My Favorite ICAST 2024 Fishing Finds
Just spent the week at ICAST and found some really cool new fishing tackle off the beaten path
I’ve been going to ICAST for two decades now and after repeating anything for that long it can become hum drum for a lot of folks. However this year, ICAST 2024, was reinvigorating for me. In the past, I have had to rush around to try to see every single new product and talk to more than 150 industry representatives and cram it all into about 20 hours. Not the easiest of tasks and certainly not conducive to finding truly new and interesting new innovations at the show.
Since moving on from operations direction at Wired2fish and launching my new content marketing business, I have been afforded a lot more time to investigate new things in and around fishing and spend more time with the people I really enjoy in the fishing industry. And I was able to explore more of the fringes of ICAST to seek out the really cool new stuff coming down the pike.
So this isn’t an all encompassing everything from ICAST like I’ve done in the past. Honestly, ICAST does a pretty good job of covering the new stuff in their New Product Showcase.
But here is the new fishing tackle I am personally excited about for how I fish and like to fish.
ISLE Flywater Inflatable Kayak Skiff
One of the more impressive things I saw at ICAST was the ISLE Flywater Inflatable Skiff / Kayak. It’s a low-draft catamaran design that maximizes speed and range while paddling or under power. It featurs ISLE’s patented composite inflatable construction that's 3-5X more rigid and more durable than most other inflatables. This could be a boat I could haul to a stream, fly fish out of, and use a Bixpy or Newport motor to buzz me back up to the launch. I’m excited to test this one soon. BUY HERE
Bixpy K-1 Kayak Motor
I am excited to be testing the Bixpy motors out soon and I got to check them out in action at on-the-water at ICAST. I didn’t hop in a boat, but watched several other people take kayaks out for spins. This motor is quiet, efficient, sleek, with tons of mounting options for literally any personal watercraft. And using unique technologies borrowed from hydro-electric dam turbines, jet engines and airfoil technics used in aerospace applications. Super versatile. MSRP $1,299
Newport NK180PRO Electric Kayak Motor
Another very cool electric motor for kayaks and small watercraft, the NK180PRO will provide up to 6mph operation, with an astounding 16% increase in speed 25% decrease in noise. This motor is said to have a 100 mile range, 37.5 hours of max run time and 6+ mph speeds to get you where you want to go with 600w peak power.
Wilderness Systems Tactical Pro 128 Kayak
I watched this boat in action too at on-the-water during the ICAST show and was impressed by how far the angler could walk around in this kayak. He stood on the edge, walked all the way to the front and back and stood on the seat. It was wild how stable the boat was. With pre-ran power wires, ample optimized storage, and a motor mounting plate, seamlessly add the bow mount motor of your choice. More like a small boat than a kayak. MSRP $2,299
NuCanoe U10 Kayak
The NuCanoe U10 is a fully loaded, yet compact, fishing kayak with remarkable stability and performance. The U10 may be paddled, pedaled, or outfitted with bow or stern mount motors. The deck is thoughtfully designed to provide solutions for rod storage, rod staging, measuring boards, tackle, electronics, and more, all while preserving a clean, open deck. It’s 10'10" & 72 pounds. MSRP $1,599
Eurotackle Nage 2 3/4 inch Swimbait
Many folks know that I’m an avid ultralight and BFS angler. I fish with a lot of light gear trying to catch trophy bass, panfish and trout with super light tackle in sometimes remote locations. One of the new BFS type baits I really loved at ICAST is the new Eurotackle Nage. Eurotackle makes some really great ultralight, micro, BFS terminal tackle and lures already and they are expanding out with a new BFS swimbait that should just kill. I’m super pumped to test this one very soon.
Rebel Lures LiveFlex Soft Series
I’m a really excited about the new line of Rebel LiveFlex soft baits for creek and small waters fishing. These are all great looking baits that should work dynamite for bluegill, crappie, bass, red ear sunfish, trout and more. The Keg heads and flexible soft baits should be dynamite fish catchers for everyone.
