New Products from ICAST
Ugly Stick - Taking the crown for 2024 ICAST Best of Category for Freshwater Rod , the Ugly Stick GX2 defends its claim as America ' s favorite fishing rod . The new GX2 rod is packed with new features that make it tougher than ever . The guides now feature an upgraded , PVD coating that increases wear resistance and prevents corrosion . It also has a rubberized diamond EVA handle for better grip and improved durability . Comes with a 10-year warranty . uglystick . com •
Gadget Corner
by Mort Bank
F
New Products from ICAST
rom every corner of the world , outdoor writers and retail tackle buyers converged at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando , Florida recently for the world ' s largest recreation fishing tackle trade show . Better known as ICAST , it ' s the global showcase for the latest in fishing tackle , rods , reels , line , lures , electronics , clothing , boating accessories and ice fishing gear .
This year ' s show covered 500,000 square feet with over 1,000 booths . It takes me three full days to stop at each booth , but I ' m like a kid in a candy store ! I can hardly wait to see what new and exciting products will be introduced to the public later this year or in early 2025 .
ICAST also features the New Product Showcase where outdoor writers vote for the best new products in over 30 different categories . It ’ s " bragging rights " for the winners and their advertising will mention they won Best In Show at ICAST .
Here ' s some of the new products introduced at the recent ICAST show .
Connect-Ease - Today ' s new , powerful 36-volt brushless , direct drive , and lithium powered trolling motors require special , high-performance connections . Enter the Connect-Ease 36-volt Pro Kit , which features heavy-duty 6-gauge wire , on-board charging , 60-amp circuit breaker , and negative connection block -- bringing a quick and easy installation and powerful performance to any 36V trolling motor installation . The Connect-Ease kit contains the series connection and leads to connect any brand trolling motor and charging leads for the life of the boat . It features tinned marine-grade wire and components for complete corrosion-free connections . It provides 6-gauge wire and includes a 60-amp Resettable Circuit Breaker and Negative Connection Block with direct charger connection leads , including heat-shrinkable butt splices for quick connection to an on-board charger . connect-ease . com
Z-Man Shadron LT - It doesn ' t get any more life-like than Z-Man ' s new Shadtron LT . Its body design includes ultra-realistic gill plates , eyes , scales and fin details . Shadtron ' s wedgeshaped tail provides the perfect swimming action at a wide range of speeds , including extremely slow retrieves . It ' s perfectly balanced weighted harness and buoyant super plastic material allow the lure to maintain an upright posture on the slowest retrieves , on the fall , and even at rest on the bottom . Constructed from Z-Man ' s 10X Tough ElaZtech material to withstand repeated strikes from toothy gamefish , it outlasts competitive swimbaits by a wide margin . The Shadtron LT is offered in 4.5 " and 6 sizes in both slow and fast sink models . zmanfishing . com
St . Croix Seviin Reels - One year into the landmark launch of its Seviin reels brand at ICAST , it would be easy to imagine how St . Croix Rods might pump the brakes on new-product development . After all , creating a brand as significant as Seviin from scratch takes tremendous resources . But according to St . Croix brand manager , Ryan Teach that ' s not the case . “ We continue to innovate technologies like our all-new PHYSYX models , GXR Bass Systems , Rayfin and Mojo Musky series ,” he said . These rods in combination with a Seviin reels makes any angler ' s decision of which rod and reel to buy a heck of a lot easier . stcroixrods . com
Rapala PXR Jowler - Leave it up to Rapala to design a unique mouth design that creates a maximum surface disturbance , allowing the bait to have a hard-cutting , splash-and-walk action at any speed . Equipped with a dual frequency knocker that shifts for ultra-long casts and rings the dinner bell when retrieved . It ' s armed with premium custom built 1X VMC round bend Redline treble hooks to increase hook-up ratios and stand up
to big fish . rapala . com
Berkley Kerj - This weird-looking hard bait from Berkley won ICAST ' s Best New Hard Lure . It features a plastic lip that ’ s bent UPWARD , not down like every lure on the market .
I ' ve had the opportunity to use one and when I started my retrieve , I couldn ' t believe what I was seeing . After it hit the water , it began to sink but when I started my retrieve , it quickly RETURNED to the surface ! The inverted lip created an irresistible swimming action . But if I stopped my retrieve , the Krej didn ' t quickly sink to the bottom , like most lures , but slowly wobbled backwards toward any fish that was following my lure . I ' ve caught pike , bass and walleyes on it . I also tried it in saltwater and barracuda , tarpon , snook and sharks - loved it , too . purefishing . com
The Plano Frost Cooler is a culmination of 70 years experience and relentless testing . Built with industrial-strength molded construction , these coolers are designed to withstand toughest conditions . Shock-resistant protection and dual-stage latches for an airtight seal , the Frost Cooler ensures your contents stay cold for longer periods . While other brands are just catching on to the power of plastic , Plano has been perfecting injection molding techniques since the ' 60s , giving their coolers a competitive edge in durability and performance . purefishing . com
Ugly Stick - Taking the crown for 2024 ICAST Best of Category for Freshwater Rod , the Ugly Stick GX2 defends its claim as America ' s favorite fishing rod . The new GX2 rod is packed with new features that make it tougher than ever . The guides now feature an upgraded , PVD coating that increases wear resistance and prevents corrosion . It also has a rubberized diamond EVA handle for better grip and improved durability . Comes with a 10-year warranty . uglystick . com •
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