Gear

Inside Iaconelli’s Toyota Tundra

Mike Iaconelli gives a full tour of his 2026 Toyota Tundra he traveled the country in during his final season on the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.

Posted on
Photography by
Seigo Saito
Captions by
Michael Iaconelli
New Jersey
It’s such an honor to be a part of the Toyota Fishing Team! My Toyota Tundra has not only been my tow vehicle but it has been my home away from home.
Besides its amazing towing power, the Toyota Tundra is one of the coolest looking trucks out there, especially with its all new massive front grill.
In addition to being my tow vehicle and home away from home, my Tundra is a moving billboard that helps me promote the sponsors I work with. Becky and I always try to come up with fun and creative wrap ideas like this year’s old school “flame” wrap! 
The flame wrap installed by VFX Wraps, is a nod to my old school flame jerseys and wraps from the old Bassmaster Tournaments from 2004-2006.
Come inside and see what the interior of my Toyota Tundra looks like.
Putting 30,000 to 40,000 miles a year driving all across the country is the norm for me and having a navigation system is absolutely critical! 
My Tundras super big 14-inch touch screen lets me find where I’m going and navigate there safely every time.
I always carry a receipt pouch with me too, to place all of my expense receipts while traveling.
Although they are not very organized, having physical receipts helps us track our yearly expenses.
My Toyota Tundra also has some great storage option. In my front open console compartment I have key travel items like mints, gum, hand cream and of course Advil.
We spend so much time in the road it’s always nice to take a few Momentos and good luck charms with you.
My daughter Estella gave me this green sparkly duck and she wrote my fishing motto on the bottom, “Never Give Up!”
There’s a bunch of key stuff I carry inside my Toyota including essential outerwear like my AFTCO rainsuit. We have to deal with some crazy weather and rain on tour, and this suit helps keep me warm and dry.
Drinks, food and snacks keep me hydrated and energized after long days of driving and fishing. Plus, I always carry my “Ike approved” cooler to keep things cold.
Another key storage tote that is always in my Tundra is my spare reel box.
This box is filled spare Abu Garcia reels in both spinning and casting models. And of course a bunch of super cool looking Abu Ike Series reels too.
Because you never know what might happen on the road, I always carry a portable spotlight and power station just in case.
With all this stuff you would think I wouldn’t have any room, but there’s still tons of space inside the cab of my Tundra.
The top of my Toyota Tundra is also home to my Wilderness Systems Recon 120 Kayak. I’ve been carrying a kayak on top of my truck for over 15 years, and it allows me to do some more fun kayak fishing on the road.
My Wilderness Systems kayak has the same flame logos as my big boat.
People ask me all the time, “How do you get that thing down from the top?”
Getting the kayak down is really easy thanks to my custom built cradle and EZ Rack system that lets me pivot and slide it off the top.
After taking out the pins, the EZ Rack system allows me to slide and lower the kayak from the truck roof to the ground below.
Another key accessory on my Toyota Tundra are my ARE Rod Pods. These lockable rod storage tubes let me carry a bunch of spare back up Abu Garcia spinning and casting rods.
One side carries spinning rods and the other side carries casting rods. I can fit up to 15 Abu Garcia Ike Series rods in each tube.
Another super necessary add-on for my Tundra are super bright Rigid Lights. Dark early morning starts into the evening practice days make having light to work in the dark critical.
I mount both rear-facing and side-facing Rigid lights so no matter how my truck is positioned, I always have extra light for working on tackle, prepping the boat or putting the boat back on the trailer.
All of the lights are controlled from a custom light panel in the cab of the Tundra.
The back bed area of my Toyota Tundra is one of the most critical storage areas in my truck. This large space carries tons of spare equipment, my boat cover, extra lures and all of the other necessary equipment I need on a daily basis.
I have two levels in the bed of the Tundra. On the bottom level, I’ve installed a dual slide-out Deked Drawer System.
These two drawers allow me to carry a bunch of spare fishing tackle with me on the road. This system allows me have backup baits and lets me replenish missing tackle on the road. 
On the left side I usually place all of my extra Berkley hard baits like crankbaits, topwaters, lipless, jerkbaits and wakebaits.
I label and color code everything so finding and replenishing lost baits becomes easy and less time consuming.
I also never leave home without a box of big swimbaits, and the Berkley Powerbait Chop Block soft glide is one of my favorites.
The right side of the Decked Drawers hold my Missile Jigs, Molix Spinnerbaits and Buzzbaits and all of the other terminal tackle. Having these drawers slide in and out makes it easy to get to stuff, and it’s all clean and compact when the tailgate is closed.
The next key storage tote in the bed of the truck is my truck/boat box. This clear storage tote is always placed in the front for easy access to these pieces of equipment, many of which get used on a regular basis.
You’ll find things like charging cords and plugs, tools, spare chargers and even lockboxes for non-FFS events.
And I always carry two orange traffic cones. I’ve been carrying these “stickered up” cones for years to use at hotel parking lots to save a spot or to use when the truck and boat get separated. 
The rest of the bed’s top level area in my Toyota Tundra houses more storage tubs for things like Berkley soft plastics and spare Berkley line.
I’m also a big believer in carrying an extra or a spare for all of my key pieces of equipment for my Bass Cat Boat. One of the spare items I always carry is an extra Lowrance Ghost trolling motor. I’m hard on my equipment and having a spare trolling motor can save the day.
Another critical spare I carry with me is an extra Pro-Guide lithium trolling battery and an extra Pro-Guide cranking battery. More than anything, it’s about having peace of mind. And because my Pro-Guides batteries are lithium, they are super light and they don’t weigh down the bed of the truck.
Last but not least, I utilize AFTCO duffle bags to carry whatever other spares I might need. Spare treble hooks, Max Scent Meoba’s and spare neoprene rod wraps just to name a few.
Having the room in the bed of my Tundra to carry all of this spare stuff gives me peace of mind that whatever situation I run into I’ll be better prepared.
With all of the amazing towing power my Toyota Tundra provides, and because I’m towing my Bass Cat boat all across the country, I never skimp on a cheap tow hitch. This is definitely a critical connection point between your truck and your boat. I use the super heavy-duty Bullet Proof Hitches. These hitches are strong and durable and allow me to switch ball sizes by simply turning around the hitch.
The great thing about all Toyota Tundras is they are made right here in America by proud Americans, just like me!
Performance and styling are things I always look for on my Toyota. Britt Myers of CS Motorsports put on these super cool looking TIS Off Road Rims and 35-inch Nito Ridge Grappler tires to give my Tundra that beefy, tough look.
Thanks for taking the full tour of my Toyota Tundra! This truck has truly been my home away from home for many years, and I’m so proud to be a part of the Toyota Fishing Team.

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