July 15th through the 18th over 10,000 representatives of the fishing tackle industry, retailers and members of the media descended upon Orlando Florida for ICAST 2014, the largest sportfishing tradeshow in the world. Thousands of new fishing products were unveiled at ICAST and no doubt you’ll soon see “best of ICAST” articles in almost every fishing magazine and website. Here is our selection of “best of ICAST” but with an AFC twist, the best products we saw relating to conservation and youth fishing.
Wickedly Sharp Barbless Hooks
Trokar hooks by Eagle Claw burst on the scene a few years ago as an ultra premium line of incredibly sharp American made fish hooks that use an exclusive sharpening process that is also used in the medical industry. At ICAST Trokar introduced their first barbless model, the TK405B octopus style hook that was developed for salmon fishermen in Washington and British Columbia where regulations require barbless hooks. The point of the hook bends 30 degrees towards the shank, which the folks at Trokar claim holds the fish on the hook as well as a barb.
Save Those Soft Plastics
Soft plastic baits like worms, jerk baits and jig bodies wear out and tear apart while fishing. How much of this plastic ends up in landfills or even worse on the bottom of our lakes? ‘Never Slip’ Bait Tape is a tough, self-adhering, waterproof tape that saves fishing time and reduces the number of wasted baits. A wrap of Bait Tape on a jig keeps the plastic body from slipping down the hook shank. Bait Tape on a wacky rigged plastic worm provides a tough collar that holds the hook on the bait. According to owner and inventor Les Butters, ‘Never Slip’ Bait Tape prolongs the life of soft plastic lures by eight to ten times. www.NeverSlipBaitTape.com
A Stronger Soft Plastic
Speaking of keeping scrap soft plastic baits out of landfills and off the lake bottom, the soft plastic line from Savage Gear incorporates a proprietary fine nylon mesh in the plastic that inhibits hook pullout and tearing. According to Mads Grosell, owner and inventor of Savage Gear lures, their baits will last twenty times longer than conventional soft plastic lures. http://savagegear-usa.com/
A No Tangle Rod and Reel for Young Children
Nothing kills a fishing trip for a young child like a nasty tangle that renders their rod unusable. The Lil’ Anglers brand of youth fishing products dramatically reduces this problem with their No Tangle Fishing Pole. The rod and reel combo includes a kid-friendly spincast reel mounted to a tubular, guideless fishing rod. The line feeds through the center of the rod, which eliminates the space between the reel and the first guide, reducing the tendency of the line to tangle during casts and retrieves. Another feature that shows Lil’ Angler understands their target audience is a resilient insert on the tip of the rod that can handle little ones reeling sinkers, bobbers and hooks right into the tip. www.lilanglers.com
Single Hook, Barbless Micro Plugs
Fishing lure icon Rebel will soon release the Micro Critters line of micro fishing plugs that forgo the normal treble hooks and instead sport a single, rigidly mounted barbless hook that extends out of the back of the lure. Models in the line include the microMinnow, microCrickhopper, microCrawfish and microPop-R. Rebel Micro Critters will be available in stores in January 2015. www.rebellures.com/
Kids Can Finally Get UV Buff Headwear
Tubular cloth face guards that protect the face, neck and ears from sun exposure are very popular among anglers, particularly in Florida and the gulf coast. The giant in the face guard market, Buff now offers the Junior UV Buff, a smaller version of their standard UV Buff that is sized just for kids. The Junior UV Buff sports all the same features as the adult Buff including 95% UV protection, Coolmax fabric and Polygiene odor control. www.buffusa.com
Combat Barotrauma with a RokLees Fish Descending Device
Catch and release only work if the fish has a decent chance of surviving once released. Fish reeled up from deep water often suffer from barotrauma, a condition caused by the rapid expansion of gas in the fish’s swim bladder. Venting is the traditional method of relieving barotrauma by inserting a hollow needle behind the pectoral fin and into the swim bladder to vent off the built up gas pressure. Scientists question the effectiveness of venting and studies show using a descending device that returns the fish to a depth where it can recompress on its own offers a better chance of survival. EcoLeeser offers the RokLees Fish Descending Device. Attach your line and a sinker to the RokLees and secure the stainless steel clip to the fish’s jaw. Once the fish has been lowered to a sufficient depth, a quick jerk on the rod opens the clip and sets the fish free. www.ecoleeser.com/index.html
Protect and Heal Those Fish
Sure-Life has been protecting fish for over twenty years. They manufacture over thirty products that promote healing and maintain health for a wide variety of gamefish and baitfish. Two of their more notable products are Please Release Me and Catch And Release that can be added to livewells and weigh-in tanks to keep bass alive. These products include sedatives to calm bass, disinfectants/antiseptics to prevent the spread and transmission of pathogens, and other ingredients that help preserve and restore the slime coat, heal hook wounds, remove chlorine from the water and more. www.sure-life.com/
