REDCREST 2019: Iaconelli’s “Peaks and Valleys” Lead to REDCREST Qualification

Mike Iaconelli reached REDCREST qualification thanks to a strong finish in Stage Eight. Photo by Josh Gassmann

August 9, 2019 • Joel Shangle • Bass Pro Tour

In a season full of moments that made the Bass Pro Tour highlight reel – peaks, valleys, and everything in between – the most notable thing about Mike Iaconelli’s 2019 season was where he ended up: 12th place in points, and headed to his 21st championship event in 22 seasons as a pro.

Iaconelli, who introduced the world to the heartbreak of the Knockout Round when he was eliminated literally as time expired in Kissimmee, Florida in the season opener, found himself in roughly the same position in the last regular-season day he fished in the 2019 season.

Iaconelli finished 13th at the season finale in Neenah, Wisconsin to put the final touches on a season that had MLF NOW! analyst Marty Stone shaking his head in amazement.

“I watched the way Mike fished all season long, and I’m just blown away by the energy he still fishes with,” Stone said. “He fishes with the energy and passion of a 25-year-old. When I look at Ike’s season as a whole, I saw an angler who has reached the pinnacle of his sport, has accomplished everything there is to accomplish, and he still has a drive like he’s catching his first fish in his first competitive situation. The passion with which he fishes truly has no equal.”

Momentum Swings

Iaconelli followed his Stage One near-miss with another at Stage Two, finishing as the odd man out (21st) in his Elimination Round on Lake Conroe. He rebounded at Stage Three Raleigh with a second Knockout Round appearance in three events, and then started to make a play for the points championship with consecutive Top 10s in the next two stages (fifth on Lake Chickamauga and ninth at Smith Lake).

But as was the case for several anglers, the Table Rock swing was a struggle for Iaconelli: he finished 60th at Stage Six and 63rd at Stage Seven, earning only 39 points for the two events combined. Iaconelli fell out of the Top 6 in points to within 33 points of the REDCREST Elimination Line, making the final event in Wisconsin a do-or-die situation for the New Jersey pro.

“Those Table Rock events were just brutal on me,” Iaconelli admitted. “I had some work to do in Winnebago.”

And work he did. Iaconelli piled up 98 pounds, 1 ounce over two days, running two finesse patterns to win the Group A Elimination Round before missing the Championship Round by 1-15. His 13th-place finish at the event propelled him from 20th to 12th in REDCREST points, and a date with the Upper Mississippi River.

According to Stone, the diversity of the fishery suits Iaconelli’s style well.

“That fishery lines up really well for him,” Stone confirmed. “You can catch fish a multitude of ways there, and Mike is one of the very few anglers that I watch time in and time out and think to myself ‘Man, he does everything really well.’ That river can change quickly, and a guy like Mike who changes areas and techniques as quickly as he does really has an advantage. He’s one I’m definitely going to pay attention to.”