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Bassmaster tournament veteran Bernie Schultz methodically picked bass off of Santee Cooper’s famous cypress trees en route to his 5th place finish at the Bassmaster Elite on Santee Cooper Lakes presented by the United States Marine Core.

His efforts hauled in the $3,000 Toyota Bonus Bucks payout and further cemented his claim to the best-looking visor on the Elite Series. The Gainesville, Florida pro has long been considered one of the good guys of the sport and it’s great to see him near the top of the leaderboard.

Schultz primarily relied on a weightless 5-inch watermelon / green pumpkin laminate Yamamoto Senko he wacky-rigged to catch fickle bass smack dab in the middle of their fall transition. He used a VMC Ike Approved Weedless Neko Hook for the business end of his setup and fished extremely slow to get more bites than his competitors.

After towing with a suburban for most of his early career, Schultz made the switch to a Toyota Tundra several years ago and hasn’t looked back. Saying the towing power and dependability of a Tundra have won him over.

“I’ve never owned a more reliable tow vehicle,” Schultz said about his 2018 Tundra. “I’ve owned two Tundras now and all I’ve ever had to do is buy gas and windshield wipers. That’s it. The truck is truly a workhorse and tows exceptionally well.”

Bernie explained the Schultz family actually has three Toyota vehicles to their name and they are all pleased with their choices. His wife drives a 4Runner, his son sports a Highlander, and he drives a Tundra.

“My 2018 has around 40,000 miles on it, which isn’t a lot for a Toyota, but I’m already looking forward to buying a 2022 in a year or so,” Schultz concluded.

Fortunately for you, it doesn’t take a top finish against some of the best bass anglers in the world to reap the rewards of Toyota Bonus Bucks. The popular contingency program supports hundreds of bass and walleye tournaments of all levels, including team tournaments and college series events.

As long as you own a Toyota tow vehicle that is five years old or newer (2016 or newer) and you are the highest placing registered participant in a Bonus Bucks supported event you are eligible for payouts. For a full list of events, program rules, or to get registered head to https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/.

For any questions or comments reach out to Chip or Kendell at Bonusbucks@dynamicsponsorships.com and they’ll help you out.

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KENNESAW, Ga. – Oct. 12, 2020 – Carl Jocumsen, the only Australian to win a Bassmaster® event, narrowly missed claiming another trophy when he finished second to good friend Brandon Palaniuk in the Bassmaster® Elite on Santee Cooper Lakes presented by the United States Marine Corps®.

Jocumsen’s story is an inspiring one and he added another exciting chapter last weekend on Santee Cooper. Speaking of excited, Jocumsen and his wife Kayla were thrilled to learn they earned another $1,000 Power Pay bonus thanks to the Yamaha V MAX SHO® outboard on the back of his Bass Cat® Boat.

This marks the second time Jocumsen’s has pocketed the Yamaha Power Pay money this year; a grand reminder that his decision to run a Yamaha outboard motor in 2020 has been fruitful in a myriad of ways.

His primary pattern was based around using a 1.25-ounce WOO Tungsten® weight to punch a Molix®SV Craw into matted vegetation in the back of Jack’s Creek on the massive South Carolina fishery.

Keeper bites were few and far between, but committing to punching heavy vegetation and having extreme confidence in his equipment allowed him to milk his main area for all it was worth.

“Had I not been running a Yamaha day three could have been a disaster,” Jocumsen said. “With only three keepers in my livewell I was running out of time and I still had a long run through rough water. Having the utmost trust in my equipment allowed me to push it until the last minute, catch my fourth keeper, and make it back to weigh-in with little time to spare.”

You don’t have to win a tournament or be a professional fisherman to reap the benefits of Yamaha’s reliability or the popular Power Pay contingency program.

Power Pay supports hundreds of bass, saltwater, walleye, and high school or college level tournaments and is awarded to the highest finishing registered participant in these events.

