Iaconelli Foundation 7th Annual Pro-Am Winners
June 14, 2022, Pittsgrove, NJ. The Ike Foundation® held its 7th Annual Ike’s Pro-Am Bass Tournament on the Chesapeake Bay in North East Maryland. Anglers from all over the region came out to support The Ike Foundation® and their mission to get more kids fishing and in the outdoors. It was a bright, beautiful day on the water but the fishing was said to be a little tough. With that said, the top five winners all had bags of over 17 lbs with the winners, Ewing and Riccio bagging 22.77 lbs. In the first place spot, they won the BassCat boat with a Yamaha motor as well as lots of other prizes, generously donated by sponsors of The Ike Foundation®. Those sponsors include Pro-Guide Batteries, Flambeau, Berkley, Mystery Tackle Box, The Bass University, Lowrance, Rod Warrior, RAM Mounts, Tackle Warehouse, TH Marine, Power-Pole and Rapala.
Ike Foundation® Celebrity Pro-Am Bass Tournament Winners and Weights:
- Ewing/Riccio-22.77 lbs
- Rinkers/Sentore-19.58 lbs
- Leadbeater/Leadbeater-18.33 lbs
- Essick/Pirollo-18.22 lbs
- Freeman/Adams-18.04 lbs
- Thomson/Merker-17.86 lbs
Kids Fishing Event on the Chesapeake!
Not only was it an amazing day of fishing for the anglers competing in the Pro Am, it was really special to spend the day with kids at the Pro Am Kids event! We had children from the Boys and Girls Club and YMCA of North East, Maryland join us and over 35 volunteers from NJ, PA and MD came in to help us out! The kids caught a variety of species including perch, blue gill, and even catfish. Many of these kids were introduced to fishing for the first time that day and it was amazing to see the joy it brought them! Each child at the event went home with a brand new rod and reel, a Flambeau tackle box and an awesome bag of fishing goodies and, hopefully, a new found love of fishing.
Big smiles and big bass can be found on The Ike Foundation® Facebook and Instagram pages!
Upcoming Ike Foundation® Events:
The two additional Youth Fishing Tournament Trail Dates are below and there are spots available for anglers and volunteers:
July 12, 2022-Lums Pond, Bear, DE
September 17, 2022-Union Lake, Millville, NJ
It is the hope of The Ike Foundation® that as participation grows, the tournaments will expand past the New Jersey/Delaware region. Youth anglers and boat captains can learn more about The Ike Foundation® Youth Fishing Tournament Trail and register here https://theikefoundation.org/youth-tournament-trail/.
Special thanks goes to local South Jersey Walmart stores that donated fishing supplies for this event and future kids events hosted by The Ike Foundation®.
Upcoming 2022 Ike Foundation® Fundraising and Kids Events:
- 6th Annual Ike’s Kayak Bass Tournament– Sunday, October 2nd
- Lake Nockamixon in PA
- Entry fee is $125 per kayak.
- Prizes will be awarded to the top five place winners.
- More information and registration will be available soon! Check the website here: https://theikefoundation.org/upcoming-events/ikes-kayak-bass-tournament/
- Summer and Fall (dates TBD)-Ike’s Hook’Em Early Kids Fishing Events
- This is a fun filled kids fishing tournament held at a local lake.
- Prizes will be awarded to the winners.
- Registration will be required.
- 5th Annual Scholarship Dinner-Friday, January 27th, 2023
- Adult only event at The Grove at Centerton, Centerton, NJ
- Basket Auction, 50/50
- All proceeds go to the Ike Foundation® Scholarship Fund
- More details will be posted to https://theikefoundation.org/ in the coming months.
Follow The Ike Foundation® on Facebook and Instagram @TheIkeFoundation and on Twitter @FoundationIke for details on all of these events.
The Ike Foundation® appreciates the generous donations from individuals and sponsors, including Toyota, Abu Garcia, Bass Cat Boats, Hobie, Yamaha, Flambeau, AFTCO, Rapala and many, many more. A full list of sponsors can be found at https://theikefoundation.org/sponsors.
Founded in 2014 by professional bass angler Michael Iaconelli and his wife, Becky The Mission of The Ike Foundation® is to get more kids fishing and in the outdoors, especially youth in areas where those activities are not readily available. We support youth fishing clubs, civic groups and charitable organizations that promote the sport of fishing, the ecology of the outdoors and the responsibility each person has to maintain our planet’s natural resources. The Ike Foundation® is approved by the IRS as a 501©(3) tax-exempt organization, and all donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. The Ike Foundation® is a non-profit organization and all proceeds from events go to The Ike Foundation®’s mission. Tax-deductible contributions are welcome and can be made on the website via credit card.
