Swindle and Palaniuk return to B.A.S.S. Elites

    As I sit here sipping on my coffee reflecting on the past years fishing industry I can't help but wonder what's in store for 2020.  Brandon Palaniuk and Gerald Swindle announced their return to compete in the Elite series for B.A.S.S.  If you could read between the lines, both anglers are returning for the same reason, the love of the brand.  They are being welcomed back to the Elites through what is called the legends exemption.  Basically, any angler who has won the Toyota Angler of the year,  or the Bassmaster Classic is eligible to qualify.  

   Gerald Swindle gave a healthy insight between the two leagues “I’ve spent most of my adult life learning how to fish a five-bass limit and manage fish and the different related techniques. So I want to continue that learning process.” The five bass limit is something that has been a staple in bass fishing since the beginning of tournaments.  The MLF has taken a slightly different approach to fishing where it has a mix of weigh-in styles, but largely weigh all fish toward a total day weight.            

   Brandon Palaniuk had this to say about the switch “You could say I spent 23 years of my life, or 72 percent of it, living and breathing B.A.S.S. I underestimated how much all of those struggles, chasing my dreams and sleeping in the ‘Tundra Suites,’ contributed to my happiness and that the brand itself was such an important part of my life, I didn't feel complete without it.  So, I'm back with a full heart and love for the game.”  

   Both of these anglers are super good sticks in the competitive bass world and will instantly become anglers who will become crowd favourites.  Being a big fan of local stick Jeff Gustafson, this means more and better competition for him moving forward. Bring it on!  You can only be the best if you compete against the best!    As a fan of the tournament circuit I wonder if this is just the beginning of the changes, will more anglers defect out of the Major League of Fishing?