Fishermen are among the world’s biggest dreamers. Word on the street is ICAST 2021 was packed with a wealth of innovative fishing lures, technical lines, reels, rods, accessories, apparel and other gear dreamed up by some of the industry’s wildest imaginations.
ICAST is short for International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades. Produced by the American Sportfishing Association, it’s the largest sportfishing trade show in the world.
Thousands of tackle manufacturers, tackle buyers, pro staffers and media representatives from around the globe gather annually for the shindig to see what is new in fishing tackle and other outdoor-related gear for the coming year.
It’s a big business platform built around having fun in an entertaining atmosphere. Lucrative sales and advertising agreements are cut at ICAST. Networking doors are opened. Sponsorship contracts are hatched. Trends within the industry are unveiled.
The 64th annual ICAST show held July 20-23 in Orlando, Fla., was particularly special because it brought industry brass together under the same roof for the first time since 2019 after COVID-19 forced the show into a virtual setting in 2020, according to ICAST communications director Mary Jane Williamson.
Williamson said nearly 11,000 people passed through the gates of the Orange County Convention Center this year. That’s down from the 15,000 or so that historically attend.
“It was a great show considering the circumstances,” Williamson said. “We’ve heard from quite a few people in the industry who weren’t there but wish they had been. We’re expecting 2022 to be even better.”
Like always, the ICAST highlight was the New Product Showcase. It’s a friendly competition that offers industry manufacturers the opportunity see how their newest wares stack up against others in a variety of categories.
Products are judged by buyers and media based on creativity, workmanship and practicality. Best of Category awardees garner global media attention. Winning a title is like a golden feather in the cap of a manufacturer.
Competition was brisk this year. Williamson said 686 products from 218 companies were entered in 30 new product categories. Best of Category awards were passed out in each division, along with one Overall Best of Show selection.
It’s always a treat browsing the Best of Category award list and checking out the newest crafts. Industry giant Pure Fishing was the biggest winner this year, but not by much.
The company reeled in five Best of Show category awards as well as the Overall Best of Show award with the Powerbait Gilly, a soft plastic bluegill swimbait from Berkley that also won the Freshwater Soft Lure category. Designed by MLF pro Mike Iaconelli, the scented swimbait relies on a ribbed tail section to deliver a lifelike action, not the broken body style found in a lot of bluegill imitations. It’s available in three sizes (3 1/2 to 5 inches) and can be rigged weightless, on a jighead, weighted swimbait hook, Texas rig or drop shot. Offered in 12 colors in packs of 2-4 baits for $6.49.
Other well-known outfits earning multiple Best of Category honors were Plano Molding and American Fishing Tackle Company (AFTCO) with four awards each. The Daiwa Corporation claimed 0two.
One product that really grabbed my eye is the HitchFire Forge 15, Best of Show winner in the Giftware Category.
The Forge 15 is a portable, gas-operated cooking grill built to travel down the road while secured to the 2-inch inch receiver hitch on your vehicle. It features a spacious 355 square inch cook top, two hideaway prep tables, a pair of high output burners fueled by two, one pound propane bottles and a built-in bottle opener for cracking open a cold one.
The grill attaches to a heavy-duty powder coated swing arm that allows for 90-degree or 180-degree positioning and convenient stowing against the bumper. You can detach the grill for tabletop use. It sells for $549.00,hitchfire.com.
A crafty item beachcombers are sure to love is the Sidekick Fishing and Beach Wagon from Kahuna Wagons, winner of the Fishing Accessory category.
Made from lightweight aluminum with stainless steel components to prevent rust, the wagon comes with 10 rod holders and a spacious 20 inch X 36 inch deck roomy enough to tote multiple coolers, tackle, umbrellas and other gear.
It sits on four, 11.8 inch balloon beach tires for easy towing over deep sand. The wagon weighs 45 pounds and hauls up to 350 pounds of gear. Sells for $579.99, kahunawagons.com.
In the Eyewear category, Costa Del Mar teamed up with Bureo to take the top award with four new frame additions to their Untangled Collection of sunglasses.
What makes the shades really cool is the frames are made from recycled fishing nets discarded and recovered from oceans around the world. Fittingly, Costa calls the material “NetPlus.”
Four new Lifestyle frame designs were introduced. They feature recycled aluminum logos and recyclable, polarized, and color-enhancing 580 mineral glass lenses. Pricing starts at $199, www.costadelmar.com.
Here is the full list of the Best of Show category winners. Most won’t be available until later in the fall or winter:
* Boating Accessories – Plano Molding
Product: Frabill Ultralight Conservation Net
* Boats and Watercraft – BOTE
Product: LONO Aero + APEX Pedal Drive
* Giftware – HitchFire
Product: HitchFire Forge 15
* Footwear – XTRATUF
Product: Ankle Deck Boot Sport
* Eyewear – Costa Del Mar, Inc.
Product: Untangled Collection: New Frames Made from Old Nets
* Lifestyle Apparel for Women – AFTCO
Product: Women’s Fields Utility Overall
* Lifestyle Apparel for Men – AFTCO
Product: Rescue Regenerated Fishing Shorts
* Warm Weather Technical Apparel – AFTCO
Product: Adapt Tactical Phase Change Hooded Shirt
* Cold Weather Technical Apparel – AFTCO
Product: Barricade Elite 4L Waterproof System
* Soft and Hard Coolers – Plano Molding
Product: Frabill Universal Bait Station
* Best of Category Electronics – Humminbird
Product: MEGA Live Imaging
* Cutlery, Hand Pliers/Tools – Bubba
Product: Pro Series Cordless Electric Fillet Knife
* Fly Fishing Accessory – Plano Molding
Product: EDGE Micro Magnetic Fly Box
* Fishing Accessory – Kahuna Wagons
Product: Sidekick Fishing & Beach Wagon
* Kid’s Tackle – Anything Possible Brands
Product: ProFISHiency NERF 5FT 6IN Micro Spin Cast Combo
* Tackle Management – Plano Molding
Product: Atlas Tackle Pack
* Terminal Tackle – Sharkbanz Fishing
Product: The Zeppelin – World’s First Shark Deterrent Tackle
* Ice Fishing – Garmin
Product: LiveScope Ice Fishing Bundle LI
* Fishing Line – Seaguar
Product: BasiX
* Freshwater Soft Lure – Pure Fishing, Inc.
Product: Berkley PowerBait Gilly
* Freshwater Hard Lure – Rather Outdoors
Product: Strike King Chick Magnet Flat-Sided Crank Bait
* Saltwater Soft Lure – Savage Gear USA, Inc.
Product: Duratech Crab
* Saltwater Hard Lure – Pure Fishing, Inc.
Product: Berkley Choppo Saltwater
* Fly Fishing Rod – G. Loomis
Product: NRX T2S 8810-2
* Freshwater Rod – Pure Fishing, Inc.
Product: Abu Garcia Zenon Rod
* Saltwater Rod – Bull Bay Tackle Company
Product: Banshee Rod – Bull Bay Rod
* Rod and Reel Combo – Pure Fishing, Inc.
Product: Abu Garcia Veritas Baitcast Combo
* Fly Reel – Pure Fishing, Inc.
Product: Greys Tital Fly Reel
* Freshwater Reel – Daiwa Corporation
Product: Zillion SV TW
* Saltwater Reel – Daiwa Corporation
Product: Saltist MQ
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