The 39-year-old Auburn, Calif., pro knew it would go down to the wire. Iaconelli whacked 20 pounds, 3 ounces to rise from 10th on the final morning to first, with 54-2 over the three-day tournament.
Needing 16-2, Reese figured his bag was perhaps 16 pounds. When the scale read 16-12, he leapt in the air, pumped his fists and hugged Iaconelli.
“It’s hard to be that far back in the standings and win the Classic,” Iaconelli said. “It’s almost impossible. I knew the potential was there but these guys are too good. They’re not going to slip up.”
Day 2 leader Jami Fralick’s weigh-in was almost a formality. Needing 16-5 to complete his Cinderella run, he brought a 10-9 limit across the stage, falling to eighth.
Read the Full Article on the official ESPN Bassmaster Classic 2009 webpage
