On July 11-13th in Las Vegas, Nevada, the 2007 ICAST (International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades) show was held. Over 180 companies worldwide showcased more than 600 new products for the nearly 7000 attendees at the show. ICAST is an annual event where the major players in the fishing industry come together with displays to show off their new and upcoming items that they will be coming out with for the year 2008. The ICAST show is not open to the general public and is only open to manufacturers, tackle representatives, media, outdoor writers, distributors, and business owners in the fishing industry.
I saw a ton of neat stuff, most of which will be available to consumers this spring. ICAST is a gigantic show. It was impossible to see everything there, even after two full days roaming the isles. So instead of attempting to cover all the major product releases, I decided to focus on innovative and unique fishing items that the mass media may have missed.
Welcome the Women
During my visit with ICAST, the impact of the explosive growth of female anglers was evident, as many companies are introducing items geared towards women. Three innovative companies most notably cater exclusively to female anglers: FisherGirl, Ocean Girl, and FishHer.
In my opinion, this trend is long overdue and very welcome. Women have long taken a back seat to the men when it comes to fishing gear, which has hindered the sport's growth.
I was happy to see these new companies leading the charge and the major companies joining the movement. And it hasn't gone unnoticed. ICAST presented the Anglers' Legacy Leadership Award award to FishHer for leading the charge, an endorsement of the pioneering efforts in this area.
FisherGirl
FisherGirl makes pink rods, pink reels, pink accessories, and pink apparel for women. They also make a line of children's gear designed to get the little girl involved in fishing. The pink gear will appeal especially to the ladies who may have thought that fishing was a "man's sport."
Ocean Girl
Ocean Girl makes freshwater and saltwater rods and reels for the ladies. They also have a line of branded clothing. And yes, all of their gear is pink too. The difference, they claim, is that their rods are designed for women's hands. For example, they use shorter butts to accommodate a woman's stature.
FishHer
Here's a company that's displaced the pink with lavender, but that's not all. They offer rods, reels, accessories, clothing, and more. The rods are the most impressive. Made from IM7 graphite, these are smaller in diameter for easier gripping by smaller hands. Lightweight and comfortable, they're a fit for women.
FishHer's line of tackle bags and accessories is extensive. And the quality is right up there too. I found myself getting a little envious of the ladies as I looked through everything.
Visit their website, as it's more than just an online store - there's a plethora of fishing information just for women who are just getting started. It reflects the company's commitment to encouraging women to join the fishing lifestyle. A commitment that won them ICAST's prestigious Anglers' Legacy Leadership Award.
New Baits
There's no possible way for me to cover all the new lures hitting the market. So here's a select few innovative and unique baits that caught my eye:
Castaic Swimbaits
Swimbaits are all the rage these days, and it seems nearly every tackle manufacturer is trying to capitalize on the trend by introducing their version. Castaic Softbaits is one of the original companies that started making soft plastic swimbaits years ago. They also make wooden swimbaits.
At the ICAST show, I saw something new from them that set them apart from the rest - a hard plastic trout swimbait. You heard me right—a floating, hard plastic swimbait. Ok, so what's unique about that, other than it's their first hard plastic lure? There are dozens already on the market.
What's different about this bait is that it has three joints, not two, but three. I looked all over the showroom floor and could not locate another swimbait with more than two joints. The third joint is located where the tail attaches to the body. This design enables the bait to swim with incredible realism. It floats at rest, and the slightest twitch makes that tail move ever so slightly - just like the real thing - and then you can make it dart away with a fast retrieve. It's so lifelike, even I was fooled! Leave to one of the originals to innovate and lead the pack when other companies merely copy each other. Expect this design to be copied as soon as it hits the market.
Berkley Gulp! Alive!
I concede, so you may have tried Gulp before and didn't like the fact that it seemed like a one-shot wonder. Works excellent, yes, but you can't reuse it again unless you carefully seal it back up again - and even then, you're taking the risk of it spoiling the rest of the pack. Don't get me wrong. I like Gulp because it catches fish. But it can be a hassle to work with, especially on hot sunny days.
Enter Gulp! Alive - Berkley's answer to dried-up baits. They tout these baits as "Biodegradable Bait saturated in powerful attractant." Quite literally, the baits come floating around in a jar of fluid. It looks like Gulp meets the jig-n-pig jar of yore. Except the "jar" is more like a bucket. It's huge! This will eliminate the re-use issues, provided you place the bait back in the bucket before it dries out. And the fluid contains Berkley's patented scent.
The baits themselves look very realistic, particularly the minnows. They are more flexible than the original Gulp.
I used the original Gulp on dropshot and splitshot rigs and caught a lot of fish, so I was excited when Berkley gave me a jar to try out. As expected, it worked better than its predecessor. Unfortunately, the bucket lid didn't seal well, and it leaked the pungent fluid into my boat compartment. Berkley has assured me they are working on redesigning the package to address this problem, so I expect this won't be an issue for long.
Minda Lures
Every year a new crop of hopeful lure inventors place their inventions on the market. Very few of these lures become a hit. But occasionally, they do. Last year it was the Evolution Jig. This year it's the Injured Minda.
Upon first glance, I thought this was another gimmick lure. But further examination revealed some genuinely innovative engineering went into the design. It's a topwater bait that resembles a crankbait but fishes unlike anything before.
It incorporates a hinged, two-piece body with a weighted bill and tail. The fishing line passes through the body and ties to the tail, creating a unique action as I've never seen. The tail points downward at rest but flips up when pulled. It looks like a dying or injured baitfish when appropriately fished and essentially stays in one place while you work it. This is precisely how an injured minnow behaves, and the bass kill it.
