June 15, 2023, Pittsgrove, NJ. The Ike Foundation® recently held its 8th Annual Ike’s Pro-Am Bass Tournament on the Chesapeake Bay in North East Maryland with over 100 registered boats. Anglers from all over the region came out to support The Ike Foundation®’s biggest fundraiser of the year with all proceeds going to support their mission to get more kids fishing and in the outdoors.

Anglers reported that it was a bit of a challenging bite, yet the top six bags were over 19lbs. Keith and Nate Cowan, longtime supporters of The Ike Foundation® that have fished in every Pro Am finally got their big win with 22.64 lbs. The Cowan brothers took home a BassCat Bobcat 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, Tackle Warehouse, AFTCO, TH Marine, Power-Pole, Nines, Rapala and Rod Warrior.

Ike Foundation® Pro-Am Bass Tournament Winners:

1. Keith and Nate Cowan-22.64 lbs
2. Terry Roberson and Dan Downer-21.63 lbs
3. Chris Smith and Eric Boehm-21.24 lbs
4. Bob Austin and Jim Clacher-19.94 lbs
5. Vic Auriemma and Logan Kuhrmann-19.77 lbs
6. Jay and Josh Burger-19.45 lbs

Lunker: Nick Lepone and Teimuraz Balachvili-6.02 lbs

Free Family Fun Fest on the Chesapeake!

While the anglers were busy competing in the Pro Am, The Ike Foundation® also hosted the Free Family Fun Fest across the park along the banks of the Chesapeake. 30+ volunteers from NJ, PA and MD came to hand out Abu Garcia rods and reels and Flambeau tackle boxes and work with kids on fishing skills. Catches of the day included a variety of species like bass, perch, blue gill, catfish and even carp. 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. Many of these kids were introduced to fishing for the first time that day and our hope is that they left with a newfound interest in the sport.

Please check out additional images on The Ike Foundation® Facebook and Instagram pages!

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The Ike Foundation® appreciates the generous donations from individuals and sponsors, including Toyota, Abu Garcia, Bass Cat Boats, Hobie, Yamaha, Flambeau, AFTCO, Tackle Warehouse, Pro-Guide Batteries, Rapala, The Bass University and more. A full list of sponsors is found at https://theikefoundation.org/sponsors/. Local sponsors for the Family Fun Fest include Buttonwood Beach, Ray Logging and John Ford and Integrity Real Estate.

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.