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B.A.S.S. Elite Rookie Palaniuk Plans to Sleep in his Tundra

Category: article

 Mar 7th, 2011 by OutdoorsFIRST 

Modified Mar 7th, 2011 at 12:00 AM

Brandon Palaniuk, a 23-year old Bassmaster Elite Series rookie, is trading time atop a bulldozer on an Idaho logging road for 40,000 miles along professional bass fishing’s soul-torching highway. He sees it as a welcomed sacrifice for running down dreams… as long as you don’t mind sleeping in your truck.

	Brandon Palaniuk (Photo McGuckin)

“The rumor of me sleeping in my Toyota Tundra throughout the 2011 Bassmaster Elite Series season is 100-percent true,” said the more-than-genuine Palaniuk, who endeared himself to the professional bass fishing community with a very impressive fourth place finish in the recent Bassmaster Classic.”The Federation Nation has stepped-up, and a few of the Federation Nation members are offering me a chance to stay in their homes when an Elite Series tournament is near them. There are also a few web forums that have sprung-up since the Classic that are raising money out of their own pockets to book me a hotel, but there’s sure to be nights where my Tundra becomes my hotel room,” said Palaniuk, who obviously lacks a rich relative willing to bankroll him.Palaniuk’s Toyota Tundra has also become a career supporting investment through the Bonus Bucks program. “Between the Federation Nation events and the Bassmaster Classic, within the last three months I have won $14,000 in Toyota Trucks Bonus Bucks. In fact, Bonus Bucks was a deciding factor when I started looking for a new tow vehicle. Because of Bonus Bucks, I visited Parker Toyota in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, took a test drive and walked out with the keys to my new Tundra three hours later,” said Palaniuk, a self-proclaimed fan of throwing 6-inch swimbaits.”My Tundra has un-matched stopping power and the most comfortable interior in the business, and trust me, when you drive 40,000 miles a year, and stand to fish 12 hours a day, those comfortable seats are a life saver. If I have to sleep it in it during the year to come, that’s fine, if that’s what it’s going to take for me to make it in this sport,” concluded Palaniuk, who listens to a lot of Johnny Cash and Jason Aldean along his travels. He welcomes fans to follow his rookie season by befriending him on Facebook.Becoming eligible to cash in on Bonus Bucks like Brandon has is very simple. Drive a 2007 or newer Tundra, Sequoia, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser or Tacoma, send in your registration form, do well in your tournaments – and you win the Bonus Bucks. To find out more and make sure you’re signed-up visit www.ToyotaTrucksBonusBucks.com.