In a perfect world, tackle manufacturers who exhibit at the ICAST international tackle trade show each year in Orlando would hand out products freely to fishing-crazy anglers to test and try out. Like sample bites at Costco. One can dream, right? At every turn, we saw another piece of gear that looked particularly useful, innovative or interesting, or all of those. In this gallery, I offer 12 of the most noteworthy new products that caught my eye at ICAST.
AFTCO Fortress Rain Jacket
Bring on the deluge: AFTCO’s new Fortress is aptly named for its serious weatherproofing. The jacket is constructed with a Toray 100-percent nylon membrane rated at an outstanding 30K waterproof. A SpeedVent two-way adjustable hood is designed to remain in place. YKK AquaGuard zippers and “double-dry” hook-and-loop cuffs prevent water seepage up into sleeves. Keep your stuff dry in an internal-zipper chest pocket and an interior mesh pouch pocket. Available only in black, the Fortress retails for $549; matching Fortress Bib is the same price. The Fortress will be available by October 15, 2024. aftco.com
Berkley Forward Braided Line
It proved impossible to walk far along the ICAST aisles without seeing products designed around forward-facing sonar. Berkley has joined the trend with its new Forward finesse braid. What makes a braid more suitable for use with a particular sonar application? A braid that is thermally fused, Berkley’s proprietary process keeping the line rounder longer. A smooth, rounder line allows farther casts with more accuracy to take advantage of targets identified far ahead. The very-small-diameter Forward also has a better sink rate than other braids, allowing a bait or lure to drop down into the zone identified on sonar ahead. Forward is available in lo-vis green, crystal or flame (hi-vis) green, in 150-yard spools (4- to 17-pound test) or 1,500-yard spools (8- to 17-pound test), with price ranging from $29.99 to $299.99. It will be available by November 2024. berkley-fishing.com
DHUKR Human Dehooker Tool
Horror stories abound among anglers of fishing days cut short with trips — very costly trips — to an emergency room to remove a hook stuck in a finger or arm (or worse). The Dhukr Human Dehooker Tool is designed to allow anglers, even if fishing alone, to quickly and safely facilitate hook removal on site. Designed by an ER doc who is also an avid angler, the tool is designed to push down on a hook to provide a clear path for the barb to come back out while simultaneously pulling the hook out, all in one swift motion. While Dhukr is actively marketing its tool as a must-have for emergency-care providers who are likely to encounter hook-removal situations, the simple tool is also intended to be available on fishing boats or in tackle boxes. It sells for $59.99. dhukrtool.com
FishLab Game Changer Hardbait
And the winner of ICAST’s Best Saltwater Hard Lure goes to the FishLab BBZ Hard Mullet Swimbait. The result of months of on-the-water testing with anglers, experts and tournament pros, the BBZ Hard Swimbait is specifically designed to lure in gamefish from far distances. The team at FishLab (an Okuma brand) is super proud of how lifelike their new lure is. It features a four-piece design that mimics the movement of minnows and other baitfish, super slow sink, and a hybrid tail that creates a lifelike swimming action. FishLab goes so far as to call it “a game-changer for targeting big and hungry predatory fish.” Now, the BBZ Hard Swimbait can be tested by its biggest focus group yet: the rest of us. Suggested retail price: $17.99. www.fishlabtackle.com — Shawn Bean
Frogg Toggs Tackle Vault
Sometimes the simplest design can be the most useful, as in this case. Unlike fabric-based tackle-management systems, the Tackle Vault is a lightweight polymer (EVA) that is impervious to saltwater, will not mold or mildew, and is instantly cleaned up with a hose-down. Designed to hold four 3700-size utility tackle boxes, the vault keeps gear visible and immediately accessible. It uses a MOLLE (modular light-weight load-carrying equipment) system with attachment slots of accessories such as plier holders or knife sheaths. An adjustable nylon-web shoulder strap facilitates carrying. MSRP: $39.00. froggtoggs.com
Palmarius L Series Slow Pitch Jigging Rod
