TOURNAMENT FISHING  — After a trip to a hospital to have a hook removed from his pinky, Brandon Palaniuk, 24, of Rathdrum powered forward through three days of fishing to dominate and win the Bassmaster Elite Series TroKar Quest tournament at Bull Shoals Lake, Ark., this weekend.

He'll have $100,000 in the bank after today's weigh-in, but that’s not going to change his lifestyle. He planned to spend tonight sleeping in the back of his pickup, just as he has every night this week and during most other tournaments.

 “It’s just easy,” said Palaniuk, who beds down in a bed  under the canopy of his pickup near launch sites. “I’ve got power and a shower, and it’s close to the water. That’s all I need. And it’s free.

“A hundred thousand dollars doesn’t go as far as it used to,” he added.

Read on for more details on Palaniuk's big win.

FLY FISHING – Registration is underway for the following fly fishing clinics being offered at Silver Bow Fly Shop, 13210 E Indiana Ave., telephone 924-9998.

Winter Steelhead Clinic: Learn winter Spey rod tactics from master guide and spey line designer Tom Larimer,  April 6, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Free.

Beginner Spey Class with Tom Larimer, April 7, 8 a.m.-noon. Cost: $150. Rods/reels provided.

Advanced Spey Class with Tom Larimer, April 7, 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Cost: $150. Rods/reels provided.

TOURNAMENT FISHING — Brandon Palaniuk, 24, of Rathdrum, Idaho, had a horrible start among the 50 select anglers who roared off this morning to start the 2012 Bassmaster Classic on the Red River near Shreveport-Bossier City, La.

The weigh-in has just been completed, and Palaniuk is the only angler in the field who caught no fish.

He's in last place after Day 1. I don't have a report on what happened.

See more details on Rich Landers' Outdoors Blog.

COMPETITIVE FISHING — The Oregon State University team of Zach MacDonald, of Willits, Calif. and William Sparks, of Corvallis, Ore. won the National Guard FLW College Fishing West Conference event on Lake Shasta near Redding, Calif., Saturday.