ICAST 2009 fishing tackle show manufacturer coverage


	A New “Secret Weapon” for Bass Secret Weapon expands their arsenal with more products this season, the common theme behind all these new lures is the ability to customize the lures on the fly, giving anglers increased freedom to target bass in a wider variety of applications.
	Jackall Brings Prototype Lures to the United States Jackall has brought over many new and exciting new products from Japan over the past few years. Normally they would only showcase the baits that they are confirmed to introduce domestically but this year they showcased a few prototypes that just had to be previewed.
	Sure-Life Catch and Release- Designed to be the Ultimate Stress Reducing Livewell Additive Sure-Life showcased their ultimate stress reducing livewell additive for holding and releasing Bass at ICAST. This unique formula is recommended by both Doug Hannon and Roland martin for not just reducing stress for bass in the livewell but also improving their health.
	The Rod Guard "Use It or Lose It" The Rod Guard is a simple yet clever solution to a common problem, losing your rod and reel to the bottom of the lake. This patented accessory is designed to be quick and easy to install and create enough buoyancy to keep your precious gear afloat should it get knocked over the edge of a boat or dock.
	Koppers Introduces New Realistic Patterns and Their Very First Swimbait When it comes to the most realistic looking crankbaits on the show floor Koppers had everyone beat. The company’s Live Target lures continue to impress and this year the company expands the line with a number of new lures including their highly anticipated bass patterns.
	Sebile mixes it up with the new Magic Swimmer Soft Pro and Spin Shad To say ICAST was a good show for Sebile would be an understatement. The company took home top honors in both the hard and soft lure category with the Magic Swimmer Soft Pro and the Spin Shad.
	Basstar introduces SpinTech Treble hooks Earlier this year we took a look at Basstar's first lure offering, the Proprunner. This bait came loaded with a rotating hook design and the company now introduces their new series of SpinTech treble hooks based on the same spinning hook concept.
	Qualia reels are built to a standard, not a price point Qualia aims to become a leader in value when it comes to delivering reels that are built to a standard, not a price point. For the coming season Qualia continues their efforts at providing modest product lines that offer a higher level of value per dollar within each fishing category.
	Reaction Strike's Revolution Shad now Suspends Reaction Strike builds upon their already very robust lineup of Revolution Shad lures with the introduction of a new suspending model which is designed to give anglers a new weapon in their swimbait arsenal.
	Strike Pro’s new Flex Crawfish hardbait There is just something instantly identifiable about Strike Pro lure designs, the company has a flair for bringing mechanical engineering and artistry together into one fishable package. This year they build upon their “flex” series of lures by cleverly incorporating the design into a crawfish pattern.
	"Gotta Have Pink" with FisherGirl Looking to get more girls excited about the sport FisherGirl has expanded their offering to include a more comprehensive line of reels and rods as well as introduces a new line of apparel making it easier than ever for girls to gear up and hit the water.
	Fintech Extends Their Lineup in Support of Big Baits! Fast forward to the beginning of 2009 and we come to learn Elite Bass Angler, Byron Velvick had signed on as one of their prostaff. Any guesses as to what Fintech had to show us this year at ICAST?
	MegaStrike gets innovative with their new lures MegaStrike is best known for there popular fish attractant which bears the same name as the company itself but over the last eight years has built a name for themselves as an innovator of sorts when it comes to jigheads and lures.
	Big fish on Small Reels courtesy of Accurate When it comes to saltwater tackle there are few American reel companies as respected as Accurate when it comes to quality in design and manufacturing. This ICAST the company introduced a number of new reels and rods designed for landing big fish on lighter tackle.
	The detail is in the design of Gamakatsu's new hooks Gamakatsu's hook catalog is massive, and when it comes to delivering a hook for every application they have it down to a science. This year at ICAST Gamakatsu introduced new hooks that not only address even more niche applications but make it easier to rig terminal tackle as well.
