ICAST 2011 fishing tackle show manufacturer coverage



	It's a Wrap! Rods, Lures, and Terminal Tackle from ICAST 2011 Before we return to our normally scheduled review editorial it is time to make one final sweep of ICAST 2011. There was just so much to cover and so little time. We only were able to cover about 50% of what we hoped to before the lights went off.
	Accurate's new BX and SR rods help tip the scale for Anglers Accurate bolsters their line of rods with new BX and SX (casting and spinning) models designed to pair perfectly with the company's own reels. These lightweight rods feature a floating fulcrum design to tip the scales in favor of anglers when it comes to a tug of war with big fish.
	ABT's King Dawg makes Walking the Dog easy while the Hybrid Shad gets down This ICAST there was a little less emphasis on swimbaits than in years past but the appetite for these lures is just as strong as ever. This ICAST ABT introduced a range of new swimbaits to target fish throughout the water column.
	SIMMS is Locked and Loaded to Address the Bass Market with Premium Garments This year Simms made a major push into the bass fishing market with new garments that sport specific features for freshwater conventional anglers yet showcase the same level of quality and attention to detail the brand is known for.
	Berkley Trout and Panfish Baits - Plus Garlic Without a doubt Berkley has the most robust lineup of baits, and it is always amazing how many sku's they add each year. This coming season they plan on expanding their trout and panfish lineup and introduce a number of small yet detailed lures which can also be used for finesse fishing.
	Sebile Cranks Up A Best of Show Award for Hardbaits Though Sebile is now part of Pure Fishing, the innovation from this brand continues. With the freedom to continue to develop new concepts Patrick Sebile has even more resources in which to innovate. This year he introduced a crankbait that took best of show in the hardbait category.
	Sunline's New "Reaction" Fluorocarbon Sure sounds like an oxymoron to me, but Sunline is convinced they've found the right mix between manageability and sensitivity to make their new reaction bait fluorocarbon a go. It's so new in fact, there's no name associated with the product yet other than "Reaction".
	Lobina's Commitment to Topwater is "Clear" The Rico Popper has become a mainstay in the tackle boxes of serious bass anglers that enjoy fishing for largemouth with topwater poppers. This season this go-to bait gets a range of clear new finishes designed for pressured fish.
	Ahi USA Introduces Enhanced Diamond Jigs Ahi USA showcases a new line of diamond jigs at ICAST this year. This new bait has all the benefits of a standard diamond jig but with added enhancements designed to improve both performance and durability.
	Vagabond Swims into the Mainstream Always with a presence at past ICAST events, we long ago adopted a look, but don't touch approach when it came to this Japanese lure manufacturer known for hand carved, hand painted works of lure art and equally impressive, hand built rods. They are a prime example of the difference between the Japanese and US markets - until this year.
	Numa's Ballistic Eyewear Stands up to Serious Use Earlier this year we completed a test of a pair of Numa Optics that took us from fishing on the California Delta to snowmobiling in Lake Tahoe. One thing was clear, Numa builds a very durable pair of sunglasses. Designed for everything from extreme sports to military applications Numa was at ICAST to unveil their newest Ballistic eyewear.
	ima's Introduces new BeastHunter Crankbaits and Roumba Patterns One of the stops we always look forward to each and every ICAST is in the ima booth. Their Shaker and Big Stik baits are favorites among all the staff, so when it finally came time to drop in to see what was new, we were more than anxious to proceed. On hand to takes around were Jun Shoji and Fred Roumbanis.
	Ready for some Canadian Product? Rapala Canada at ICAST Rapala Canada reserved a meeting room once again to show off what they have in store for the coming year. Tom McMurray was on hand to show us what's new and if this year is any indication, next year, they're gonna need a bigger room!
	Evolve's Topwater Baits are Extremely Realistic Evolve popped onto the scene earlier this season with a number of topwater frog lures that all showcased a very high level of realism. These frogs are among the most realistic we have seen to date and are fished quite unlike traditional frogs which are walked side to side.