Yo-Zuri 3DR-X Heavy Flat Minnow
Another one of the smaller BFS / Trout baits I was excited about was the new Yo-Zuri 3DR-X Heavy Flat Minnow. I think this will be a dynmaite bait for crappie, trout and even some panfish and bass on BFS gear. I’ve been experimenting the last few years with hard baits for panfish and these smaller micro minnow baits excel at certain times of the year for panfish and bass. These baits look awesome and should do really well for a ton of species.
Fisherman Corp. Trefle Creation RAFALE JT 93S
The RAFALE JT 93S has an avalanche joint range control system that produces an incredible casting distance. It has a super high pitch rolling action that attracts all fish eaters and swims steadily even in fast currents. The bait maker Hiroshi was one of the most interesting people I talked to at ICAST and his theories on bait movement and line sound might change how lures are made in the near future.
Fisherman Corp. Madotachi Gimikin
This was another super innovative lure I found while visiting with the Fisherman Corp. representatives from Japan at the ICAST show. This glide bait allows you to change the side planing fin angles, change or remove the lip, and even change the joint hinge with simple snaps and turns. So you can make the glide go from wide to narrow by changing the hinge. You can make the bait a crankdown or waker with the lip and side fin adjustments. So it’s like have 4-5 swimbaits in one with the Gimikin. I brought one home to fish and will be testing it this weekend. So stay tuned for more on this one.
Great Lakes Finesse Juvy Craw
The Juvy Craw was released at the Classic but was new to a lot of people at ICAST. I actually fished this bait a lot this spring and caught a lot of largemouth and smallmouth on it on the lake. I’m also fishing it all the time wading creeks in the hot summer months. It’s a smaller tube type craw. Instead of lots of tube appendages, it features claw appendages on a tube body. Coupled with their Micro Tube heads, it is the perfect morsel for smallmouth on any type of water.
Geecrack Supaku Swimmer 95F
Another dynamite BFS swimbait I saw at the show is the Supaku Swimmer 95F. It’s about 3 3/4 inches and this version floats. The addition of a lip on this bait generates a wider swimming action than its sinking predecessor. Wake it on top over shallow structure or across suspended fish chasing bait - this size and profile gets bit - now there is a new way to present it!! It dives 1-2ft.
Bucca Brand 6-inch Trick Shad
I am a huge fan of Bull Shad swimbaits and the Trick Shad is one of my favorite baits they’ve ever made. But they can be very hard to get with limited drops and also very expensive. These new ABS baits being built in collaboration with GSM and Bucca will make these dynamite fish catchers more available and affordable for guys that want to get into glide bait fishing at a decent price point.
Missile Baits Micro D-Bomb
One of my all time favorite plastic baits got a BFS size that I’m psyched about. This will be awesome on a micro swing head, which catches a ton of fish for me of all sorts of species. It will also pair perfectly with micro skirted jigs for some true BFS fishing where you are using small light lures and light line to coax big bass out of clear water cover. Very excited for this lure.
Spro Little John Micro 45
The SPRO Little John is one my shallow crankbait staples and the fact that they are offering a BFS version is going to be awesome. I can see this being a true catch everything crankbait for anglers. I’m very excited about this crankbait on BFS and light line applications for bass in clear water, panfish, trout and more.
Panfish Magnet Bream Boss
Tied on an Eye Hole Jig, these bluegill, sunfish and bream bugs will attract and catch any panfish that swims thanks to a lifelike body that offers flash, natural movement and place to add scent. That’s everything you need to catch a pile of bluegills. It comes in 4 great color combinations that mimic a lot of different buggy looking things on which panfish regularly feed.
Shimano Vanford FA
Building off the popularity of their Vanford launch of spinning reels a few years ago, the new Vanford FA incorporates new Shimano technologies into this reel. Guys that loved the old Ci4 reels are going to love these new Vanford FA spinning reels. These are going to become the workhorse spinning reels for a lot of serious anglers from trout and panfish weekend anglers to professional bass fishing anglers. Smooth, tight, light, great line management, balance and sensitivity all at a good price point.