	Falcon BuCoo Rods offer "A Lot" for very Little The Falcon BuCoo rods were actually released for sale prior to the show, but ICAST represents the official launch for these aggressively priced rods. The BuCoo rods are Falcon's new aggressively priced mainstream line based on the company's own made in the USA blanks.
	The Boomerang Tool will come back to you Once in a while you see a tool and think "that's a good idea, why didn't I think of that." In the case of Boomerang Tool Company the two owners made that idea a reality with their patented retractable multi-use pliers which is designed to end the frustration of dropping pliers
	Tightlines makes use of “Ultimate Vision” enhancers in their soft plastics We caught up with Tightlines, the creator of lures with what the company calls “Ultimate Vision” through Nano-Infused Polymerization (NIP) Technology. This design is based on the premise that bass see things differently due to the lack of UV filters like those found in a human eye.
	The Big and Small Happenings with Spro for 2010 It seems all the manufacturers brought out their top stars to help introduce new product this year at ICAST 2009 and Spro was no exception. On hand were Dean Rojas, John Crews, Mike McClelland, and of course, our friend Bill Siemental.
	Okuma's new "Crossover Constructed" Trio Spinning Reel Byron Velvick had signed on as one of their prostaff. Any guesses as to what Fintech had to show us this year at ICAST? You got it, a series of plus sized jigheads and weighted hooks in support of the big bait craze!
	Owner Puts a New Twist on Their Product Offering and Introduces Plastics Imagine our surprise when we entered the Owner booth and after asking Tony Shitanishi what the company had new for this year, were shown a series of soft plastic baits!
	A Show Within a Show, the Optimum Booth at ICAST 2009 Walking into the Optimum booth at ICAST is like entering a micro-cosm of the show in its entirety. Not only is Optimum busy expanding and enhancing their own branded products, but they've built an impressive resume of quality products from overseas into the Optimum umbrella.
	A closer look at the new Skeet Reese Signature Tessera Rods from W&M Skeet worked closely with the team at W&M to define rods for specific techniques with an emphasis on sensitivity, power, and value.
	Skinny Bear Travels Across the Country to Attend ICAST 2009 Ever since our introduction to the Skinny Bear product during our May 2008 Jig Week article, “Are You Ready For Some Football!! … Jigs?”, we’ve been keeping an eye on this fast growing bait company out of Southern California. Imagine our surprise when we stumbled upon their booth at ICAST 2009 all the way in Florida!
	A Trio of Ultra Premium, Ultra Enthusiast Products imagine our surprise upon walking past a booth that housed Uoya Company. At quick glance, we could see what looked to be JDM baits, and the unmistakable Studio Oceanmark aftermarket reel parts! Upon closer inspection, we came to see those baits were from JDM stalwarts Gan Craft and Fish Arrow while the aftermarket parts were indeed Studio Oceanmark.
	Panther Martin's New Big Eyed Pro Frogs and Sea Eagle's Frameless Pontoon Boat Panther Martin and Sea Eagle both had exciting new products displayed at ICAST. Panther Martin showed a new frog called the Big Eyed Pro Frog which has a patented weedguard design and a solid body. Sea Eagle displayed their new Frameless Pontoon Boat
	Strike Tech releases reels with “Live Action Spools” It is always good to see innovation at ICAST, and novel ideas come in many different forms. With Strike Technology this innovation comes in the form of a new reel that features a “Live Action Spool” to create lure action beyond just a straight retrieve.
	Snag Proof Introduces Ish's Phat Frog The first thing Ish Monroe asked us when we caught up with him at the Snag Proof Booth was, “where’s Ms. Casey?”. To say he is a fan would be an understatement, but what excites bass pro more than the potential of meeting one of the TT Girls is talking about his new bait. What might that bait be you ask? Introducing Ish’s Phat Frog by Snag Proof.
	TruTungsten Brings Out a Star Studded Lineup For ICAST 2009 There was a party going on at the TruTungsten booth with nearly all their prostaff on hand to show their new products. We caught up with a few and had them walk us through what's cooking with TruTungsten for 2010.
