Greg DiPalma Leads Bassmaster Elite at Okeechobee: Shares Key Spot with Second and Third

DiPalma, Davis Jr., and Palaniuk battle for the lead after all uncovering the same overlooked bass hotspot.

Greg DiPalma leads Day 1 of the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Okeechobee with 29-12. | B.A.S.S. | Andy Crawford

Greg DiPalma’s Big Lead at Lake Okeechobee

Greg DiPalma knew it was going to take something out of the ordinary to find the winning fish at the Bassmaster Elite Tour’s Second Event of the 2025 season. The Millville, New Jersey, angler sacked up 29-pounds, 12-ounces of Lake Okeechobee largemouth, giving him a 3-pound, 10-ounce lead over second-place Will Davis Jr.

Uncovering an Unknown Bass Hotspot

DiPalma found success in a less-pressured area, breaking from the crowd that often targets Okeechobee’s shallow banks. “This is probably the most unlocked lake in the country,” he said. “Everybody beats the bank, but nobody really goes out and looks for anything. I think there are key areas in this lake if you can find them, and that was one of them.”

The high point of his previously untapped spot sat in 4 feet of water, surrounded by 10-foot depths with a subtle current. And although it wasn’t one of the historically popular community holes, a handful of his competitors found it in practice too—today’s second place finisher Will Davis Jr. and third place Brandon Palaniuk.

“Me and Will were sitting side-by-side, which was pretty special,” DiPalma said. “The key was working together with the other anglers,” DiPalma said. “We just laughed and giggled and caught fish all day.”

Regarding being the angler who came away from the spot with the lead, DiPalma said, “To be leading one of these—it’s about time! It feels good. It’s gonna feel really good if I can maintain it.”

Second year Elite pro Trey McKinney having a spirited discussion with one of the bass from his 21 pound limit that landed him in 4th place at the end of Day 1. | B.A.S.S. | Chase Sansom

Davis’ Fishing Strategy: Postspawn and Prespawn Success

Will Davis Jr., of Sylacauga, Alabama, sits in second with 26-2 and described it as the perfect postspawn/prespawn setup. “There’s a lot of hyacinth mats and deep water close to it,” he said. “It was just the perfect storm. There’s a lot of bait in the area.”

Despite the strong bite on Day 1, Davis knows adjustments may be needed. “There’s more fish around, but they got really educated with (several) of us jacking on them. We might pull up there tomorrow and not get a bite, but if we do, I think the quality is there.”

Lake Okeechobee is famous for having miles and miles of green weedy big bass habitat. | B.A.S.S. | Craig Lamb

Palaniuk Leans Into Experience and Communication

Idaho’s Brandon Palaniuk landed in third with 23-7. “It was pretty obvious that we all knew what was going on, but I don’t think any of us knew what was there,” he said. “Each one of us caught a big one in practice and then left. Today, we showed what it was capable of, but it’s not lights-out.”

“I had six bites, Greg might’ve had seven or eight and Will had like seven. It seemed like one guy would get a hot hand.”

But how are these anglers all able to catch good limits from this one area? “The thing that I’ve learned over the past 15 years is (sharing a spot requires) communication,” Palaniuk said. “The fish catches were special, but being able to work with fellow competitors was pretty amazing.”

The Battle for the Okeechobee Title Continues

A couple of the beautiful big Florida bass that helped Matty Wong finish Day 1 in the Top 10, and a killer photo by Shane Durrance. | B.A.S.S. | Shane Durrance

DiPalma and Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C., are tied for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors, each landing an 8-10 monster. With three days to go, and steady but slightly warming weather predicted, the battle for the Lake Okeechobee Bassmaster Elite title is just heating up.