Syracuse.com - Idaho angler wins Elite Series bass fishing tournament at Waddington on St. Lawrence River

HuntingNY-News · August 12, 2013

His tactic of driving some 200 miles to and from the Henderson and Chaumont bay areas on Lake Ontario, only allowing for a few hours of fishing each day, proved to be the winning formula.

Brandon PalaniukBassmaster.com

Idaho bass angler angler Brandon Palaniuk won the prestigious Evan Williams Bourbon Showdown on the St. Lawrence River out of Waddington, N.Y Sunday. And he did by motoring to Lake Ontario each day of the four-day competition.

He bested 98 other bass fishing pros from across the country. By winning the Bassmaster Elite Series-level tournament, he earned $100,000, along with an invitation to the Bass Master Classic, which is billed as the World Series of bass fishing.

Palaniuk, 26, of Rathdrum, Idaho, turned in a 4-day total of 88 pounds, 12 ounces, all smallmouth bass. His tactic of driving some 200 miles each day to and from the Henderson and Chaumont bay areas of Lake Ontario, only allowing for a few hours of fishing each day, proved to be the winning formula.

Jonathon Van Dam, of Kalamazoo, Mich., the son of famed pro angler Kevin Van Dam, finished second with a total weight of 81 pounds, 4 ounces. He earned $25,000 for his efforts.

Palaniuk told bassmaster.com that he primarily used a drop-shot rig. His main lure was a green pumpkin Berkley Power Bait Twitchtail Minnow. He also used the same bait in a clear silver shiner color. The thin tail and 3-inch size was key to taking the smallmouth.

In these types of tournaments, the anglers are allowed to fish in connected waterways, provided there's no "off-limit restrictions," said Mike Cusano, of Clay, a former NY Bass Chapter Federation president who has ran a number of Bassmaster competitions at the state level.

"It's risky, though. There's no guarantee you're going to get back in time," Cusano said. "Everyone knew the bigger fish were in Lake Ontario. They didn't want to gamble. There's always a chance you'd come back with zero fish or zero weight."

See the final results on bassmaster.com.

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View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog