iKon Boats Pro Staff
Meet iKon’s Pro Team
Get to Know the Experts Behind the iKon Brand: Passion, Skill, and Dedication to Excellence
Jacob Wheeler
Jacob Wheeler’s success began at a young age in the junior fishing programs where he captured angler-of-the-year and state championship titles, top ten finishes and Junior Bassmaster Classic appearances. In 2010, Wheeler finished 1st place in his first FLW Outdoors BFL division level tournament and continued to qualify for the 2011 BFL All-American. In 2011, Wheeler made history as the youngest angler, 20 years old, to win the BFL All-American and he won with a wire-to-wire win. In 2012, his rookie year on tour, he dominated the competition with a wire-to-wire win at the FLW Outdoors Forest Wood Cup and entered the record books again as the youngest angler to win. Jacob Wheeler is a 2x Angler of the Year and an 8x Major League Fishing Champion.
Kyle Welcher
Alabamian Kyle Welcher believes that competing in a bass tournament is a bigger gamble than playing poker. Considering that this 25-year-old bass addict supports himself solely by tournament fishing and playing Texas hold ’em, his opinion is based on personal experience. “Poker is a lot more math based because I know exactly how many cards are in the deck,” Welcher said. “Going into a tournament, I don’t know for certain where the bass are or what they are about to do.” Welcher is passionate about both of his professions, but bass fishing is his first love. Kyle Welcher is the 2023 Bassmaster Angler of the Year.
Hunter Shryock
Hunter’s path to fishing competitively is different than most. While most of the names you hear in this sport have held a fishing rod in their hands since they were young kids, this was not the case for Hunter. He raced motocross from a very young age and started racing professionally at the age of 16. Hunter competed against the best of the best in the AMA Outdoor Nationals and AMA Supercross Series. Injuries and lack of sponsors helped him make the decision to retire early from racing at the age of 21. Hunter Shryock competes in the Bassmaster Elite Series.
Banks Shaw
Banks Shaw is a highly driven tournament angler with a proven track record of performance on the water. With multiple top 10 finishes and consistent high placements across regional bass tournaments, Banks has built a reputation as a competitor who thrives under pressure as he takes on his Rookie season on the Major League Fishing (MLF) tournament series. Known for his versatility, he’s recorded several 20+ lb. tournament bags and has logged hundreds of competitive hours on the water each season. Whether fishing shallow cover, offshore structure, or adapting to changing conditions, Banks’ ability to adjust has made him a consistent threat on tournament day.
Adrian Avena
Adrian Avena is a seasoned professional angler and one of the most respected competitors on the Major League Fishing (MLF) tournament series. With over 20 tour-level Top 10 finishes and more than $1 million in career tournament winnings, Adrian has proven his ability to perform at the highest level of competitive bass fishing. He secured his first major win at the 2023 Bass Pro Tour Stage Five on Cayuga Lake, where his 28-plus-pound catch earned his place among the elite. Beyond the tournament trail, Adrian owns a charter business and works as a commercial conch fisherman, proving his experience on the water goes far beyond competition.
Adrian Avena
Joe Thomas
Joe Thomas. also known as the Bob Ueker of bass fishing, brings a stout resume to Ultimate Match Fishing. After a 25-plus year career on both the Bassmasters and FLW circuits, highlighted by a landmark All-American victory in ’90 that saw Thomas cash one of the first 100K checks in the sport, Thomas has made the ultra-smooth transition to television. Calling play-by-play for Ultimate Match Fishing is just part of his job. He also hosts the critically acclaimed program Stihl’s Reel in the Outdoors on Outdoor Channel. In his spare time, he hosts the legendary hunting series American Archer, also seen on Outdoor Channel. As a matter of fact, Thomas completed the North American 29, which you can see on MyOutdoorTV. It’s a little known fact that Thomas doesn’t sleep. Ever.