Don’t leave money on the table and visit yamahapowerpay.com for further information, complete terms and conditions or to register for Yamaha Power Pay. Or feel free to email Chip with questions or comments at Chip@dynamicsponsorships.com
Yamaha Marine products are marketed throughout the United States and around the world. Yamaha Marine Engine Systems, based in Kennesaw, Ga., supports its 2,000 U.S. dealers and boat builders with marketing, training and parts for Yamaha’s full line of products and strives to be the industry leader in reliability, technology and customer service. Yamaha Marine is the only outboard brand to have earned NMMA®’s C.S.I. Customer Satisfaction Index award every year since its inception. Visit www.yamahaoutboards.com.
This document contains many of Yamaha’s valuable trademarks. It may also contain trademarks belonging to other companies. Any references to other companies or their products are for identification purposes only, and are not intended to be an endorsement.
REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal floatation device and protective gear.

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CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — Championships come down to decisions and execution — two things that Brandon Palaniuk mastered en route to amassing a four-day total of 72 pounds, 2 ounces for a dominant win at the Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes brought to you by the United States Marine Corps.

Brandon Palaniuk, of Rathdrum, Idaho, has won the 2020 Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes brought to you by the United States Marine Corps with a four-day total of 72 pounds, 2 ounces.    Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

 Notching his fifth Elite victory — his second in 2020 (the first at Lake Champlain) — Palaniuk earned a top prize of $100,000.

After leading Day 2, Palaniuk entered Championship Sunday in third place, just 1-3 behind Carl Jocumsen. On Sunday, the pro from Rathdrum, Idaho, added a limit of 22-11 to his previous weights of 21-1, 18-13 and 9-9 to edge Jocumsen.

“This one is so unexpected,” Palaniuk said. “Every single one I won before, I had a good practice and I knew that I would have a shot at the Top 10 and a shot at the win. This one came out of nowhere.”

Spending his tournament in Lake Marion, Palaniuk attributed his final-round success to a prelaunch decision to start in the mouth of the Potato Creek area. Having started there on Day 1, he had a feeling the area was ready to reward him again.

“I was sitting at the dock this morning and something told me to go try it,” Palaniuk said. “With the (warm) weather, the humidity, I felt like I could catch them on topwater, but when I got there, the water was dirty.

“I couldn’t get them to eat it, so I just picked up a 1/2-ounce bladed jig with a 4-inch white X-Zone Swammer. I had not caught a fish on this all week and I caught a 4-pounder and a 3 1/4-pounder.”

Palaniuk caught a lucky break that he exploited when he saw a big fish blow up just out of casting range. Idling toward the commotion, he spotted a brushpile he had not found earlier in the week.

“I tied up a drop shot and caught a giant (7-12) on 10-pound test,” Palaniuk said. “I caught my other limit fish on the drop shot, but I ended up culling them out later.”

Palaniuk’s drop-shot rig comprised a green pumpkin blue flake X-Zone Deception Worm rigged on a No. 1 VMC Finesse Neko Hook with a 1/4-ounce VMC teardrop weight.

Later in the day, Palaniuk returned to the Jack’s Creek area, which produced several of his fish this week. There, he caught two of his keepers by punching a black/blue laminate X-Zone Muscle Back Finesse Craw on a 3/0 VMC Heavy Duty Flippin’ Hook with a 1 1/4-ounce tungsten weight.

“I think it came down to versatility; that’s why I was able to have the kind of day I had,” Palaniuk said. “Without that big one on the drop shot, without those two I caught this morning, I wouldn’t have been able to win.”

Palaniuk overcame a Day 1 penalty of 2 pounds, 4 ounces for inadvertently making a cast with six fish — one more than his legal limit — in his livewell. Palaniuk self-reported the infraction.

“It went through my head about 47 times in the last hour (before weigh-ins),” Palaniuk said. “I kept thinking, ‘If somebody beats me, let it be (more than the penalty weight).’

“One of the things I say a lot is, ‘Control the controllables.’ When I do something like that, it bothers me because it’s something I can control and I knew this event was going to be so tough that 2 pounds is not something you want to be giving up.”

