“What to look for at ICAST 2011”

The Product Review Corner – July 2011
by: Tom Branch, Jr.

 The ICAST show will be in Las Vegas July 13-15. This is when all the tackle manufacturers unveil their latest gadgets and stuff for the up-coming year. I continue to be awestruck by the innovation and smart designs coming out every year. So by using some my contacts, within the fishing industry, I have been given a small pre-show reveil on some of the lures, accessories, apparel, and terminal gear. These are some of the most innovative, unique, and downright craziest gadgets I have seen in a while, but, they will all be coming to tackle shops near you very soon.

Costa Del Mar Harbor Style– for Women only

These fashion-focused & sporty styled frames are perfect for the lady who wants to fish, hang at the beach or pool, take a hike in the jungle, or anything in between. They are very fashionable, comfortable and the lense size blocks out excess sun incredibly well. These new Costa Del Mar sunglasses feature nylon frames with multiable colored lenses to choose from. They are polarized, lightweight, shatter-resistant for durability, and will block 100% of UVA and UVB rays to keep your eyes protected. The Lenses come with either the famous 580P polycarbonate or standard glass lenses. Almost all Costa Del Mar frames are available to be fitted with Rx lenses.

Mizmo 4" Tri-Lam Tubes 

Just when you thought you had seen it all, Mizmo Bait Company, the leader in tube innovation, presents the new Tri-Lam Tubes.  Mizmo has developed a patented new production process that allows these new 4" tubes to have never seen before seen color combinations.  This new process allows a thin color strip to be added through the middle, the next step in developing the perfect tube. The ability to add this "lateral line" allows for more life-like color combinations. Now Mizmo will be able to produce new fish patterns such as: Real Goby, Super Shad and the Real Gill.  This will take the Mizmo's tube baits to a new level of fish catching excitement!

Eco Pro Tungsten – Wacky Rig weights

A really easy concept that is simple to use, all you need to do is insert the eye of the weight into your favorite wacky rig plastic.  Once you do that, skin hook the bait through the eye at a 90 degree angle to the bait. This is the best part of it, it will increase your hook ups and makes your baits last longer.  I have always just used the o-rings and they worked, but the hook would always be running perpendicular to the bait and you would often miss fish. The Eco Pro Tungsten – Wacky Rig weights will be available in a variety of sizes and colors to match your plastic. This promises to take finesse fishing to the next level!

Strike King– Sexy Frog

The Sexy Frog was designed by a few pro bass fishermen who wanted to improve what was already have on the market and make it better. With the help of Bassmaster Elite Angler Greg Hackney, Strike King feels they have found the best frog every! This frog features some unique innovations, notably there is a drain in the back of the frog by way of a pre-drilled hole that allows the frog to easily drain the water out of the body cavity inbetween casts. The Sexy Frog also features a hard underbelly designed to enhance the action and balance of the frog. The underside of the frog has contours similar to the bottom of a boat, directing water flow along its sides and making it extremely easy to walk. The top of the frog is super soft which ensures its collapsibility when a fish bites down on the frog projecting the hooks into the fish's mouth for a game changing hook up! This is the first frog to have a built-in tungsten rattle that is actually secured to the internal part of the hook. “There is no better frog on the market in my opinion!” stated Greg Hackney.

Kumho hooks USA

Welcome to the fishing industries new hook company Kumho USA. They are bringing 4 new hooks Creature, Tube, Worm and Flipping styles in 3 different sizes to the fishing world. All the hooks will be chemically sharpened needle points built with POWERPOINT technology. This makes them among the sharpest and strongest hooks on the market today. No more worries about rolled points and missed fish! Satin Black nickel finishes and truly innovative designs all combined to make Kumho USA the go to brand for today’s tournament anglers. All hooks will come with the new patented “Reaper Keeper”. Just Texas rig any soft plastic bait on the “Reaper Keeper” and it locks the bait in place. Bassmaster Elite angler Gary Klein says “This is the simplest and most effective keeper system every invented!”

Save Phace - Simply Sick series

The Save Phace Simply Sick Series SUM (Sports Utility Masks) are a way to save your face from rain that can feel like a 1,000 stinging needles and water your eyes from the cold wind. It will eliminate the sudden extreme pain from hitting bugs at 70+ mph. The Save Phace masks are designed to fit 98% of the world's face population. If you fit into that 98% range, you are about to experience a whole new type of face protection. These cool looking face masks are lightweight (weighs less than a 2lbs), comfortable, can be easily stowed away. Each Save Phace mask is constructed from tough, durable ABS plastic with an interchangeable smoke Polycarbonate lens. These lens WILL NOT fog up, it literally takes less than 2 seconds to put it on and take it off and they fit easily over sunglasses or prescription glasses. These Save Phace Sports Utility Masks are a must have if you are a bass fisherman with a need for speed! 

