October 10, 2008
The 2008 Bassmaster Elite Series season did not start out in Ike like fashion. He finished 77th at the Elite Series first event on The Harris Chain, and 46th the following week at Kissimmee. Things weren't real rosy back in March, but by August, Mike "Ike" Iaconelli had blossomed once more finishing 10th overall in the Toyota Tundra; Bassmaster Angler of the Year race.
Q: Halfway through the season you were in 32nd place in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race. What were your thoughts and did you ever believe at that point that you would finish the season in 10th?
Ike: I wasn't thinking about where I was in the points actually, although it was pretty evident I wasn't going to win another Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year title at that point. So I switched gears to simply trying to win an event and also to assure myself of a spot in the 2009 Bassmaster Classic.
Q: What factors do you credit for your rise to 10th?
Ike: I just think that you start to get into a groove. When you start making good decisions and have success, you tend to build on that. Hopefully I can keep this going for the next few years. You just never really know how long it's going to last. I also think that having the last two events of the season in the Northeastern US where I grew up helped.
Q: Was there any single lure that helped you make the climb?
Ike: Soft plastics were key, from the new Tru Tungsten; line of tungsten impregnated baits to Berkley's Gulp; for Smallmouth, I pretty much fished all soft plastics, especially toward the end of the season. All of my equipment worked well, and having confidence in your equipment equates directly to having more success.
Q: Was there any circumstance in your life that made the second half of your season more successful than the first?
Ike: I think I just got tired of not winning. Sometimes you can use your anger and frustrations to fuel your motivational fire.
Editor's Note: Iaconelli recently proved his fire is burning brightly during the off season of the Bassmaster Elite Series Tour by winning the FLW Stren; Northern Series Event at Kerr Reservoir, October 20, 2008.