	Lamiglas's Excel Line Expands to Address Inshore Lamiglas has always been a true rod manufacturing company in that they cater to more than just one market. They make rods for the river, inshore, and deep sea fishing as well as for the fly and surf anglers. This year in what's new with Lamiglas we caught up with the man in charge of operations, John Posey, who showed us their new Excel Inshore rods.
	St. Croix Introduces New Rods with Neoprene Skin, Micro Guides, and More Each and every year St. Croix introduces new rods that address specific applications, and while the company has a wealth of offerings they all look and feel like they are all from the same family. The St Croix family of rods are among the most hi-tech and consistent sticks on the market.
	Evergreen International... the tease continues, for now It's like a tease every year when we see Evergreen International on the floor. It's no secret we appreciate their product, and they know the demand is there, but they are still carefully working through the best strategy to import their products.
	Jackall Introduces New Ultra Realistic Finesse Lures Earlier this year Jackall took home an Editors Choice for the excellent performing Crosstail shad which really produced when fished on a drop shot rig. Jackall has built up a reputation for quality and innovation, and this season has expanded their line of baits including some of which are ideal for finesse applications.
	More for Bass to Bite at Big Bite Baits Dean Rojas's win at the B.A.S.S. Battle of the Bayou back in April of 2011 really helped put Big Bite Baits on every plastic chucking bass angler's radar nationwide. We caught up with Mike Valster at ICAST 2011 to see what else this company has been up to.
	Triggerfish, a steerable lure, by ThinkTankLures We get waved down and pulled aside into so many booths, the task to report on it all can be daunting. What's more not all of it is necessarily worthy of coverage. But when we came upon ThinkTankLure's booth and took a look at their new product, the Triggerfish, well, we were genuinely excited.
	A new Bobby Barrack Buzzfrog from Snag Proof Snag Proof is still the king of frogs, and while there are many new offerings from other brands more Pro Anglers continue to turn to the proven performance of Snag Proof hollow bodied frogs than any other. This season the company has expanded their offerings with two new offerings designed to illicit more of those spectacular topwater strikes.
	Skeet Reese and Kelly Jordan roll out new baits with Lucky Craft USA Following quickly on the heels of our now completed review of the Lucky Craft Real Supreme 200 swimbait, the folks over at Lucky Craft greeted us enthusiastically. On hand to take us through what was new and exciting with the company this year were bass pros Kelly Jordan and Skeet Reese.
	Boomerang Tools even makes a �Snip� Intriguing The Boomerang Tool company has expanded their offerings as well as refined exiting tools like their flagship pair of retractable pliers. These tools feature excellent functionality at a reasonable price, and as the name of the company implies, each and every tool features a retractable design making it easy to stow and secure the tool at all times.
	Quantum and KVD Introduce New Classic Winning Reel and Rods At ICAST Quantum along with Bassmaster champion KVD introduced the new Quantum TourKVD PT Cracking Classic baitcast reel and the newly refined TourKVD PT cranking rods as well as a complete set of new TourKVD PT graphite models. KVD worked closely with the team at Quantum to introduce the new series which is finely tuned to his specifications.
	New Cranks from Spro & Overseas News One of the fringe benefits of working for TackleTour is learning about products long before they are released. Part of the huge responsibility of being a member of Team TackleTour is keeping information like this confidential. There are few tasks more difficult in the fishing industry than trying to keep the wraps on a new product.
	Denali's exotic rod offerings now include Mark Tyler multi-purpose and Murphy jerkbait rods Denali showcased a number of new rods at ICAST 2011, and unlike many other rod brands the company's rods are instantly recognizable with their exotic hardwood highlights. In addition to new models the company also highlighted a slick new logo and branding on their blanks.
	Bryan Thrift's Limited Edition Skipping Stick by Damiki Damiki continues to refine their product lineup with new introductions throughout their range from soft plastics to hardbaits to terminal tackle to yes, a limited edition, limited production, signature fishing rod designed by Bryan Thrift, 2010 FLW Angler of the Year.