Hailing from Queensland, Australia, Jocumsen took the Day 1 lead by catching the event’s heaviest sack — 25-8. He slipped to second on Day 2 after adding 12-7 and regained the top spot on Saturday with a 4-fish bag that weighed 12-11. On Sunday, Jocumsen missed his limit again and weighed four bass for 13-8 and tallied 64-2.

Each day, Jocumsen started by fishing a grassy depression midlake with a white Z-Man JackHammer ChatterBait with a white Yamamoto Zako trailer. He then moved to grass mats where he punched with a black and blue Molix SV Craw rigged on a 4/0 Owner Jungle hook and a 1 1/4-ounce Woo! Tungsten weight.

“The early spot kicked off like I had hoped it would today,” Jocumsen said. “It was cloudy and dark this morning and they were feeding and I got two good ones.

“After that, I went punching. The sun came out, there was a little bit of wind, everything was right. I had a few opportunities, I had the bites, I just didn’t put them in the boat.”

Cory Johnston of Cavan, Canada, finished third with 61-9. Spending all week in Jack’s Creek, Johnston turned in a consistent performance with daily weights of 17-7, 14-6, 15-3 and 14-9.

“I found the most fish there in practice, so I thought my best bet was to figure out what was going on in that creek day-to-day,” Johnston said. “I caught them flipping a black creature bait, a 3/8-ounce swim jig with a Strike King Rage Craw trailer and a black Spro Bronzeye Poppin’ Frog.”

Palaniuk’s win moved him into 15th place in the Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year standings with 493 points. Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, holds the lead with 587, Johnston follows in second with 550 and David Mullins of Mt. Carmel, Tenn., is in third with 540.

Jeff Gustafson of Keewatin, Canada, won Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 9-7.

Bernie Schultz of Gainesville, Fla., took home $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, and Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tenn., earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

The tournament was hosted by the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce.

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Talon, Yamaha

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Mossy Oak Fishing, Rapala

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Conservation Partners: AFTCO, Huk

2020 Bassmaster Elite At Santee Cooper Lakes Local Host: Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2 and The Pursuit Channel), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship, new Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            20  72-02  100 $102,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-01     Day 2: 5   18-13     Day 3: 5   09-09     Day 4: 5   22-11
2.  Carl Jocumsen          Queensland AUSTRALIA 18  64-02   99  $25,000.00
Day 1: 5   25-08     Day 2: 5   12-07     Day 3: 4   12-11     Day 4: 4   13-08
3.  Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA            20  61-09   98  $20,000.00
Day 1: 5   17-07     Day 2: 5   14-06     Day 3: 5   15-03     Day 4: 5   14-09
4.  Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN        20  60-14   97  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-09     Day 2: 5   12-02     Day 3: 5   17-02     Day 4: 5   11-01
5.  Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL         20  60-05   96  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   12-08     Day 2: 5   17-10     Day 3: 5   17-13     Day 4: 5   12-06
6.  Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          20  58-07   95  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-00     Day 2: 5   14-03     Day 3: 5   13-10     Day 4: 5   15-10
7.  Destin DeMarion        Grove City, PA          19  57-06   94  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   12-00     Day 2: 5   15-15     Day 3: 5   17-15     Day 4: 4   11-08
8.  David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           20  56-01   93  $16,000.00
Day 1: 5   18-06     Day 2: 5   11-09     Day 3: 5   16-13     Day 4: 5   09-05
9.  Jeff Gustafson         Keewatin Ontario CANADA 16  53-12   92  $17,000.00
Day 1: 4   12-15     Day 2: 5   22-07     Day 3: 3   09-14     Day 4: 4   08-08
10. Derek Hudnall          Denham Springs, LA      15  50-06   91  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   15-11     Day 2: 5   19-15     Day 3: 2   09-03     Day 4: 3   05-09
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Brandon Palaniuk         Rathdrum, ID        07-09      $1,000.00
2   Jeff Gustafson           Keewatin Ontario CANADA09-07      $1,000.00
3   David Mullins            Mt Carmel, TN       07-07      $1,000.00
4   Brandon Palaniuk         Rathdrum, ID        07-12      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Jeff Gustafson           Keewatin Ontario CANADA09-07      $1,000.00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        59       349       952-12
2        54       349       931-01
3        24       165       434-08
4         6        45       124-11
———————————-
143       908      2443-00

The post Big Final Day Lifts Palaniuk To Win In Bassmaster Elite At Santee Cooper appeared first on Bass365.com.

