Not long after winning the 2017 Angler of the Year title, Brandon Palaniuk became one of the first members of the newly created Mossy Oak Fishing Team. Four years later, Palaniuk has done it again. Mossy Oak is proud to have such an accomplished angler on its fishing team and congratulates Palaniuk on his second Angler of the Year victory.
August 26-29 was the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis. The Mossy Oak Fishing Team had a great tournament including Brandon Lester's 4th place finish, Gerald Swindle's 8th place finish, and Drew Benton's 10th place finish. Although Palaniuk finished 25th, it was enough to capture the Angler of the Year title.
Palaniuk won the 2022 Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 39 pounds, 11 ounces. With 30 minutes left on day 2, Palaniuk hooked his fifth bass to add to the livewell that weighed 1 1/4 pounds. Without that last-minute catch, he would not have clinched the AOY title.
"That is why you fish until the very end," Palaniuk said. "I always say I have won more tournaments on my last cast than the first cast."
Without a 2022 Elite Series win, he credits getting off to good starts as being most important to his success. He kept fighting and just never gave up. The highlight of his 2022 season, though, is the birth of his daughter Kora. Her cooperation also helped him have a successful run at AOY.
For more information on Brandon Palaniuk's AOY win, visit bassmaster.com. For more information on Mossy Oak Fishing, go to mossyoak.com/fishing.