I was impressed by the ingenuity that went into this bait. At $20 a pop, I don't expect them to become an overnight sensation, but I feel that those who give them a try will be justly rewarded.
New Rods
I won't even attempt to outline all the new rods I saw. There were just too many, most of which were improvements to existing models. So I apologize now for not covering your favorite brand. Instead, I will focus on just a few unique innovations.
The Carrot Stix
Ok, so this one is unusual. It's a fishing rod made from carrots. Yup, that's right - carrots. I have to tell you. I was skeptical of this one. I thought it was a joke or gimmick, but it's not. They're deadly serious and may have stumbled upon something big.
Upon examination, this unique rod, made by E21 Fishing, is a composite made from the Nano bio-fibers of carrots that exhibit graphite and glass qualities. It's made from the cellulose fibers of carrots. The fibers are mixed with a water-based resin to create a composite used to mold the rod blank.
Yes, mold, not rolled like Graphite. By molding it, E21 can create a rod void of weak spots. Of course, it looks and feels like a high-quality rod, other than the orange color. But if the color puts you off, Carrot Stix also comes in green. In addition, 2007 Bassmaster Classic champion Boyd Duckett has added his input on a "Classic Gold" model that is dark brown.
The rods are lighter than graphite but have more flex to land bigger fish. As I examined the rod's construction and craftmanship, I realized they might be onto something big. The ICAST folks agreed as this rod won ICASTS' 2007 Best-of-Show Award.
Fenwick
This year, Fenwick is introducing a new line of rods. The Elite Tech rods are specifically designed for various bass fishing methods, such as drop shotting, stroking, spinnerbaiting, and crankbaiting. It doesn't matter if you toss big topwater plugs for oversized bucketmouths or the tiniest jig to those pesky brown bass; your perfect bass rod is here. All you have to do is fit the technique you prefer to the rod-use name.
Some of these rods include a variable weight system that allows you to adjust the handle's weight to achieve a customized balance to fit your reel—something you usually see in more expensive rods.
One thing that caught my eye was the new spinnerbait rods, made of 60/40 graphite/fiberglass. No, not a blend; the bottom 60% of the rod is a standard graphite rod, with the upper 40% made out of fiberglass. It looks like they pieced two different rods together. This feature improves the chance to hook up on a fish when angler reaction time is too quick.
What's "The Catch"?
While many innovations have that "WOW" factor, every once in a while, one comes along that makes you say, "Now why didn't I think of that?" The CATCH is just that kind of innovation.
Ever place your hook in the rod's hook holder, only to have it snag a line on other rods, the boat carpet, your clothing, or worse yet, your child or your pet? It's annoying at best dangerous at worst. The CATCH solves all those problems.
The CATCH is a magnetic hook keeper with a built-in safety shield that completely encloses the hook, thus preventing the point from finding unsuspecting targets. What's more, it uses a strong magnet to hold the hook in place. It won't fall out even if your reel accidentally disengages during transport.
Although I have endured the frustration of untangling rods bound together by hooks clinging onto the line of other rods - which this will eliminate - I liked this innovation due to its safety feature. I've heard many horror stories from friends getting skewered by hooks that were "safely" tucked away in their keepers. I've also heard of too many pets and children that have stepped on these exposed hooks. The CATCH caught my eye as THE safety innovation that's a long time coming. No doubt it will keep everyone onboard safe, including you, your guests, and pets.
Even better, a portion of their sales will support the "Catch a Breath" program, which helps children with asthma via the American Lung Association. It's hard to go wrong when you purchase their products.
Innovative Inventions
Here are a few items designed to increase the survival rate of the bass you release.
Well Mate
This next one is for you for tournament anglers who desire a more straightforward way to retrieve and transport fish stored in a boat's livewell. This thick-plastic, flexible carrier seems like a long-overdue idea.
The Well Mate™ Livewell Caddy is a 14-gallon flexible container constructed of a non-toxic EVA copolymer. It is designed to fit into most live wells. It features a sealed foam collar around the slotted opening at its top to prevent the unit from sinking underwater and becoming difficult to reach or deposit fish.
The product's vented sides allow water to circulate freely through the caddy. It has two nylon rope handles that should make it simple to remove from the livewell and easy to carry. The thick plastic material is built well and should hold up for many seasons.
The competition model is designed for tournament anglers. This model will hold approximately five inches of water in its base, thus eliminating the need to transfer fish back-and-forth between the livewell and tournament bag. It should reduce the amount of fish handling, thus increasing their chances of survival.
Only time will tell how easy it is to use, how durable it is, and how well it holds fish plus water. With a $90 price tag, this innovation may be out of reach for most anglers. But if it holds up to its promise, I expect the Well Mate to be in high demand.
The Larchy Hook Remover
The age-old issue of disgorging hooks from deep inside fish has finally been solved....by Germans. This little pistol-looking contraption is simple in design yet very effective. It's another "now why didn't I think of that" invention.
The Larchy removes hooks gently and effectively, thus reducing damage and making it possible to dislodge hooks that might otherwise be difficult or impossible to remove.
It easily slides down the hook's shank to the bend and then pulls the hook out in the exact opposite direction it entered - taking into account the curve of the hook. It pulls the hook out precisely the way it entered instead of yanking it straight out and causing more damage. This is accomplished simply by pulling the "trigger" on the device. It's quick and effective.
I see this as the answer to removing hooks from gut-hooked fish, as it's challenging to pull the hook out towards the tail of the fish...until now. It's hard to explain how this works, but thankfully there are plenty of video clips on their website. You'll have to see it in action to get the full benefit.
And there you have it, my synopsis of some of the innovative and unique products hitting the market for 2008. Remember that ICAST is a vast show, and I am confident I have missed several items. So please don't e-mail me to complain about something I missed. :)