We've been captivated by Mike Iaconelli since the first time we saw him hold a lunker up to the camera and scream at the top of his lungs. Not many anglers—pro or otherwise—have affected the bass fishing community quite like Ike. Sure, we grew up watching Jimmy Houston kiss 'em and let them go, saw Bill Dance catch the big ones and then fall out of the boat, and listened to Roland Martin yell "Son!" at the sight of a lunker coming into the boat. But things changed when we first saw Mike Iaconelli hold up a bass and holler; this was a whole new era of fishing, and Ike was ushering it in.
Pro bass fishing has been in our hearts and minds ever since Ray Scott gave us the Bassmasters, and it's evolved over time into a more universally popular, and approachable, endeavor. A lot of bass fishing anglers have developed a significant following, but the one that might beat them all these days is Mike Iaconelli. Here's a little more about the iconic Ike.
We All Like Mike (Iaconelli)
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Iaconelli is a southern New Jersey native and has brought all of that state's vim and vigor into his fishing as a professional bass angler for over 20 years. While Ike spent time on the MLF Bass Pro Tour, he recently returned to the Bassmaster Elite Series, so he has experience with both of the top bass competition pools.
He has been described as cocky, a hot dog, brash, arrogant, and capable of throwing a temper tantrum. At one point, he became one of the top ten most hated athletes in sports. Over the course of his career, he's reconfigured that persona and discovered the best way to stay true to himself.
He came up through the ranks toeing the line and fitting in like everyone else, but it wasn't working for him. It was around the 2002 season (the year before he won the Bassmaster Classic) that he realized what he needed to do: just be himself. After he started break-dancing onstage during the 2003 tournament's first-day weigh-in, a legend was born.
Ike has an incredible list of career highlights, including wins in places like Vermont (Winner Vermont Top 15), Lake Erie (BASS Northern Open Champion), and the James River, to name a few. Still, he is the only angler to, in one season, win the Bassmaster Angler of the Year, the BASS Federation Nation Championship, and the big one: the Bassmaster Classic. In 2003, he brought home the bacon from the Louisiana Delta when he won that year's Classic by a mere 1 pound, 12 ounces over Gary Klein.
Multi-Media Mike
Other achievements among Mike Iaconelli's fabled career include his TV shows like 'City Limits' on the Pursuit Channel and 'Fish My City with Mike Iaconelli' on NatGeo Wild. Ike has helped launch The Bass University, Ike Live Podcast, Going Ike YouTube Series, and The Ike Foundation.
The Ike Foundation is instrumental in supporting youth fishing opportunities and "get urban and rural kids into the outdoors and into the sport of fishing."
As with our favorite Bass Pros, Ike has some of the business's top sponsors, including everything from Yamaha Outboards and Toyota Trucks to Rapala, Lowrance, and Berkley Fishing. His Ike Live Fishing Talk Show regularly has great guests from the professional fishing, outdoor, and sports worlds, including REDCREST Champion Bobby Lane and MLF angler Justin Lucas.
The Human Side of Ike
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First and foremost, Ike is a husband and father of four kids, which is essential in his life. His LinkedIn profile proudly proclaims, "Dad, Pro Fisherman, Television & Podcast Show Host, Entrepreneur, Instructor, Inventor, & Advocate for Kids Fishing!"
As far back as 2006, he had what was then described as the "Meltdown at the 2006 Classic," which, in part, caused him to be disqualified from that year's Bassmaster Classic for unsportsmanlike behavior. Being flamboyant usually doesn't hurt anyone but the person doing it, but after the '06 Classic, Ranger Boats immediately took away their sponsorship of Iaconelli.
He not only recovered from that bad day but went on to become the Bassmaster Angler of the Year the following season. We need to remember that Mike Iaconelli is a regular guy and fisherman, who makes mistakes just like the rest of us. From the beginning, he has shown his human side and the heart-on-his-sleeve attitude, which is infectious for some and off-putting for others. Regardless of where you see it, Ike has certainly become one of the most popular anglers in today's competitive field.
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