	Skippy Fish are made for exactly what their name implies Seems everywhere we looked at ICAST there was SkippyFiSH, a company run by Touring Pro Lou Consoli. SkippyFiSH offers a line of fluke-like baits that are designed to be skipped under docks or similar structure and get to areas where most other baits simply cannot reach.
	Damiki's Angel Blade Rods Are Finally Here Last year, new kid on the block Damiki stole the show for us as far as Enthusiast grade equipment was concerned. This year, Damiki’s presence at ICAST was much more understated and the company concentrating more on enhancing their bait offerings for 2010 more than anything else.
	G.Loomis introduces a number of new series of application specific rods G.Loomis presented a number of new series of rods at the show with even more application specific bass rods as well as the "Pro-Green" series designed for inshore anglers in the Gulf and Atlantic coasts.
	"It's all about Dominating," The most exciting new hooks, the Lazer TroKar The most exciting new terminal tackle at the show was without a doubt the new Lazer TroKar hooks. These new ultra premium hooks are the only hooks in the world that are surgically sharpened using the company’s patent-pending SST (Surgically Sharpened Technology)

	High Impact Acrylic Protected Freshwater and Saltwater Jig Heads by Ahi USA Ahi USA is primarily known for their saltwater products but that all might soon change with the introduction of jig heads for both freshwater and saltwater anglers. New at ICAST this year are the Sabo Jig heads which feature realistic detailing along with an impact resistant acrylic outer shell.
	Lucky Craft Extends an Already Diverse Lineup and Breaks Into Exotic Predator Species (EPS) As if premium lure making giant, Lucky Craft doesn’t already have enough skus in their catalog, they are extending their product offering even further looking to break into the larger game fish markets like pike and musky and even saltwater.
	An Exclusive Sneak Peek at Abu Garcia's 2010 Release of... Jim tracked us down in the aisles of ICAST wanting to share some very exciting news, but it wasn't until Day 3 we were able to catch up with him. When we did, he immediately ushered us into the back room where he announced we'd be the very first people outside of his immediate Pure Fishing colleagues to see these prototypes...
	Go small with Okuma's next generation compact baitcasters There was a party going on at the TruTungsten booth with nearly all their prostaff on hand to show their new products. We caught up with a few and had them walk us through what's cooking with TruTungsten for 2010.
	Pflueger Goes Lefty, Lightweight, and a few Redesigns Pflueger is stepping up their game next season with the new and improved reels we've been blogging about for weeks. This year at ICAST they are introduced a new lightweight 6.8 ounce Patriarch XT and they will finally have a lefty version of the original Patriarch low profile casting reel.
	ANDIAMO Colmic! Introducing IDM (Italian Domestic Product)! That's right, it's Enthusiast Tackle time again at ICAST and this time, it's Italian based Colmic who's ready to burst on the scene with their molto benne designed rods and lures!
	Lamiglas Delivers Not Just Value, But Made In The USA Value! Almost every manufacturer present is debuting or extending their line of value rods. Presenting the Lamiglas Excel Bass rods assembled in the United States on a blank hand rolled in their Woodland, Washington facility!
	Ardent's Professional Denny Brauer Signature F-700 Flipping and Pitching Reel Professional Bass angler Denny Brauer joins the team at Ardent Reels and reworks the F-500 resulting in the new F-700 Flip-N-Pitch reel designed to his specific requirements. We're on hand to catch a glimpse of this unique reel and discuss specifics at ICAST 2009.
	A Pictorial look at the ICAST 2009 Best of Show Winners With ICAST 2009 day two in the books we take a second in between articles to take a pictorial look at the “Best of Show” Winners in each category this year. This year, the 52nd year of ICAST, the New Product Showcase, the tradeshow’s flagship event, was more competitive than ever.
	St. Croix Has Rods for Everyone Including the Ladies With a full assortment of high performance rods, ranging from affordable to premium, St. Croix still has it in them to release four new models of rods and releases additional models in other popular series. One of them is a higher end rod for lady anglers.