At 7 feet, 2 inches, this jigging rod is a bit longer than typical; it’s designed for use from larger boats. The Palmarius L Series relies on two densities of carbon fiber mat woven at opposing angles for strength, and offers notable backbone so “the rod will not just bend like a rubber band, and you can control your fish,” according to the manufacturer, who points to the rods’ greater lifting and hooking-setting power. The rods are equipped with Fuji SIC (silicon carbide) guides and a titanium Torzite tiptop. The manufacturer offers a limited lifetime replacement warranty. Four rod strengths to handle from 100- to 300- gram jigs on the lighter end to 300- to 650-gram jigs on the heavy end. Retail starts at $429.95. palmariusrods.com
Rapala Sarda Trolling Lure
Rapala’s come a long way from offering only its classic hard lures made of balsa wood: The new all-stainless-steel one-piece Sarda would appear to be essentially indestructible. The 7-inch, 7-ounce lure is designed to be trolled at high speed, up to 14 knots. It boasts two 8/0 VMC 7286 TechSet hooks. Rapala says the lure is made to catch big-game pelagics such as tunas, wahoo, mahi and dorado. It’s available in 13 colors at a retail price of $49.99. rapala.com
Savage Gear RevMag Walker Lure
Savage (a Pure Fishing brand) has taken the weight-transfer system found in many lures to a new level. Perfectly level, in fact, which is the point of the reverse magnetic weight-transfer design in the RevMag Walker. The internal weight moves backward during the cast, then the internal magnet kicks in to transfer the weight, propelling it forward to ensure a smooth, flat landing when it hits the water, allowing the angler to immediately begin its wide side-to-side walking action. The lure is available in 95 and 120 millimeters (3 ¾ inch and 4 ¾ inch) and 10 colors, and is priced at $14.99. It should be available in September, 2024. savagegear.com
Scotty 131 Action Camera Boom Mount
A leading manufacturer of marine mounting systems, this marks the company’s first action-camera mount. The lightweight carbon-fiber tubes will be a boon for kayakers. It measures 52 ½ inches at its maximum, and its dual ball joints (with easy-grip T knob) provide infinite flexibility for positioning a GoPro or other action camera, with 360 degrees of rotation on the pan axis and 180 degrees of travel on the tilt axis. Retails for $98.99. scotty.com
Shimano Talica 20IIA
In designing the new Talica 20IIA, Shimano’s goal was establishing an industry benchmark for two-speed lever-drag reels. That includes a new drag design that incorporates what Shimano calls Infinity Drive technology allowing the cross-carbon drag to max out at a whopping 50 pounds, while reducing side-load pressure. The reel replaces the old oval knob with a larger handle for greater cranking power, particularly with the reel in low gear (1.9:1 ratio). In high gear, it cranks at 5.2:1. The 20IIA holds 725 yards of 65-pound PowerPro braid. The reel weighs 36.3 ounces. Included with the 20IIA is a light-line drag cam offering a lower drag curve for billfish and lighter-line applications. $699.99. fish.shimano.com/en-US
Thrustme Kicker Electric Motor
Weighing a mere 10 pounds that includes an internal battery, the Thrustme Kicker’s 1000-watt brushless motor provides 2 horsepower of thrust for up to two hours or longer at lower speeds. That runtime, with the built-in 18-volt lithium-ion battery, can be doubled with the addition of an optional external battery. The little engine offers six speeds forward and reverse, bluetooth remote, adjustable shaft length and a magnetic kill switch. It is sure to find applications on kayaks and micro skiffs. Designed and developed in Norway, Thrustme Electric Motors are headquartered in Tampa, Florida, in the U.S. The manufacturer’s price is $1,495. thrustmeusa.com
Z-Man Shadtron LT
Realism, durability and a cutting-edge hook attachment characterize Z-Man’s new Shadtron LT (line-through). The tough ElaZtech bait certainly looks like a live shad. The line-through systems allows the bait to be rigged with a single hook dorsally or belly rigged with a treble, depending on conditions. Both methods permit the bait to slide freely up the line, so out of the way after a hookset. A specialized hook pocket and harness position the custom 3/0 or 5/0 sickle-shaped black-nickel needlepoint hook parallel to the dorsal fin. Similarly, if rigging a treble ventrally, the hook’s shank clicks into a special friction clip to position the treble parallel to the bait. The wedge-shaped tail offers a range of motions. The bait comes in eight colors and two sizes: a 6-inch slow sink model and a 4 ½-inch fast-sink model, and retails for $15.99 and $12.99, respectively. zmanfishing.com
