During a recent bonus coverage segment of Bassmaster LIVE, Brandon Palaniuk explained why he was fishing a seemingly barren area of open water within sight of the Palatka’s Memorial Bridge, just south of takeoff. The key, he said, was structure — a feature in short supply on this shallow mud flat.
Palaniuk took a moment to show his Humminbird 360 screen, which clearly revealed a smattering of submerged remnants from former piers. As the only significant habitat for miles, the wood and concrete pieces gave prespawn fish the staging areas they sought.
“This area has just enough water on it for these fish to feel comfortable,” Palaniuk said, with a note to the low water levels that have plagued anglers for two days.
Fishing finesse baits, Palaniuk was the first angler to register a limit on BASSTrakk. He had yet to find a quality fish, but his philosophy was to grind it out and believe the opportunities will come.
“You just get bites and then they start getting bigger,” Palaniuk said. “You can’t control that.”