Fishing Show Coverage ISE - Hummingbird 997c2 fishfinder, Tulli Tovino vest

Featured Article: Show Coverage

New products at the 2007 International Sportsmen's Exhibition, San Mateo, CA (continued)

Humminbird: In the Humminbird booth, Rod Rector walked us through the company’s new, innovative, and wildly popular side imaging sonar units that are redefining the sonar industry. Of particular interest in the booth was the 2006 ICAST Best of Show 797c2 SI Combo unit - a relatively compact unit that is sized perfectly for the front deck of any bass boat yet retains many of the features found on the larger side imaging units including GPS navigation, screen snap shot, split screen views, etc.. The 797c2 SI Combo unit has an MSRP of $999.

The very popular new Hummingbird fishfinders

The new flagship model for Humminbird is the 997c2 SI Combo which features a larger screen with greater resolution than last year’s flagship, the 987c2 SI Combo. This unit is not expected in stores for at least 7 weeks but is will have a price tag right around $2,000. Humminbird is certainly doing some very exciting things with their sonar units.

Unprecedented detail

Pick your color

Yes it does brown too

A look at the upcoming 997c flagship model

The 797c2 is perfect for the front of the boat

Rod shows us the new flagship model

Tulli: Over the last three years we have looked at a lot of storage solutions and when it comes to vests and chest packs nobody does it better than Sportgear. Their Tulli packs are not only built to last, but are the most innovatively designed packs by far. We were greeted by the designer of all these fantastic packs, Desmond Lam. Desmond showed us his latest product...the new Tulli Tofino Outdoor vest. This version incorporates a lot of what we love about the fly fishing version but in a lighter even more mobile mesh vest that will not interfere with paddling.

Desmond shows the TT staff the new Tofino vest and Tulli Rod

A fishing vest for Kayakers

Loaded with storage the bright orange vest makes kayakers highly visible, and the pack can easily be worn over a life vest. The pack/vest features reflective safety strips and is water resistant to keep your tackle dry. The vest can also be used for hunting and there are loops designed to hold radios.

The vest features reflective safety strips

The familiar Tulli brand

Desmond also showed us a customizable reel storage solution. The bag can easily hold five fly reels or baitcasters, and can even be screened with club logos on it. The storage bag is well padded and features an extremely comfortable foam grip. Cal couldn't resist buying one just to stow his backup reels. The compact profile makes this a great choice for extra reel storage on the boats. We were even more surprised to see a Tulli branded rod...one specifically designed for salmon fishing. Look for a review of these Japanese rods soon.

Tulli introduces new padded reel bags

The bags feature a customizable interior

The soft foam grip is extremely comfortable

This year the story doesn't end here. There are many more manufacturers that didn't make it to San Mateo, but will be on site at the upcoming Sacramento ISE show. We have assigned two of our editors to get in the car and make a road trip to continue the ISE coverage. Stay tuned.