MEET THE TAILGATE TOUR
Brent Butler
“God first, family, fishing, outdoors,” Brent Butler always says, “All I ever wanted to do was compete. I may never be able to do it for a living and that’s okay. I’m content.” That desire to compete began early in Butler’s life, ever since he saw a Bassmaster tournament on TV for the first time. “I used to walk the banks with my dad,” he recalls. “He would take me to the local Thursday night tournament whenever I was 13 or 14 years, and I would stand there with two rods in my hand just wanting to compete … I got turned down so much, but I didn’t quit. I said, ‘someday you’ll know who I am.” HCB Yachts partnered with experience-enabling, product expert and professional angler, Brent Butler to build the most revolutionary bass boat to date.
Chuck Pippin
Chuck Pippin began his career as a Bass fishing guide in 1997 on West Lake Toho and the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, during his junior year at the University of Central Florida. After graduating, he moved to Clewiston, Florida and spent 5 years as a guide at Roland Martin’s Marina on Lake Okeechobee. During this time, he began his career as a professional tournament angler fishing both the FLW Tour and the B.A.S.S. Southern Opens. In October of 2002, he moved back to the Orlando Florida area to continue his guiding career on West Lake Tohopekaliga, the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes and other Orlando area lakes. To this day, he continues to do approximately 300+ charters per year. “I still thoroughly enjoy the sport of Bass fishing.” Chuck Pippin is a key member of the iKon Family.
Chuck Pippin
Josh Jones
It was Jimmy Houston who suggested Josh Jones start guiding for crappie. “Jimmy is a good friend of mine, and he called me up and said, ‘Hey, you are catching more fish than anyone I know. Let’s go do a show,’” Jones said. “We went out and filmed a show, and he suggested I start guiding.” In the past year, the Sapulpa angler’s crappie guide business has exploded, mostly due to the fishing videos he has posted on his Facebook page. His videos have been viewed about 2.5 million times on Facebook and attracted customers from Minnesota to Alabama. Josh Jones guides for crappie on many Oklahoma lakes, but his favorites are Skiatook, Keystone and Birch.
Braden Cox
Originally from a suburb of Dayton, Ohio, Braden started fishing in middle school with his brother at the neighborhood ponds every day after school. This quickly progressed into a passion for the sport of bass fishing, leading him to fish his first tournament in high school. Braden ended up winning this tournament which gave him a berth to fish the high school national championship. Needless to say, this instilled a lifelong love for tournament fishing that he continued to pursue into his college career. Braden instantly joined the bass fishing team at The Ohio State University, where he was met with some of his greatest friendships, fishing opportunities, and connections. Making the leap from local fishing to national level tournaments is what has contributed most to the growth of Braden as an angler, eventually leading to his first top 10 against the stout field of college anglers. Through the connections made in college, Braden was able to get involved with the iKon family and it just felt right.
“They set a new bar in the bass boat industry backed by a welcoming and knowledgeable team.” – Braden Cox
“One quote that has stuck with me through the years is one from my father, saying ‘Anything worth doing is worth doing well.’ I feel as if this quote both speaks to the mindset of iKon Boats, as well as the beginning of my fishing career.” – Braden Cox
Braden Cox
Chris Keeble
Keeble’s dad and Papaw started taking him fishing by the time he could walk, later his papaw bought a 19ft aluminum boat and that’s when him and his dad started getting Keeble into bass fishing on Ft Loudon Lake. By the time he was 10 or 11 Keeble was fishing local tournaments with his dad and fell in love with the competition. From there it grew into High School tournaments, where Brent Butler was also the fishing coach at the school he fished for. After graduation he began fishing the Bassmaster Opens chasing the dream of qualifying for the Elite Series. Keeble came up with the original Idea for “The Lodge with a Garage” and has been with the family-owned operation ever since. Since PB Lodge opened on Lake Chickamauga in March of 2021 Keeble has overseen all day-to-day operations as well as marketing campaigns and customer relations. As of January 2024, he has been working with launching PB Lodge into the endeavor of franchising and growing the brand nationwide.
“At some point you dreamed of this” he had a mentor in the fishing industry tell him this several years ago after a bad finish at his first ever Bass Open, he reminded Keeble of when he was in high school how bad he wanted to just have a shot at getting to chase his dream and whether it was a good event or a bad event. Ever since then that has constantly reminded Keeble of the passion he has for the sport and what got him started.
