Last night Brandon Palaniuk asked to talk off the record about what he’d found in practice. He’s on the record now, staying off the shore in a little more depth than where most expected this tournament to be won. And he’s started smoking hot. Palaniuk caught three keepers – estimated to weigh 3, 5 and 6 pounds – by 8:15.
“Magnums live here,” he said, after landing the 3-pounder. Then he proved it with his next two, afterwards saying, “I’m shaking so hard I can’t even think straight.”
Palaniuk won the last Elite Series tournament at Santee Cooper Lakes. But that tournament was in October 2020, and this one is expected to take considerably more weight to win than his winning total of 72 pounds, 2 ounces, then.