Brandon Palaniuk’s 21 pounds, 4 ounces came later in the afternoon on Day 1.
The same scenario is unfolding on Day 2 with a twist. That is how wind and cloud cover will influence the bite. Combined, both wind and clouds are destined to make the day more challenging.
Too much wind on an open water lake like Mille Lacs makes boat control and lure presentation challenging. Cloud cover scatters smallmouth across the water column and away from precise lure targets like isolated boulders.
“Today will be more time consuming and there won’t be so much GPS hopping,” he told me this morning.
Translated, that means Palaniuk will stay on a spot longer than he would prefer. He will not have time to move around and dial into the best of his GPS waypoints.
Not to worry, though. Palaniuk is fishing on one of his favorite lakes, using his favorite angling technique. That is fishing for smallmouth and catching those fish from offshore structure. Only 1 keeper is in the livewell but when and if he makes the right stop, at the right time, things can change quickly.