ICAST 2008 Highlights
July 25, 2008
The average non-fisherman looks surprised when you mention that you just got back from ICAST, the fishing tackle convention. The first question is always “How could there be enough new things to warrant a fishing tackle convention?” Little do they know! This year’s ICAST offerings included plenty of products for avid anglers to get excited about. Here are just a few:
REELS
The new U.S. Reels SuperCaster baitcasting reel is like none you’ve ever seen. Their engineers analyzed baitcasting reels and concluded that the inherent problem in them is the levelwind guide. The eyelet keeps the line spooling evenly, but it also adds friction
and impedes casting. The eyelet is also the main cause of backlashes when the line is entering at a high angle. The line catches on other line and then has to accelerate to catch up. This is what causes backlashes, and they can happen even to avid anglers with educated thumbs.
The new U.S. Reel SC1000 has a See-Saw Levelwind ™ that uses a rotating angled bar instead of an eyelet. The height of the bar is adjustable, and this is what regulates casting control. At the highest position, it is ideal for beginning baitcasters or very light lures. Another difference in the SC1000 is that the spool revolves backwards. The line comes out from beneath the spool to create the right angle for the See-Saw bar, and since the spool rotates into your thumb instead of away from it, backlashes are not only infrequent, but those that do happen are easier to get out.
The SC1000 and SC1000 Pro should start showing up in tackle shops in November. We’ll be testing them as soon as possible, and we’ll let you know what we think. We did get to play with a prototype at the show, and it performed beautifully. To find out more, visit www.usreel.com.
Ardent Reels introduced the new F500 flippin’ and pitchin’ reel at the show. This is a technique-specific reel with a pre-set drag factory set to 20 pounds. The spool has a narrow “canyon” in the center so it holds less line, which means less waste. There is a 
metal loop on the bottom so you can tie your line to it before you spool up, eliminating any braid slip. To top it all off,it’s a real beauty – red and silver, and made in the U.S.A. Life is good! See it at www.ardentoutdoors.com.
If you’ve been a bass fisherman for any length of time, you already know who Doug Hannon is. Known as the Bass Professor, this largemouth fanatic has over 800 ten-pound-plus bass to his credit, and he has made a life-long study of these fish. If backlashes are the bane of a baitcaster, then loops and tangles are the bane of a spinning reel fisherman, and Hannon knows this. He designed the Wave Spin Reel with a series of waves along the edge of the spool. It works by allowing the line to skip from peak to peak on each "wave" on the spool. The loops lie down between the waves and never engage the line during the casts, completely eliminating snatchback and birdnests. We actually picked one of these up at the show, so we’ll let you know if we manage to mess it up.
TERMINAL TACKLE
Secret Lures Meat Hooks are for frogs and swimbaits. They come in 4/0 and 5/0, and feature big strong Mustad hooks. Their weighted hooks have lead that is tapered close to the shank and placed near the rear of the bait. They say this gives their frogs fantastic action and even helps castability. Weighting a swimbait on the hook gives it more horizontal fall than a nose weight does.
Secret Lures also has a big shaky head jig called a Tail Shaker. With a 4/0 Mustad hook, this one lets you rig a nice 
big creature bait or craw on your shaky head. It’s built around a football head jig, but it rocks between two balance points so it has its own built-in “shaky” action. It’s available in black or green pumpkin in 1/8-, 3/16-, and ¼-ounce.
Mega Strike won an award at ICAST in 2006 with their Evolution jig head. This year they’ve used that same technology and adapted it to a shaky head jig. The Shake2 (pronounced Shake E 2) jighead makes a perfect landing no matter how you drop it. It has a football head base with a recessed eye for fewer snags, and it’s powder coated. The jig rolls forward when you pull it and keeps the lure standing upright. Check it out at www.megastrike.com
ELECTRONICS
You can pay a small fortune for your electronics, so why just hope for the best when you leave your boat unattended? Durasafe makes depthfinders locks that cost just $25. The lock replaces one of the knobs on the unit, and it comes with a variety of bolts so it will fit any unit. They also make a trolling motor lock that runs about $17, but doesn’t fit every brand. See all their boating locks and security devices at durasafelocks.com.
www.Findyourwater.com is where you can find free interactive fishing maps. You can even upload your own data to add to the content – videos, photos, notes, etc. They are constantly searching the net for additional information, and they are adding new lakes and waters as fast as they can.
BAITS
Tru-Tungsten introduced some new swimbaits; the Tru-Life 4 is smaller than the swimbaits you’ve come to expect from Tru-Tungsten, but it has all the features of the big boys, including the system that allows you to add weights. The 4 is designed to help you match the hatch when the bass are eating smaller fish. It’s available in a floater/moderate sinker or a moderate/fast sinking model.
The Tru-Life Jointed Floaters are available in a variety of sizes - from small to big and very cool because they can be fished effectively from very slow to very fast and they’re weighted with balls. Tru-Life offers a surface wake/slow sink model as well as one that sinks twice as fast – both available for $20. The 8-inch Tru-Life does a 180 when you crank it fast and stop the retrieve abruptly and there’s a Bluegill pattern also - 8-inch 
models available for $50 each.
Mystic Tackleworks 1834 Biopulse Lure contains a neurologically active feeding stimulant which compels fish to keep biting once they grab it. Eight years in the making, $35 each.
Uncle Josh – 1805 Bump-N-Run – buzzbaits and jigs with heads that twist to both sides – directional baits.
HANDY GADGETS
Clam Clip – little clip to hold line to spool 1614 M&H enterprises $4 for 6
Spot Light – rechargeable flashlight – very small, plugs into cigarette lighter to recharge 28 lumens $15
Stick Jacket – plastic mesh fishing rod covers (not sure really what they are made of) $7 - $9 keep your lines from getting tangled in vehicle or rod box
PERSONAL
Wiley X Airborne sunglasses 1668 - $120
Dri-Grip oil-free sunscreen that does not repel fish SPF 30 drigrip.com comes in boxes with six single-use packets that look like water bottle flavoring
Paadz 533 extreme foul weather hat from Dorko $40 (photo) can be worn 3 ways