.S.S. tournaments the year before in the Bull Shoals Elite, was down in the Angler of the Year standings. He was relying on the Classic’s win-and-in provision to maintain his goal of always making the championship. Thinking that run might be over, Palaniuk sat in a chair staring blankly for at least an hour.
“I was in shock and stunned and couldn’t believe something so simple I let slide,” he said. “That’s why I always say now, ‘Control the controllable; don’t sweat the things you can’t like weather.’”
Stunned but resilient, Palaniuk owned up to the mistake, and fans were sympathetic that he lost a great chance to win on an archaic rule. However, Palaniuk’s next move added to his legend. A la Babe Ruth, Palaniuk called his shot, saying he’d just have to go out and win the next event on the St. Lawrence River. He did.
It was certainly a painful lesson, but one now deeply ingrained.
“The biggest thing I learned is being more observant, paying more attention to the details,” he said. “Any time we fish border waters now, if you can’t fish all available water, I pay attention to those lines like a hawk now.
“When we fished St. Lawrence and couldn’t fish Canada, I knew at all times where those lines were and where I was in position to them. It was a learning lesson in that sense, where I’m not going to make that mistake again.”
Palaniuk continues to show he’s the type of guy who can fall into a pile of manure and come out smelling like roses. He’s suffered other pratfalls during his successful 11 years on the Elites only to end up on top. Palaniuk has self-reported having six fish in the livewell three times, suffering self-inflicted 2-pound penalties that would be too much for many anglers to overcome.
“Knock on wood, it hasn’t cost me yet,” Palaniuk said. “When I won at St. Lawrence, it didn’t cost me. I did it at Toledo Bend when I made the Top 10, but it wouldn’t have changed anything — I was more than 2 pounds from the next guy. At Santee, I did it again, and it didn’t cost me. Wow, I’ve done it three times!”
Bassmaster LIVE viewers have seen Palaniuk go on amazing flurries, and he said he has gotten caught up in that excitement of reeling in fish cast after cast.
“It’s usually happened when I’m struggling and I’m struggling and I’m struggling, and I keep changing and moving, and changing locations and changing baits, then I figure it out or I end up in the right place,” he said. “Then it seems like those things start to happen super fast, and I get so excited. I’m not like an emotional guy but I live in that moment and get fired up. I get excited, and it takes over.”
But Palaniuk thinks he’s figured out the remedy, which is weighing each fish with his Rapala touchscreen scale and using his sponsor’s culling system. It’s made him more diligent, and even tells him he needs to release one.
“When I have five and catch the sixth one, I weigh it,” he said, “and I have to physically touch on the screen which one I have to get rid of, and go back and get that number. If I’m consistent about weighing them, it slows me down enough to not make that mistake.”
There’s not been many other mistakes made in a career that’s seen him win the 2017 AOY title and finish no lower than 17th in his past seven seasons. Palaniuk, who holds a 37-point lead over Brandon Lester in the points, is poised to become only the 12th pro with more than one AOY title.
“I like it,” he said when informed of the rarity.
Palaniuk was amazed in 2017 that he became only the 21st to ever win an AOY, and now that group has grown to 26 in 52 years of B.A.S.S. Knowing he’s atop the standings but insisting he doesn’t look at the actual points, Palaniuk said he plays it like he’s up by one.
“When you’re leading, the best thing to do is win, and you can’t get beat,” he said. “That’s kind of my process of not looking at the points. You don’t take your foot off the gas. You don’t look at it and say, ‘If I just make a top 50 I have a shot.’”
In actuality, Palaniuk needs to stay 36 spots ahead of Lester. If Lester were to win, his point total would be 710, which means the lowest Palaniuk could finish and still win AOY is 37th, which awards 64 points.
If would be an easier path for Palaniuk if he didn’t suffer his worst finish of the season in last week’s Lake Oahe event. With his previous season low a 26th at the Harris Chain, Palaniuk lost ground when he missed the cut in 66th. It created a little more adversity for him, but he’s used to overcoming it.
“Anytime you have to face adversity and you come out of it, you’re stronger,” Palaniuk said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s fishing, basketball, wrestling or life. If you beat adversity, then you’re better off, a lot stronger than you were.”
