OAKS - Anglers can take their minds off winter's icy grip with the lineup of seminars featuring some of the leading professional bass fishermen in the country at the 6th Annual Greater Philadelphia Outdoor Sportshow, Thursday, Feb. 26-Sunday, March 1, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo in Oaks.

This year's lineup includes Mike "Ike" Iaconelli, fresh off of his BASS Elite win on the Delaware River in downtown Philadelphia. Iaconelli, a self-professed "fishing addict," has been fishing his entire life and is one of just 11 anglers who have won both the Angler of the Year and the Bassmaster Classic.A Philadelphia native, Iaconelli has appeared in the Classic an incredible 15 times and won eight

B.A.S.S. tournaments since his first professional win on Lake Champlain in 1999. He spends about 200 days a year on the water, expanding his knowledge of lakes, rivers and reservoirs around the country.Iaconelli is a part-time guide, author, lure designer, speaker, television show host and co-owner of Bass University. He is one of the most popular and energetic speakers on the circuit and his seminars are as entertaining as they are educational.Joining the lineup of pro bass anglers is Brandon Palaniuk, an approachable and popular angler with two wins and seven top 10 finishes on the Bassmaster Elite circuit. At the age of 27, he has accomplished more than most fisherman have done in a lifetime.In addition to the previously mentioned wins, Palaniuk has advanced to the Classic four years in a row, including a second-place finish on Grand Lake in 2013. During "fan favorite" voting, he received more votes than any other pro for the 2013 Toyota All-Star Week and Evan Williams Bourbon Championship, making him a rising star and great ambassador for the sport.Another emerging headliner is Paul Mueller, who recently won the National BASS Federation Championship. He is a professional angler and multi-species freshwater guide in Connecticut, was the runner-up at the 2014 Bassmaster Classic, then won the 2014 BASS Federation Championship to earn another trip to the Classic.Mueller is also the winner of the 2011 FLW Co-Angler Championship and set the record for heaviest single-day weight during the 2014 Classic with an astounding 32-pound, 3-ounce, five-fish limit. He will tell about his journey to the elite ranks and learn more about his surefire techniques.Fishing's "funny man," Dave Mercer, who is host of television's "Facts of Fishing," and emcee for The Bassmaster Classic and Bassmaster Elite Series, spends more than 250 days of the year fishing for "anything that swims," and is one of today's most sought-after speakers. Amid the jokes, he offers many valuable pointers which are sure to help catch bigger and better fish than ever before.Also speaking is Jack Montague, a Federation of Flyfishers Master Certified casting instructor and owner of Wolf Glen Fly Fishing Schools in Punta Gorda and the lead casting instructor for American Fly Fishing Schools in Florida. His knowledge of fly fishing is encyclopedic, as he brings more than 50 years fishing and fly tying experience, having fished waters from New England to the Keys, with six years spent teaching on the Alagnak River in Alaska, serving as a sales representative in the fly fishing industry for 30 years.Hunters will have the opportunity to meet legendary deer hunters Lane Benoit, C.J. Winand and Peter Fiduccia, who will present their tips and strategies. Also speaking is Melissa Bachman, a talented hunter and television personality.Benoit is synonymous with big bucks, being a true mountain man from Vermont who hunts from Canada to Maine in search of the giants of the deer world. While deer hunting is his foremost passion, he also enjoys fishing and has recently taken up turkey hunting.Winand, a wildlife biologist and outdoors writer for Bowhunter Magazine's "Hunting Whitetails" column, he regularly appears on Bowhunter TV on the Sportsmen's Channel. He has served on the Educational Review Committee for the National Rifle Association's Whitetail Deer Hunter Clinic Program and is a featured speaker on the NRA's Great American Hunter's Tour.A highly recognized authority on hunting white-tailed deer and known as the "Deer Doctor," Fiduccia's achievements are too numerous to mention. He has produced many award-winning television and video programs, including his own nationally-syndicated series "Woods 'N Water" and is the author of the highly successful book, "Whitetail Strategies."Bachman grew up in central Minnesota in a family of avid sportsmen and has been hunting her whole life. After graduating with honors from St. Cloud University with degrees in television broadcasting and Spanish, she sought to share her outdoors knowledge with a broader audience and now spends 200 days each year hunting, producing and editing her own television show "Winchester Deadly Passion."Show hours for the Greater Philadelphia Sportshow are: Thursday and Friday, noon to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a,n,-7 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For information visit the website at

www.sportshows.com.