Bates Hundo LTX BFS Baitcaster
I’m so excited Bates is expanding their reel lines into two of my favorite types of fishing—swimbaits and BFS fishing. I’m an avid bait finesse angler and fish for all sorts of fish all over the country with BFS reels. This new Hundo LTX BFS reel has a shallow light spool, great brakes, drag and smooth performance in the most solid frame you’ve ever felt. The reel is so light and will pair nicely with the highest end BFS rods you can find.
Bates G.O.A.T. SWM Baitcaster
The G.O.A.T SWM from Bates features a 200 size reel with a CNC aluminum frame. With a deeper spool for greater line capacity and a new brass gear set for exceptional durability and reliability, the new custom-milled 120mm titanium crank arm with oversized knobs will provide unmatched control of big bass. Other specs include 7.1:1 gear ratio, total weight of 9.4 oz, 10+1 bearings, and 15 pounds of drag that you can lock down.
Svivlo Draken ONE Baitcaster
This reel surprised me. I had not heard of this Finnish brand before but I watched some anglers cast it around at the casting pond. They have developed a technology that stops the reel from backlashing. So you don’t have to micro adjust your reel. I watched several guys skip baits with these reels without using their thumb to control the line.
Its CastGuard™ technology delivers not only smooth and backlash-free casting, but also remarkably effortless fishing. Tailored to both newcomers who seek simplicity and seasoned anglers requiring maximum lure time, it fine-tunes itself to any situation. With zero downtime, you’re free to immerse in the nuances of angling.
Weihai Crony Cross Lightning S Bass Rods
Crony is one of my all time favorite brands of rods. I received a Crony rod from a friend about 10 years ago. It was a jerkbait rod. It was the lightest rod I had ever fished, and everyone I let use it, tried to buy it off me. One person eventually broke the tip on it and I could have cried since I had no way to get to them. Now I am hoping to help bring their rods to easier access in the US because Crony and Handing are two of the top rod makers in China. I think people will be blown away by their rods like I was the first time and I’m excited to be collaborating with them now.
Eurotackle Rise BFS Soft Lure Special
This one of a kind BFS Ultra-Light rod was designed for soft-lure technique.
The uniqueness comes from its solid carbon tip allowing easy bite detection and optimal action for soft lures. Like all Rise Rods this model was built with T25 carbon, a split grip non slip handle, a minimal reel seat and high quality components such as stainless steel guides with low-friction ceramic.
Daiwa Ardito Telescopic Travel Rod
There is a high demand for telescoping rods for people who travel a lot and need a rod that breaks down fast and easy in a small pack while hiking or touring a foreign city with small lakes and rivers accessible on foot. The Ardito may be the first quality telescoping rods for serious anglers to have a quality pack rod that telescopes. I’m very excited to test this one soon. This telescopic rod fits nicely everywhere and packs in at under 15” in length and when extended it becomes 6’7”. MSRP $199
Daiwa PX BFS Rods
I checked out the PX BFS rods at the show. It’s nice to see Daiwa making some quality BFS rods to go with their new PX BFS Reels. There are two models a L and UL rod. So these will be fun rods to play with soon.
Darkmatter Multiverse Bass Swimbait Rods
I didn’t get to spend time in the booth with this rod but I picked it up at the Showcase and it’s going to be worth exploring for swimbait fishing. This 8-foot rod throws 1-5 ounce lures and has a ferrule in the fore grip so it's easy to ship and travel with. The guides are acid wrapped and it has comfortable cork grips. It feels like a solid rod for big bait fishing.
Handing M1 Bass Rods
I’m a huge fan of Handing. I have 5 or 6 of their rods already. Most of my panfish rods are Handing Magic ultralight rods. They have great price points and make good looking and better feeling rods. Their products are becoming more available either on their site or on Amazon. This new M1 Bass Rods are light. I just ordered mine this week so looking forward to fishing with these sticks soon.
