Anglers can configure the heads with skirts, paddletails, or a variety of grubs. There will be ten patterns available with weights ranging from 3/8 to 1oz. Each Viberator will cost 6.99 each.

Upton's Customs: Uptons Customs specializes in hand poured worms and had an absolute monster of a worm for sale at the show. Josh Upton owner of the company bearing his name showed us a 19" worm that weighs a whopping 5oz.! Anglers will need a swimbait stick to effectively fish this bait. Each one of these mammoth worms will retail for 9.99 and are available now direct from Upton's.  

Jackall: Jackall's premium baits have grown in popularity that matches the company's diverse range of offerings. From the Flickshake worm to the jointed panfish Giron this is one brand that is growing quickly and showing no signs of slowing down. At this year's Bass-A-thon they unveiled a new bait call the "SRIDE."

The SRIDE is a jointed bait that is designed to swim in a tail wagging S-Motion similar to the Sebile Magic Swimmer. Jackall was selling the SRIDE at the show but does not yet have plans to bring the lure into the U.S. in mass quantities. They were actually using the show as a test platform to see just how much interest there was in the lure. Judging from the traffic at the booth the slow sinking SRIDE may very well join Jackall's linecard, but nothing is set in stone as of yet. 

Powell: Keith from Powell was at the show showcasing his brand new crankbait rod. We have always liked Powell's cleanly designed rods, and the company's crankbait rods handle even the biggest deep diving baits with ease. This new rod continues that tradition with a 8 foot length.

The 806CB is designed for big cranks and has a line rating of 8-20lbs. This heavy Mod-fast rod is constructed completely out of graphite and retails for a very reasonable 169.99.

lzorline: Izorline is well known by both saltwater and freshwater anglers as a quality line choice at a reasonable price. In recent seasons the company has expanded both their lineup of lines and tools. This season they are introducing a new pair of braided line scissors that are designed specifically for Spectra or Dyneema fiber. 

The Izorline scissors retail for $4.50 and are so sharp that they can cut right through Spectra braid by holding only one end. The Spectra doesn't need to be taught and the scissors cut through even tough braid like a hot knife through butter.

2Handee: We were introduced to the 2Handee to by none other than Gerald "G-Man" Swindle. This utility tool is an oversized clipper with a few interesting extras including a integrated hook sharpening stone, not a file but rather an actual stone. This helps keep hooks ultra sharp and is so easy to use that anglers can hone their hooks right on the water. 

The 2Handee also has a knife and a multi-tool at the end of the handle that is designed to clear jig eyes and tune crankbaits. The 2Handee is available now and retails for $14.95. 

Conclusion: The Bass-A-Thon show is held in the heart of California Swimbait country so it is no surprise that so many big bait manufacturers were on hand to both debut and sell their lures. We are seeing more and more manufacturers enter this space and a new level of innovation and refinement in patterns and finishes in this category.

We actually got more out of this show than some regional tradeshows, this surprised us since this event is put together by a sole retailer. Angler's Marine deserves a lot of praise for putting together such a quality event on their own, and the Bass-A-Thon makes it onto our "must hit" shows for next season.