Photo: BassFan
Philadelphia-born Mike Iaconelli went into the Delaware River Bassmaster Elite Series as a prohibitive favorite and he didn't disappoint, notching his first regular-season victory on the circuit since 2006.
BassFan Staff
The 2014 Delaware River Bassmaster Elite Series won't be remembered for a lot of big fish – there were only a small handful caught that exceeded 4 pounds. What was most memorable about it were the massive weigh-in crowds that embraced the event, warmly welcomed all 106 competitors and rooted ravenously for hometown favorite Mike Iaconelli, who was born in Philadelphia and now resides on the other side of the river in New Jersey.
Iaconelli came through for them in grand fashion, winning the event by an 8-pound margin. The onsite celebration that followed was likely unprecedented in the sport's history as an exuberant Ike whooped it up with the big-city folks, many of whom were getting an up-close look at professional bass fishing for the first time.
The gallery below depicts some of what transpired during tour-level fishing's initial visit to the City of Brotherly Love.
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Ready Or Not
There were a lot of uncertain faces at launch time each morning as competitors knew the Delaware was a tough nut to crack. (Photo: BassFan)
Eye-Popping Bag
Boyd Duckett caught a 16-14 bag on day 1 that held up as the tournament's best stringer. (Photo: BassFan)
Big Improvement
Shaw Grigsby put himself in contention with a massive haul on day 2. (Photo: BassFan)
Hold It High!
In the end, nobody could hang with Mike Iaconelli, who averaged almost 13 pounds per day over the final 3 days. (Photo: BassFan)
All In The Family
Iaconelli's wife and children were on hand to enjoy the victory with him. (Photo: BassFan)
A Little Short This Time
Chris Lane, who claimed a win earlier this season, finished as the runner-up to Iaconelli. (Photo: BassFan)
Lone Wolf
Kevin Short was one of the few competitors not sharing water and he parlayed that into a 4th-place finish. (Photo: BassFan)
How About These Beauties!
Iaconelli brought in some dandies that other competitors had little chance of finding. (Photo: BassFan)
Colorful Horizon
Pre-dawn on the Delaware with the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge in the background. The bridge connects Philadelphia with New Jersey. (Photo: BassFan)
No Surprise Here
Jason Christie, the top-ranked angler in the world, turned in yet another high finish. (Photo: BassFan)
Ace On The Stage
Former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay snapped a selfie that also featured B.A.S.S. emcee Dave Mercer and eventual 6th-place finisher Skeet Reese. (Photo: BassFan)
Nice One, Eh?
Chad Pipkens, who finished 12th, jokingly holds up one of the three miniscule keepers he caught on the final day. (Photo: BassFan)
Tough Finish
River-fishing stalwart Bill Lowen started the final day in 2nd place, but dropped to 7th when he brought back a trio of 1-pounders. (Photo: BassFan)
High-Fives All Around
Iaconelli allowed the massive crowd to be a part of his victory celebration. (Photo: BassFan)
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2014 Delaware River Elite Series
