Mike Iaconelli is the definition of elite. He’s the only angler to win bassing’s de facto triple crown: the Bassmaster Classic, Bassmaster Angler of the Year and B.A.S.S. Nation Championship. He’s more than good—he’s easily one of the top ten bass anglers of all time, and he’s still in his prime.
In December, Ike was spotted on a south New Jersey lake shaking down a fully rigged Hobie® Mirage Pro Angler 14, and a little later a Mirage Outback. Hobie fishing team member Tom Michael was there. It was a reunion of sorts.
“When Ike was just getting started, he fished our local tournaments and worked at a Dick’s Sporting Goods store in Moorestown, NJ with my wife. This was 14 or 15 years ago. I stopped in for fishing tips even then. I knew this young kid was on his way to bigger things,” Tom says.
The weather was beautiful but cold. Ike cruised the lake for several hours, getting to know the new rides.
“He was like a kid with a new pair of sneakers. He pedaled off in his Pro Angler with a giggle,” Tom adds.
Ike was intrigued. Famous for busting out break dancing moves on his bass boat, he had no trouble strutting his stuff while standing on a Hobie. Ike was impressed with the PA’s capabilities, the MirageDrive® pedal system, the ability to mount powerful electronics, the Power-Pole Micro Anchor compatibility, the tackle storage.
Ike can fish on anything he likes. He likes the Hobie, a boat that takes him back to his roots. In New Jersey, a traditional bass boat can’t access some of the best water. Boat launch ramps are limited. The Pro Angler and Outback, with their MirageDrives, make otherwise inaccessible lakes accessible. It can get in there, silently.
Ike will be busy on the pro bass trail—this week he’s shooting for his second Bassmaster Classic championship—but more trips on Hobie kayaks are guaranteed. They have a place in his fishing arsenal.
To Tom, the news is huge.
“Everyone in our area is excited to see what Ike does on his Hobie. It was hard keeping the news under wraps,” he says.
