ICAST New Fishing Product Showcase
Frank Sargeant, Editor
The Fishing Wire

The ICAST New Product Showcase, as usual, rolled out a treasure trove of interesting new fishing gear, but as this is written the votes have not been counted or the winners of this year’s “Best of Show” in the many categories released.

So here’s a brief personal look at some items that caught our eye during the walk-through

The Zebco 888 looks like the classic Zebco on steroids–it’s a big, heavy, strong fishing machine, with all metal gears in 2.6:1 retrieve, and it comes loaded with 25-pound test mono. There are not many close-faced reels that you could take on snook and redfish with, but this one qualifies, and it should also do a good job on big bass in heavy hydrilla–for young anglers who are having trouble mastering the revolving spool as well as for more experienced anglers who are just plain tired of backlashes, this may be an interesting and economical option–it’s just $29.99; www.zebco.com.

Abu Garcia’s Revo series of baitcasters has really carved out a place for itself in the revolving spool market, but the company’s spinning reels have been less impressive–until now. The new Revo series spinning reels boast many of the top-end features of the Revo baitcasters according to Hunter Cole, chief the marketing for Berkley, who reports that the reels have been four years in design and testing. The gears are machined from solid aluminum stock, making them strong, light and very smooth in operation, and the carbon matrix drag system is light weight and very easy to put into motion, a big plus especially when fishing lighter lines for heavy fish. The composite parts are carbon infused, making them strong but light, and the gear box is aluminum, assuring long-term perfect alignment. The reels are available in a wide variety of sizes from UL up to medium heavy saltwater. The top of the line Revo MGX is an 11 bearing reel that lists for $299.95, while value-priced models go for as low as $129.95; www.abugarcia.com.

Berkley has come out with a series of hard baits that pro angler and company advisor David Fritts–one of the few guys to with both the Forrest Wood Cup and the Bassmaster Classic–says have been several years in development.

“Designing a plastic lure that works like a wood lure is a real challenge, but I think we’ve done it with this series,” says Fritts.

The company makes use of test tanks with flowing water and slo-mo photography as well as clay prototyping to get just the right shape and action on the lures. The paint jobs are particularly impressive, with the same shine and detail as that seen in Japanese lures that cost $20, but the new line goes for $6.95 to $7.95. They get points for the names, too, which include the Warpig, the Bad Shad and the Wild Thang, among others; www.berkley-fishing.com.

The Shimano Stradic has been a favorite reel for expert level anglers for many years, particularly for flats fishing, and the completely redesigned Stradic the company revealed at the show should make fans very happy. The new model has cold-forged aluminum gears and machined aluminum frame, along with the company’s well-known X-SHIP construction which makes a very stiff but light unit that keeps things in perfect alignment for years of hard use. The reel is also rebalanced to feel lighter on the rod, and includes improved waterproofing to keep out saltwater. Prices range from $199.99 to $129.99; www.fish-shimano.com.

There’s tons more to talk about, and we will in the near future, but this should be enough to whet your appetite for a trip to the local tackle shop–most of the products that appear at the show start shipping no later than early September, and some are available already from online suppliers.