Bass King Outdoor Gear

Entering the clothing market with shirts, shorts and hats, the BASS CAMO Board shorts really stand out with a unique feature of a one of a kind bass camouflage print that has hidden icons embedded into the design.  No one pair if shorts are the same and if you look closely, you just might spot some bass, catfish, lures, and more…did you find the BASS KING logo?  Built with off the hook comfort and made from super soft yet ultra durable “QUICK-DRY” Microfiber fabric, these shorts feature a side storage pocket with Velcro closure, a hidden tool pocket, and back pocket with zipper closure.  From the weekend warrior to the tournament angler and everyone in between, the BASS CAMO Board shorts are a must have addition to any fisherman’s wardrobe!

Jackall ASKA 60SR

This crankbait could change the crankbait market forever. This is a revolutionary new square bill crankbait that is the most advanced crankbait in the world. It has taken Jackall over 5 years to design and perfect this bait. It will be featured with Gamakatsu treble hooks which are designed to have less play so the bait has less chance to tangle the hooks with the bill. The bill is a fiberglass circuit board style lip that is inserted into the front of the bait. This style lip allows the bait to grab more water. The slender body design has a fast wobbling and straight running action that Mr. Bass cannot resist. This unique lure design has the perfect balance to help make it snag less and deflect off objects. Truly a piece of work from Jackall !

Eco Pro Tungsten – Diamond Peg

After the bait is rigged, the Diamond Peg goes through the eye of the hook and the plastic at the same time, locking them in place. It's like the old toothpick trick, but much easier to do. The Eco Pro Tungsten Diamond Pegs come in 4 different sizes so they will work with a variety of hooks and plastic sizes. Designed for Texas rigs, you don't have to do anything different with the soft plastic itself, the unique shape makes them lock into the eye perfectly pegging all plastics. Throw away your toothpicks!!!!

Mizmo 7" Ish Tube “Go Big or Go Home”

You may be thinking, "The Ish Tube isn't new!” Several years ago, Bassmaster Elite and FLW Pro Ish Monroe took his idea of an over-sized tube to some plastics companies in an effort to get this "Big Fish" producing bait in the hands of the everyday angler.  Unfortunately, no company was able to get the bulky size he wanted while maintaining the softness he needed for a good hook set, until now!  Mizmo Bait Company has been working closely with Ish for some time now to "redevelop" the Ish Tube.  Let's face it . . . Big Fish Love Big Baits!  At just under 7" long, this big tube is big enough to entice even the biggest of largemouth, yet soft enough to ensure optimal hook penetration.  Ish finally got the tube he originally wanted and thanks to Mizmo, so can you.

Simms – Pro Dry GORE-TEX Suit

This product is the result of years of on-the-water testing and product refinement with their partners at W.L. Gore & Associates. For past 3 years, this Suit has accompanied the world’s best bass anglers at the Bassmaster Classic-a critical testing ground. The new Simms Pro-Dry GORE-TEX suit will keep you dry in the most miserable of conditions. Light mist or a heavy down pour - it is not a challenge for the Pro-Dry suit. The GORE-TEX Pro Shell fabric Simms uses in this suit offers incredible breathability and 100% waterproof protection. This suit is guaranteed for extreme wet weather - up to 22” of rainfall per hour!  This light and comfortable suit is made for running in high powered boats and staying dry while on the water fishing. If you fish a lot as do professional anglers, tournament anglers, and fishing guides, the Simms Pro-Dry GORE-TEX Suit is a must have, It's an exceptional rain suit for all kinds of weather conditions.

Plano - 728 Angled Tackle System

This new compact size is joined up with an innovative series of angled storage systems. The gravity feed-and-store concept provides anglers with quick and easy access to what they need while keeping their gear secure. The 728 Angled Tackle System securely holds three 2-3650 StowAway utility boxes with ProLatch durable and positive closures within its 15-degree angled storage platform. The box also has ample storage space under the lid, and its two top-access storage areas above have DuraView lenses for a quick look at contents. 

 

About the author: Tom Branch, Jr. is a freelance outdoor writer and a full time Lieutenant/Firefighter-Paramedic with over 25 years of service with the Gwinnett County Fire Service in Georgia. He has been working in the Outdoor Industry for over 15 years and has done everything from successfully managing and developing a pro fishing team, developing new products, designing packaging, participated in different radio and television shows and developing Writer’s Conferences. He and his wife Kim live north of Atlanta in Braselton, GA with their 2 labs Jake and Scout.
Check out his blog at – http://outonalimbwithtombranchjr.blogspot.com
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