After a grinder of a practice period, Caleb Sumrall came into the Bassmaster Elite Series at Santee Cooper Lakes hoping to catch enough to earn himself a $10,000 check and some valuable Angler of the Year points. At the conclusion of today’s weigh-in, Sumrall sits tied for 25^th place with 13-pound 11-ounces. He’s halfway to achieving his goal, but it’s been anything but easy.

The Carhartt pro had 22 rods laid out on the front and back decks of his Yamaha powered Xpress bass boat when he idled into the John C. Landing III boat dock today. That’s typically not a great sign at an Elite Series tournament, but Sumrall explained more rods than usual is indicative of fall fishing.

“Fall has always been a junk fishing deal for me,” Sumrall said. “I may only make one or two casts with some of these rods throughout a 9-hour day on the water. But showing them something different and having the kitchen sink ready to throw at the fish might give me that one key bite.”

One key bite is crucial no matter the time of year, but especially this week on Santee Cooper when keeper bites have been hard to come by. Sumrall uses different lures, colors, or line sizes depending on each specific spot he fishes and the type of structure it offers.

“Bass are super scattered during the beginning of the fall transition,” Sumrall explained. “That’s why you see so many anglers with a huge pile of rods and lures out. You really have to keep an open mind this time of year.”

Of the five keeper bass he weighed in, Sumrall used three different baits, and he caught keeper fish on at least six different baits throughout day one.

Tough fishing and 90-degree “fall” heat can make for a long day on the water, but the Louisiana native had more on his mind than just catching bass today. Yet another hurricane is barreling down on his home state and is expected to make landfall tomorrow.

“The last model I looked at showed it heading right for the area I live,” Sumrall said with somber realization. “I’ll be praying for Louisiana tonight while I work on tackle. Praying for all the people down there and hoping my house is still standing when I get home. Man, it’s been a crazy year.”

The post Sumrall: 22 Rods for 13+ Pounds appeared first on Bass365.com.

CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — Carl Jocumsen is known for his aggressive fishing style, but it was actually a healthy dose of caution that led him to three of the five fish he needed to take the Day 1 lead of the Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes brought to you by the United States Marine Corps with 25 pounds, 8 ounces.

Queensland, Australia native Carl Jocumsen weighed in 25 pounds, 8 ounces to take the Day 1 lead in the 2020 Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes brought to you by the United States Marine Corps.  Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.

The veteran pro from Queensland, Australia, who captured his first Elite Series win last year on Oklahoma’s Lake Tenkiller, said he started his practice with a well-founded respect for Santee Cooper’s minefield of submerged stumps. Doing so compelled him to spend more time idling.

“When you roll up to a place like this, it is scary,” Jocumsen said. “When I first launched at the ramp (in practice), I didn’t even know if you could get up on pad going out of the ramp. To go from that to a bag like this is just a magical day.

“It actually helped me not knowing this place because I got to idle some areas, not knowing how to get back in. That’s how I found a couple of little magical spots.”

With a limit that included a 6-15 and a 6-3, Jocumsen started in the midsection of Lake Marion, which along with Lake Moultrie to the south, comprises the Santee Cooper Lakes (linked by a diversion canal). His main area was a grass-lined depression that dropped from 2 feet to 4 1/2.

“If you ran the area, you would never see it, but I idled it because I was worried about getting into the back,” Jocumsen said. “I saw the grass on my Humminbird, and I think that’s what’s holding them.”

In practice, this spot hosted intense afternoon schooling action and produced several big bites. Today, Jocumsen saw minimal surface activity but caught one of his bigger fish from the schoolers.

