July 6, 2021, Pittsgrove, NJ. The Ike Foundation® recently held its 6th Annual Ike’s Celebrity 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. The day was an astounding success. The top five winners all had bags of over 17lbs. The winning bag of 17.9lbs was a father-daughter team of Mark Shafer and Sam Flynn from Williamstown, NJ. They took home a brand new BassCat boat with a Yamaha outboard motor as well as lots of other prizes generously donated by sponsors of The Ike Foundation®. Those sponsors include Flambeau, Abu Garcia, Mystery Tackle Box, Spike-It, RS Nets, The Bass University, Lowrance, Rod Warrior, RAM Mounts, Tackle Warehouse, Gerber Gear, TH Marine, Power-Pole, and Rapala.
Ike Foundation® Celebrity Pro-Am Bass Tournament Winners and Weights:
1. Mark Shafer/Sam Flynn-17.9lbs
2. Mark Snyder/Donald Bridy-17.15lbs with the tie-breaking lunker of 5.5lbs
3. Reno Regalbuto/Troy Polhamus-17.12lbs
4. Michael Powers/Paul Badders-17.10lb
5. Jimmy Valentine/Connor Cahill-17.10lbs
Kids Fishing Event on the Chesapeake!
Not only was it an amazing day of fishing for the anglers competing in the Pro-Am, but it was also really special to spend the day with kids at the Pro-Am Kids event! We had 100 children from the Boys and Girls Club and YMCA of North East, Maryland joins us, and over 40 volunteers from NJ, PA and MD came to help us out! The kids caught a variety of species including bass, perch, bluegill, 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 Flambeau tackle box, a rod and reel, an awesome bag of fishing goodies, and hopefully, a newfound love of fishing.
Big smiles and big bass can be found in Ike’s Celebrity Pro-Am video here:
6th Annual Ike Foundation Celebrity Pro Am! (2021). Many more can be found on The Ike Foundation® Facebook and Instagram pages!
Upcoming Ike Foundation® Events:
Sept. 19th-Ike’s Celebrity Pro-Am Kayak Bass Tournament
The kayak portion of Ike’s Celebrity Pro-Am will be held at Lake Nockamixon, PA, on September 19th. Prizes will be awarded to the top five place winners with cash prizes for the top three. Registration is $125 per kayak with a 100 kayak cap. More information and registration can be found at https://theikefoundation.org/upcoming-events/ikes-kayak-bass-tournament/
Fall 2021 (date TBD)-Ike’s Hook‘Em Early Kids Fishing Event
This is a fun-filled kids fishing tournament for kids at a local lake! Prizes will be awarded to the winners. Registration will be required.
Follow The Ike Foundation® on Facebook and Instagram @TheIkeFoundation and on Twitter @FoundationIke.
The Ike Foundation® appreciates the generous donations from individuals and sponsors, including Toyota, Abu Garcia, Bass Cat Boats, Hobie, Yamaha, Flambeau, Rapala, and many, many more. A full list of sponsors is 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.