Buzbe Colony Micro jig and fly box
I am a big fan of Buzbe and this new foam Colony box will make a great BFS, trout or panfish box. I will be able to put flies and accessories in one, micro baits or small jigs in these for a lot of my ultralight and fly fishing trips. These are thin boxes with foam options for organizing small tackle well.
Seaguar PEX8 Braid and R18 Fluoro
This new JDM braids and fluorocarbon lines offer high end Japanese performance that a lot of anglers look for when fishing ultra clear waters or fishing finesse presentations where you need really small diameter lines but still want confidence that you can land the fish with ultralight finesse gear. It delivers excellent performance in three key areas: strength, suppleness, and castability with its double-structure manufacturing process with two custom Seaguar 100% fluorocarbon resins to create a line with exceptional knot and tensile strength. PEX8 Braid is 22% smaller diameter than most braids on the market. Excited to test these lines soon.
ToadFish Line Nippers
These little line cutters are handy and convenient and cut braid, mono and other things easily. Attached to the retractable line, I can clip these on my fly pack, back pack or belt loop and have them at arms reach no matter where I am. The cutters are easy to handle with wider arms which is nice since I have pretty bad arthritis in my hands. The cutters are sharp, and you are able to cut easily with them. BUY HERE.
Island Optics Mako XL Sunglasses
These new oversized frames from Island Optics will check a lot of boxes for anglers. Comfortable, light, vented, great side and top light blocking design, double hinged arms, Gator Grip nose and ear pads for a perfect, no-slip fit. These lenses have Hydrophobic, Oleophobic, & Anti-Reflective coatings for increased optical clarity as well as an innovative OX2 dual polarized lens technology for sharper and more vibrant colors. I’ve used them already and they are awesome big sunglasses which I prefer when fishing for better viewing angles on the water. Best part is they are only $98 for a quality pair of sunglasses that would cost $200 with other brands. And they are a US family business out of Florida.
BKK OCD Tackle Storage System
The OCD Tackle system won best of show, and it’s nuts how well it organize their full range of hooks. I am hoping to get one of the empty boxes to organize my BKK hooks soon. I am modular guy when it comes to terminal tackle and I like this modular system where you can grab and go what you need from a total storage solution.
Benchmade Water Collection Fishing Knives
Benchmade is arguably one of the best knife companies in existance. I am a big fan of their hunting and EDC knives already and now they have a full line up of water knives. American made with corrosion-resistant CPM-MagnaCut stainless super steel, the knives have been tested by commercial and recreational fishermen alike. These are high-end knives made to last a generation and backed with their LifeSharp service to keep your knife in perfect working order forever.
Simms Headwaters Sling Pack
Simms showcases quality with all of their on the water offerings. Built with durable and water-resistant fabric with water-resistant YKK Aquaguard zippers, the Headwaters Sling Pack features an ambidextrous design to meet the needs of all anglers. Featuring an internal foam fly retainer panel and magnetic closure stash pocket, the 12-liter Headwaters Sling Pack also comes equipped with a fold-out compression molded workstation to offer a durable rugged pack to last a lifetime of fishing trips.
Simms Flyweight Packable Wader
Lightweight and self-stowing, Simms all-new waterproof/breathable Flyweight Packable Wader provides anglers with an innovative, feature-rich option that travels easy and provides next-level performance. The wader stuffs inside the front zippered chest pocket and features a rugged 4-layer Toray® lower and highly packable 2.5 layer Toray® upper. Opposing buckles allow for a waist-high conversion on hot days and 1mm neoprene stocking feet provide comfort and also contribute to superior packability.
YakRods Mighty Micro Rod Keep
This is a pretty neat idea. The YakRods offer rods tethered to a magnetic cable for folks fishing on foot or in a kayak. Bit this Micro Rod Keep offers a mount point on your kayak to magnet your YakRod to it when you’re not using it and makes adding rod holders easier on your kayak. Pretty slick deal I thought.