Alex Davis
Alex’s dad took him fishing as a little kid. His dad was a trout fisherman, so Alex’s early memories were walking streams and fishing trout lakes. He got into bass fishing in his teens, and his dad was learning from Alex then. He moved to Alabama to pursue his dream of becoming a professional bass fisherman and currently lives in Albertville, only 15 minutes from Lake Guntersville. Alex started fishing tournaments at the age of 15 in small club tournaments. Then he started doing team tournaments with his dad and had really good success. In his 2nd year fishing BFL’s Alex won AOY and the following year won the Everstart on Guntersville. That allowed him to fish the FLW Tour which is now the MLF Invitationals and have been doing that currently 12 years. Outside of fishing, he really loves to turkey hunt and spend time with his dog.
Ever since the boat was first announced Alex was very interested and loved the quality of the boat. Brent Butler sold him on the boat because it was designed for fisherman from front to back! “If you want to be in the best built boat, thought out boat, and performance boat, you’ll want to be in an IKON.”
Alex Davis
Riley Harris
Riley has been fishing since he could walk. His grandfather got him into it and Riley used to travel around the country with him during the summer when his grandfather was a Marshall for Bassmaster. Riley has lived in Orange, TX his whole life and grew up fishing on Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend. Riley has been fishing tournaments since he was about 10 years old. In his early 20s he was able to really get serious about it. After a few years of hard lessons and not giving up Riley was able to start putting things together and got his first two major wins in 2025.
In 2023 Riley was looking to buy a boat, and his good friend Reese told him about a new boat brand that was going to be the best boat that’s ever hit the water. He was a little skeptical at first, but Riley trusted him and took a ride in a demo on a windy evening. After that, Riley was sold on how good of a ride it was and how it handled. His favorite verse would be Chronicles 28:20.
Dan “Crappie Dan” Dannenmueller
Dan Dannenmueller, also known as “Crappie Dan,” is a nationally ranked professional crappie fisherman and publisher. His professional fishing career spans 40 years which includes prestigious recognitions such as the 2025 NCL Sportsman of the Year and 2nd in the Angler of the year race for 2025 with his wife Sue as his partner, and the 2011 & 2012 Angler of the Year for the Crappie Masters All American Tournament Trail. Dan is a retired Air Force 25-year veteran and is the CEO of Knowledge Management Services, based in Millbrook, AL as well as owner of the largest digital crappie magazine, CrappieNOW, and another digital magazine, CatfishNOW.
Dan is proud to be sponsored by trusted names in the industry such as Garmin Fish and Hunt, Yamaha Outboards, Bass Cat Boats, B’n’M Poles, Power-Pole, Offshore Tackle, Road Runner Lures, and 20+ other notable brands. Dan is participating in the National Crappie League trails in 2025 fishing alongside his wife, Sue Dannenmueller.
Dan is the founder and publisher of CrappieNOW. CrappieNOW has evolved over 14+ years into an unequaled online-only crappie fishing magazine aimed at passionate crappie anglers from all skill levels. CrappieNOW publishes a new online edition every month featuring the industry’s latest and greatest. This e-zine is accessible online to all anglers, but free subscriptions are encouraged for those who want early access to every edition through email. More recently, Dan launched CatfishNOW, a publication aimed at passionate catfish anglers from all skill levels. Both CrappieNOW and CatfishNOW offer information on new fishing tips, techniques, destinations, equipment, electronics, tackle, tournaments, and the latest news from industry-leading professionals. Dan’s team is constantly expanding to keep up with the demands of these industries.
Crappie Dan is a frequent guest on radio and television shows across the United States while competing in various tournament trails: the American Crappie Trail, Crappie USA Tournament Trail and Crappie Masters All American Tournament Trail. Through these appearances, he is able to promote crappie fishing, share fishing tips and techniques and introduce his many national & regional sponsors to audiences across the United States. In addition to his engagements in the United States, he has also spoken at seminars in Canada. Crappie Dan shares his 40 years of successful bass and crappie tournament fishing by presenting, teaching and training at numerous outdoor shows, writer’s camps, media camps and retail outlets such as Bass Pro Shops, Walmart and Cabela’s. If you browse CrappieNOW’s e-zine archives, you will find many online articles and informative & educational YouTube videos led by Crappie Dan.
Dan “Crappie Dan” Dannenmueller