	USA Custom Rods launches Mossy Oak Camouflage rods at ICAST and Wins Okuma may still be best known for their spinning and saltwater reels but the company has been making great strides in baitcaster releases in the recent seasons, and each new baitcaster has become smaller and more refined. At this ICAST Okuma has new releases that can finally be called "compact."
	Abu Garcia Introduces Factory Balanced Rods to Match the Revo and Soron Reels The quest for a better balanced combo is relentless for bass anglers that fish low profile baitcasters and what better way to get it dialed in than directly from the factory. That's what Abu Garcia's new aggressively priced rods are designed exactly to do...
	Triple Fish Demonstrates What's Old is New Again by Packaging and Marketing Their Product to Specific Audiences One of the highlights for us each year at ICAST is catching up with Dave Burkhardt and Mike Bucca over at the Triple Fish booth. Dave and Mike don't always have something new to show us, but they certainly have success stories to share of how well their line is received.
	Black Dog Baits Extends Their Cracker Series and Introduces Mr. Flippy One very notable difference at this year's ICAST is the lack of big bait manufacturers lining the aisles. Imagine our surprise then, when we met up with Grant Olguin of Black Dog Baits who was on hand to show us the production version of a bait he previewed with us back in May, the 4" billed Shellcracker, officially dubbed, "The Small Cracker".
	Penn's New Premium Rugged Saltwater Spinning Reels Penn, one of the most well known brands in saltwater reels is about to give anglers the most rugged, made in USA, saltwater spinning reel to date.
	Shimano's new Carbon based Stradic CI4 is a Winner Shimano had a big presence at the show and a bustling booth filled with buyers and media looking for information about the company’s new offerings. Jeremy Sweet was on hand to walk us through what he has been working on over the past year
	American Rodsmiths Takes a Swing at a New Grip Material Fishing and golf parallel each other in many ways from the design and construction of rod blank and golf club shafts to the specialized poles or clubs for each application or technique. In fact, it’s often said you wouldn’t go golfing with just your putter, so why go fishing with just one rod?
	Fin-Nor Plans to go Head-to-Head with the Competition It simply cannot fail, this is the mentality that big game anglers have when it comes to their tackle. Saltwater anglers have come to rely on brands like Penn when it comes to reliable yet reasonably reels and Fin-Nor wants to join that party with Fin-Nor's introduction of their new value priced spinning and conventional reels.
	ICAST 2009: Hot New Reels, Sizes, and PT Technologies from Quantum in 2010 We've previously explored Quantum's new reels that are due out in 2010 but at that time most were still in prototype stages. Here at ICAST we get a closer look at the reels in a near-production phase. The company partners up with some of the biggest names including none other than KVD himself
	Abu Garcia Upgrades the Revos and Introduces New Reels When Abu Garcia first introduced their Revo series of low profile reels the reception from consumers was phenomenal and the popularity of this series of reels continues to this day. One would think these already great reels make would make it tough for the team at Abu Garcia to up their ante year after year but that is exactly what they manage to do...
	Daiwa Advances Saltwater Reels and introduces the Aggrest Baitcaster As usual Daiwa had a big presence at the show and one of the largest booths on the show floor, and this year they were directly adjacent to their top competitor, Shimano. Daiwa spent a lot of time this year preparing new Saltwater reels for both inshore and big game
	PRODUCTTPREVIEW: Quantum's new 150 Sized Reels Previewed Prior to Launch Tomorrow As presented in TackleTour’s preview a month ago, Quantum is poised to introduce a new line of reels – dubbed their 150-sized reels – at ICAST this week. The design criteria behind the development of these reels was to make a reel that had the same profile as a 100 sized reel yet maintain the line capacity of a 200 sized reel.
	A Hands on Preview of the new Cumara “Reaction” series moving rods We kick of our ICAST coverage with an exclusive look at Shimano’s new Cumara Reaction series of rods which are specifically designed for fishing moving baits in varying types of cover. These rods build off the existing line of contact rods and feature similar cosmetics but with an action all their own.