	New Cranks, Jerks, and Pops from Damiki Damiki not only has a host of new soft bait introductions for 2011, but they have a few key hardbaits as well including a new topwater, jerkbait, crank, and lipless crank. Bryan Thrift takes us through the lineup.
	Dobyns Rods Goes Micro & Army It's been a quiet couple of past ICAST shows for the camp at Dobyns Rods so we were curious to see if they had anything new for the coming 2012 season. Always in good spirits, Gary Dobyns himself was there to take us through their new sticks.
	Iaconelli's New "Lover", by Molix If you've been paying attention, you'll have noticed, Molix has finally made it to North America. This Italian based company's product began shipping earlier this year and just before ICAST, debuted on the web pages of TackleWarehouse. We caught up with Mike Iaconelli so he could share with us, news of his new "Lover".
	Ardent's new "Edge"... Drag Tracking Technology Ardent is a rare breed, a reel company that designs and manufacturers reels right here in America. This ICAST the domestic brand showcased their new lineup of Edge baitcasters which possesses a new drag tracking design that was probably the most innovative new baitcasting reel feature at the show.
	Gamakatsu spins out a arsenal of new finesse hooks When we're looking for a quality hook product, Gamakatsu is one of two or three manufacturers we turn to first. The quality of product this company continues to turn out is staggering. Earlier this year, Shin Fukae showed us two products that were planned for debut at ICAST 2011 and they delivered as promised.
	Kahara's new mini frog is tiny We first saw Kahara's product at ICAST 2010. We were enamored with their aluminum fishing pliers sculpted to fit in your hand and complete with a carrying holster all for just $49. This year, Kahara extended that line with some new colors and options as well as an intriguing new bait.
	Normark/Rapala USA debut a wide range of VMC armed tackle Normally Normark Corporation, parent company to Rapala USA, inundates us with a host of new product each year. But this year, they've concentrated on filling out and refining some of their product line. David James was on hand to show us the highlights...
	e21's "Wild" new Rods New this year for e21? A Wild strain of black carrots. e21 is makes use of a new coating system for increased durability and lighter overall weight. All graphics and labels are moved to the back of the rod taking the practice of proper weight placement to an extreme - the fewer labels and graphics at the front of the rod, the less weight there is.
	Lew's broadens offerings including new Wally Marshall Signature Crappie Reels and Rods Lew's made a huge splash last season and it looks like they did it again this ICAST by broadening their existing line of reels as well as introducing a complete range of new Crappie specific reels and rods designed by Mr. Crappie himself, Wally Marshall.
	First Look at Okuma's new lightweight Helios and C3-40X rods Okuma's new baitcasters looked even better in person than the original product photos we obtained pre ICAST. To match up with these new reels Okuma is introducing two new rod lines, the Helios and C3-40X series, both of which feature forward thinking designs and an emphasis on light overall total weight.
	Phenix Rods Continues to Evolve First up in Phenix's new lineup for 2012 will be their Bass Recon line of rods featuring blanks made of Toray 36 ton graphite (T36). The goal here was to deliver a built up rod that was light, sensitive, and affordable.
	Abu Garcia Introduces Villain and Offers New Veritas Rod Models Last year Abu Garcia introduced the Veritas series of rods, which have been a big hit throughout 2011. This year, though, they not only added more technique-specific rods to the Veritas lineup, they�ve added a whole new line of high-end rods, the Villain series, to match the new Revo-MGX. First, lets take a look at Abu�s new Villain rods and then see what they added to the Veritas series.
	Owner America Corporation Innovates with the JigRig In past years we were surprised to see Owner venture into the soft bait market. We had always thought of them as a terminal tackle company. This year, when we met up with Dennis Yamamoto, we were half expecting to see a new grub, lizard, or other soft bait, but were surprised again to see the only new introductions for 2012 they had to show us was some exciting new terminal tackle.
