Water Sport Season Upon Us
Jim Shepherd
from The Fishing Wire

Having spent most of the past three days on a boat enjoying terrific weather, it’s obvious that it’s boating season across most of the country. Hurricanes notwithstanding, it seems the boating industry is finally catching a break after virtually falling off a cliff in 2006 and ’07. But the numbers I’ve seen from the industry say 2013’s numbers were up 10.7 percent over 2012, and the manufacturers are telling me they’re seeing strong upticks in the blue collar boating segment, i.e., those in the 25-45 year old range who have kids.

Boats are back on the water (above) and last year’s great fishing gear- like the Fish Hunter (RIGHT)-a smart phone based individual fish finder mounted on last year’s improved Ugly Stik Gx2 combo are being put to good use.

They’re the group that disappeared in 2006 and contributed to a drop the industry said was 60-70% in the non-elite boat category. High-end sales had slowed, but those don’t really reflect the economic realities as the wealthy sportsmen are those who really do have disposable income and aren’t hampered when credit gets tight.

Good news for the fishing industry as well – and a reflection of the fact that that segment is recovering is the number of new products we will see rolling out next week when ICAST kicks off in Orlando, Florida.

Primarily known as “the tackle show” ICAST is a great reflection of both the U.S. and global health of the fishing industry. And as the releases that start appearing in today’s wire and will be large segments of the industry news all next week reflect, new efforts are centered on growing fishing as a viable recreational activity.

Key, of course to any sport’s growth is the youth market. With high school and collegiate tournament fishing kicking up across the country, it’s safe to say the teens of today will be in-touch with their inner angler. But the key to the industry’s ongoing health is recruitment of young anglers and the affordability of gear to the core angling fans.

To reach the young, it’s going to take more than simply downscaling size, price and quality of gear and putting a kid’s toy logo on it. That’s a realization that it seems Rebel Lures is taking seriously. In today’s news, you’ll see news that Rebel’s introducing a new line of kids lures that are far more than the scaled-down baits of adults. Their new lines feature barbless hooks and soft bodies that make them look like small lures, not reject adult baits.

There will be the usual amazing array of pieces of “smart gear” to help all anglers catch more fish. I’m hoping the new crop of gear contains something as awesome as the single piece of high-tech gear I’d consider the “sleeper” from last ICAST. That’s the Fish Hunter (www.fishhunter.com) , a high-tech, sonar-based piece of gear that gives an individual angler the high-tech advantage of a boat-based sonar rig. I’ve been using it on Tennessee’s Douglas Lake the past two weeks and have simply been amazed at the effectiveness of a piece of gear that looks like an oversized float on the line above my lure.

And it wasn’t just me. Douglas Lake anglers have been fascinated with the idea of having a “man-portable” sonar unit. One borrowed the unit from me for one of the area’s one-day fishing events. He returned the unit with word that the ability to use it as a secondary scouting unit was one reason he brought home a check from the competition.

And I’m hearing affordability is another issue being addressed this year. I was set to see a first-hand example of affordable gear with high-performance characteristics two weeks ago in Wisconsin while fishing with some industry friends.

The name on the hat says “Ugly” but the 6-pound, 3-ounce Sturgeon Bay catch being held by guide Jeff Weatherwax (right) says the results with the new “secret” gear was anything but ugly. And Pure Fishing’s Hunter Cole (left) got in on the action with some nice hookups of his own. Jeff Samsel photos, with permission.

Unfortunately, the weather and American Airlines joined forces to change a simple two-hop trip into 36 hours of essentially wasted time. Instead of fishing on Sturgeon Bay, I found myself spending a miserable night on a cot along with thousands of other disgusted travelers in Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.

After two cancellations and a 24 hour delay, I admitted defeat and headed home. And know precisely why many air travelers with say we’re no longer passengers, we’re third-class cargo. Air carriers are making record profits whie operating with all the care and cordiality of bulk freight haulers. Who cares if travelers are inconvenienced, right?

Anyway, my fortunate friends spent some quality time fishing with the smart guys of Pure Fishing. One of the writers, Jeff Samsel, being an all-world nice guy and very knowledgeable angling authority, shared his impressions of Shakespeare’s newest rod and reel. Although I won’t give away the specifics, Jeff really liked the newest model.

Samsel says the new rod/reel combos were very tough- but offered a very good touch and feel when casting everything from 1/8 ounce hair jigs to rigs with one-ounce swimbait jig heads. That’s a wide variety of weights and shows the versatility I’d expect from a rod designed to be used by anglers of almost all skill levels – in fresh and saltwater situations.

Jeff says the hooksets were simple and the landing abilities were really solid.

Both Fishing Wire Editor Frank Sargeant and I will be in Orlando next week for ICAST – and I’m looking forward to seeing the newest innovations in everything from artificial baits to computer-based navigation and fish-finding tools.

And I’m hoping that if you’re one of our readers and happen to see me there you’ll take time to introduce yourself and let me know what you’d like to see covered in the wires. After all, we’re here to keep a simple promise: too keep you posted.