Closing in on the Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason
Heading into the Elite Series event on Lake Guntersville, a lake where Ike is traditionally hit-or-miss (including a win in 2006, 4th in 2009, but 64th in 2007), Ike was 7th in the Angler of the Year (AOY) points standing, safely in the top 12 cut for the Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason.
After Guntersville, an event that AOY points leader Skeet Reese (1485 points) also won the event, putting him safely 258 points ahead of Edwin Evers (2nd with 1227 points). Unfortunately, a disappointing 66th place finish for Ike moved him down to 14th place with 1081 points, but only 11 points behind Bill Lowen, who currently sits in the final postseason cut position.
There remain 3 regular season events: this weekend's Price of Georgia on Clark's Hill, the Tennessee Triumph on Kentucky Lake (June 9th-12th) and the Sooner Run on the Arkansas River (June 17th-20th).
Mike is equally as erratic on Clarks Hill and Kentucky Lake as Guntersville. (Clarks Hill: 5th place in 2005, 12th in 2006, but 64th in 2007 and 38th in 2008. Kentucky Lake: 39th in 2006, 63rd in 2008, but 14th in 2009). The real wildcard may well be the Arkansas River, which the Bassmasters visited only once in recent history in 2006, and Iaconelli finished 16th.