By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships

The Bassmaster Elite Series trail can be a grind, a test of versatility that separates the good from the great. Few anglers embody that adaptability like Team Toyota pro Brandon Palaniuk. The Idaho native, a two-time Angler of the Year and six-time Elite Series winner, has built a career on tackling diverse fisheries with a blend of instinct, preparation and raw talent. 

His performance at the 2025 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork showcased his ability to chase individual giant bass, while the upcoming tournament on the Sabine River will demand a completely different approach. 

Let’s break down Palaniuk’s Lake Fork finish, compare it to the Sabine River’s unique challenges and explore how he’s gearing up for the shift.

Lake Fork: Chasing giants with a two-pronged attack

Lake Fork, Texas, is a bass-fishing Mecca. It’s a place where 10-pounders are expected, and 30-pound bags can still leave you outside the Top 10. Palaniuk’s performance was a masterclass in targeting big bass on a fishery that rewards precision and adaptability.

“Lake Fork is one of my favorite places to fish,” Palaniuk said. “I’ve had some really good events there. I love how it has so many big ones; you can do a lot of different things. We hit it at a time of year when they were doing everything. I had a two-pronged approach where I was fishing offshore with a deep crankbait and also shallower with a big, 9-inch glide bait. When I was fishing shallow, it was less than 10-feet, and they were kind of staging for a gizzard shad spawn. I knew I wasn’t going to get a bunch of bites, but I thought I could catch big ones. And I did, but I don’t know if I was around the fish to win. I don’t think my pattern was consistent enough for 6-pounders.”

Palaniuk’s strategy leaned on Lake Fork’s reputation for producing giants. His deep-crankbait game targeted bass holding on structure, while the 9-inch glide bait tempted shallow fish keying on the gizzard shad spawn. 

“I lost big ones every day,” he admitted, a reminder that even the best can’t always seal the deal on Fork’s fickle giants.

Looking to the Sabine River: A grinder’s paradise

The Sabine River in Orange, Texas, is about as far from Lake Fork’s big-bass bonanza as you can get. Narrow canals, tidal influences and sprawling floodwaters create a fishery where 2-pounders are gold, and a 5-pounder is a game changer. The 2025 MAXAM Tire Bassmaster Elite, set for May 15-18, will test anglers’ finesse, patience and mental toughness. 

Palaniuk, no stranger to tough fisheries, is ready to embrace the challenge.

“It’s a big mental shift going into the Sabine River,” Palaniuk said. “The single-largest fish last week on Fork, if you caught that one fish for your limit you’d be in the Top 10.

“I think if you catch 12 pounds per day, you’d be really hard to beat. I love these kinds of tournaments. I’m ready to grind for it.”

The Sabine’s conditions this year add another layer of complexity. Recent flooding has transformed the fishery, pushing water into the trees and scattering bass across a vast, muddy expanse. 

“I’ve never made the run to Houston on the Sabine,” Palaniuk said. “I’ll probably stay closer. The actual Sabine right now is super flooded. The places that are normally stable are dirty and high. It’s so flat down here, the water is in trees for miles, so it spreads the fish out big time. Then you can go to a couple rivers over and the water almost looks low. It’s crazy.”

Palaniuk’s decision to avoid the long run to Houston—a strategy some anglers employ to find clearer water or less pressure—reflects his focus on efficiency. The Sabine rewards anglers who can dissect small, productive areas and maximize every bite.

Palaniuk’s versatility: The key to success

What makes Palaniuk a perennial threat is his ability to pivot from chasing 10-pounders with glide baits to grinding out 2-pounders with finesse gear. 

The flooded conditions and scattered fish will test his patience but his knack for making quick decisions gives him an edge. He’s not chasing a single big bite like at Fork; he’s hunting for five consistent keepers a day—a puzzle that suits his grinder’s mentality. Palaniuk’s journey from Lake Fork’s big-bass battleground to the Sabine River’s finesse fest underscores why he’s one of the sport’s elite.

As he puts it, “I’m ready to grind for it.” 

And when Brandon Palaniuk is ready to grind, the bass—and his competitors—better watch out