	Koppers exciting new freshwater lures includes a Killer Field Mouse We can always count on Koppers to introduce new and exciting lures and this year was no different. The company is probably best known for their hardbaits but for two years in a row the company has now won Best of Show awards in the softbait category. We take a look at the new Koppers freshwater lures first, including the very realistic (and cute) Field Mouse.
	Pinnacle Fishing Reaches for New Heights New reel manufacturers are always a treat for us here at TackleTour. Last year, we met the folks over at Pinnacle Fishing for the very first time and were intrigued at their value priced product. This year, we caught up with pro-staff John Crews who took us through the new Pinnacle reels.
	Shimano Launches new Sustain and Stradic spinning reels armed with X-Ship With our finesse theme this year we spent extra time checking out the latest spinning reels this year and we were excited to discover that Shimano is introducing new Stradic and Sustain spinning reels this year. These reels now come with improved ergonomics and features to increase cranking power thanks to X-Ship design.
	Abu Garcia�s Lightweight Revo MGX flies away with the win Abu Garcia continues to impress the audience with the Revo family as they introduce the new REVO MGX, a magnesium alloy reel that�s super lightweight, has great looks along with other awesome features. They also revamped the MAX family of reels by providing a more compact design, new cosmetics, and updated gear ratios.
	Daiwa Goes "Ballistic" at ICAST with new reels and rods If you checked out our Pre-ICAST T3 article then you already know about the new T3 Ballistic reel, but just what does "Ballistic" really mean? This new designation describes Daiwa's Zaion Carbon constructed reels and rods and the company is also introducing Ballistic spinning rods and reels this coming season.
	Quantum Leap Into the EXO Generation Last year Quantum quietly wowed the ICAST audience with the Smoke baitcasting reel � this year they chose to blow the show off its foundation. To start off, they graced the Las Vegas Convention Center with one of the largest, media-filled booths, featuring large flat-screen monitors with video showcasing their new Generation EXO product.
	Shimano Redefines Low Profile Baitcasting Reel Lineup Shimano made some major changes to their baitcasting line this ICAST and at the center of this revamp are the updated Curado G and Citica G reels as well as a new Chronarch E that now shares the same profile as the previous generation Curado E reels. Key to this change is an effort to give these reels a stronger linked identity and making them more affordable to tournament anglers and weekend warriors.
	Daiwa Introduces Advanced Saltwater Reels at ICAST including a New Saltiga and Millionaire Daiwa made a real mark in the saltwater fishing world when they introduced the original Saltiga and the line has since evolved into one of the most premium saltwater series of reels on the market. This ICAST Daiwa upped the ante in a major way with the new Saltiga spinning reels which make use of some very advanced new "space age" features...
	G.Loomis Launches a Completely Updated Series of GL2 Rods Last year G.Loomis made huge waves with the introduction of new NRX rods. These premium rods was a radical departure for Loomis in many respects including the blank material itself to the more aggressively styled split grip and hybrid guide design. The series has become a top seller for the brand and the company now addresses the opposite end of the spectrum with a completely updated series of GL2 rods.
	A Pre-ICAST "What's Up" With Ken Whiting : Airrus Rods With Ken Whiting you can always expect the unexpected. So prior to this year's ICAST we wanted to do a "What's Up" With Ken Whiting and get the early scoop on things before they make their debut on the show floor tomorrow.
	Daiwa Unveils the Exciting T3 Baitcaster As we gear up for ICAST 2011, just two days away, we check out some of the manufacturers new offerings for the coming season. Near the top of the list of highly anticipated new baitcasters has to be the Daiwa T3 series reels which make use of a brand new levelwind mechanism called the T-Wing System.
	Okuma Introduces four new low-profile baitcasters In advance of the upcoming ICAST 2011 show a number of manufacturers are starting to release information about their new products. This ICAST we expect to see greater emphasis on higher end freshwater products and Okuma kicks things off with four brand new low profile baitcasters.