Mike Iaconelli left Elizabeth City, North Carolina with a solid 38 th place finish in the St.
Croix Bassmaster Elite at the Pasquotank River. The Team Toyota pro’s weight
averaged out to around twelve-pounds-per-day, of which the Elite Series veteran earned every single ounce.
photo: B.A.S.S (Andy Crawford stage shot, Chase Sansom crowd shot).
Making a massive trip of around ninety miles one way (180-mile boat ride per day),
Iaconelli characterized the first two days of this event as the “top five worst conditions”
he’s faced when making a long run. If your name isn’t Kyle Welcher, the Pasquotank
River event was likely defined by long, rugged boat rides.
“The boat rides were horrific,” Iaconelli said. “I run the best equipment in the world, the
fact that my Bass Cat and Yamaha got me to my fish and back each day is a testament
to that, but man were those runs rough. It’s the unpredictability of the waves on the
Albemarle Sound. You couldn’t get into a rhythm with the waves and they simply beat
you up.”
As of Monday, following the tournament, Iaconelli confirmed he was still sore
everywhere. His ribs, arms, abs, and back all were still feeling the punishment he
subjected himself to on the Albemarle Sound, which he was quick to point out is
basically an ocean.
With this being Iaconelli’s thirtieth season as a professional fisherman, he has earned
the title of grizzled veteran. For him to rank the Pasquotank River boat runs so highly on
his list of “most brutal” says a lot. Just the same, Ike emphatically said all the effort was
undoubtedly worth it.
“I had a solid tournament and moved up 20 spots in the Angler of the Year standings,”
Iaconelli explained. “It was worth it and in hindsight I’m happy with my decisions. I opted
to make a long run and fish in a river, focusing on fish relating to current and use
traditional river fishing tactics. I can breakdown those types of areas a lot quicker than
the marshy, backwater environments, which was important with this being such a
massive fishery.”
This was Iaconelli’s first Saturday cut of the 2025 season, allowing him to showcase a
cool element of his #Dirty30 celebration which includes a throwback to the old-school
vests Ike and his peers used to wear when he started his career.
“Every day three cut I make this season I am going to wear an old-school vest on stage
instead of my tournament jersey,” Iaconelli said. “But the coolest part is I made enough
of these vests to give one out to a fan after I cross the stage on Saturdays. I love the
nostalgia of the vests, and I love connecting with fishing fans. This is a fun way to tip my
cap towards both.”