“I got enough bites there in practice to think, ‘This is the perfect plan: early-morning schooling fish, and then go fish cover.’ It wasn’t as good as I thought it would be, but I caught a 5-, a 4- and a (3-pounder) by 10 o’clock.

“It wasn’t fast and furious, they only schooled once. The rest, I just caught flipping that area. I had it all to myself.”

After determining that his starting spot had cooled, Jocumsen ran to Marion’s north end where he flipped cypress trees. On his third flip, he caught a 6 1/2 and then filled his limit with a 2 1/2.

“Once I relaxed, I slowed down and just started fishing new areas,” Jocumsen said. “I caught another 6-plus around 12:30 and I was done.”

Jocumsen used a white Z-Man JackHammer ChatterBait with a white Yamamoto Zako trailer for the schooling fish. He caught his flipping fish on a black and blue Molix SV craw rigged on a 4/0 hook.

“It’s really how I’m working the bait; I figured out how they want it when I’m flipping the cover,” Jocumsen said. “A lot of guys do it a certain way, and I figured out what they wanted. Every single bass has bit the exact same way.”

Carrying a lead of 4-7 into Friday’s second round, Jocumsen said his productivity afforded him time to test a few areas far upriver. These distant spots did not produce, but eliminating the options allowed him to narrow his Day 2 plan.

Jocumsen is not predicting another 20-pound bag, but with Santee Cooper holding a strong population of stocked Florida-strain largemouth, he’s certainly not ruling it out.

“In practice, I fought a legitimate 9- to 10-pounder doing the same thing, so I know any single cast has the potential for a double-digit fish,” Jocumsen said. “My (main) area could get even better tomorrow, or it might not produce a fish.

“For me to catch another bag like that, I kinda need to have five in the well, because I have to slow down. Today, I eliminated a lot of areas and I gained two new areas, so I feel good for tomorrow.”

Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, is in second place with 21-1. Anchoring his bag with a 7-9 that bit around 10 a.m., Palaniuk said he caught most of his weight between 10 and noon.

“I think I just happened to roll up at the right places at the right time today,” he said. “I was trying to cover water. I started all the way down by the (Santee Dam) and went all the way up above the Interstate-95 Bridge this afternoon.

“I’m keying in on certain places, but I’m not married to one area. There’s not one specific thing I’m looking for. I’m not dialed in; I just happened to get the right bites today.”

Palaniuk said he caught his fish on three different baits today, with flipping presentations producing most of his weight.

Austin Felix of Eden Prairie, Minn., is in third place with 20-9. Spending most of his day on a 3-mile-long stretch, Felix caught his bass off cypress trees, docks and shellbars — all in about 4 feet of water. He also caught a couple of his keepers in deep holes of about 10 feet.

“It was pretty consistent all day; I had 14 pounds by 9 o’clock and then slowly culled my way up,” Felix said. “I caught a 6-pounder at noon and just started looking for new stuff.”

Felix said he caught his fish on a Texas-rigged worm. A slow dragging presentation worked best.

“I think a lot of people are fishing over these fish,” Felix said.

Palaniuk is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week honors with his 7-9.

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7:05 a.m. ET from John C. Land III Sport Fishing Facility. The weigh-in will be held back at the facility at 3:20 p.m. After Friday’s weigh-in, only the Top 40 remaining anglers will advance to Saturday’s semifinal round.

Live coverage of the event will be available starting at 7 a.m. on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com and ESPN3.

The tournament is being hosted by the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce.

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Abu Garcia, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Skeeter Boats, Talon, Yamaha

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, Garmin, Huk Performance Fishing, Mossy Oak Fishing, Rapala

2020 Bassmaster Elite Series Conservation Partners: AFTCO, Huk

2020 Bassmaster Elite At Santee Cooper Lakes Local Host: Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2 and The Pursuit Channel), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship, new Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.

The post Jocumsen Grabs Lead With Big Limit At Bassmaster Elite Event On Santee Cooper appeared first on Bass365.com.