ICAST

[Deitz Dittrich]

Well the big ICAST event is over, plenty of new stuff on the market. Anybody overly excited to spend thier hard earned dollars?

I was looking at the best in show awards, and saw a new sunglasses by Costa Del Mar... cant find a pict of it anywhere, but am interested in seeing it. Shimano is coming out with an IM10 fishing rod called the Cumara, it has a split handle and grips. Very light weight.. and also a new flippin reel. The new Carrot rods look interesting. Some company is taking carbon from Carrots and using it in the rod?

any other buzz?

[JP Z]

Deitz,

I guess there are a couple new Soft plastics that are biodegradeable coming out....and they aren't Foodsource or Gulp! This was the first time in 6 years I didn't hit ICAST....oh well maybe next year.

[Baerfisher]

The rods are called Carrot Stix and they are completely molded from tip to butt and are made from the cellulose fibers of carrots. The cellulose is in the form of a nano fiber (1 billionth of a meter) and are combined with a water based resin and molded as I said earlier. The molding creates a rod that has no hot spots (weak points like graphite or other materials. They sound pretty sweet.

And apparently the food source plastics are really, really capable of catching a ton of fish. That is just what I have heard and read, so I thought I might add my two cents.

[RK]

Hiya -

This year was the first time in several years that I DIDN'T make it to ICAST. Too much going on around here. (Didn't miss the heat though. 117 degrees is too stinking hot... )Had some other guys that I work with on the magazine there and giving me regular reports. Plus I get a lot of the press materials... So here are some thoughts, 2nd hand...

For bass stuff, it was Swimbait City - swimbait rods from just about everyone, and companies competing to come up with the most lifelike (and most expensive ) swimbait on the market. Some of the baits retail for $50-$60. Even for a muskie guy used to plunking down a pretty good chunk of $$ for a bait, that's pretty steep.

Lots of new reels on the market. Last couple years it's been all very high end stuff, and that continued to some degree, but seems like a lot of companies are sort of filling out their lines now with different models. What was interesting too was lots of very good mid-range reels coming out. Pfluger has an 8 bearing spinning reel that will have a price point around $50, Diawa, Abu-Garcia and Pfluger all have pretty nifty baitcasting reels, with features like HEG and better drags that were only on high end reels a couple years back, that are coming in in the $80-130 range. I'm pretty interested in the Pfluger spinning reel. I have several Presidents and Trions and they're hard to beat for the money.

Shimano has a bunch of stuff - a higher end rod past the Crucials with a lot of split grips and technique-specific actions, St. Croix put split grips on their Legends, so did Diawa and Kistler - Powell and Dobyns having an effect on the market there for sure...Quantum has a new series called the SuperLite that look really funky - new reel seats and some funky handle designs.

One sort of funny thing - Fenwick came out with a "new" rod design for crankbaits that has a graphite butt and a fiberglass top section. They were raving about how revolutionary it is... About 20 years ago Thorne Brothers did the same thing with muskie rods - they were called The Brute. I still have one someplace... Nothing new under the sun.

For lures, other than swimbaits, a couple new baits from Gary Yamamoto as always, but a lot of the talk was about Gulp! Alive. I know some walleye guys that tested the stuff and loved it. Most of the guys who finished in the top 5 on the Detroit R FLW event used it on the smallies in St. Clair and on Erie. I cant wait to drop shot with the stuff... Smallies should love the leeches.

Some new lines out there. Stren has a flo. blue superline. Trilene XT is available in Red now.

Probably more to report when the guys get back and we have a chance to catch up, but those were the highlights they mentioned.

[RobertELee]

I like the look of the new Shimano Core. Dietz your gonna like this....The Drag Star is PERFECT!!! The price is a little steep for me at the moment ($350 - $380) but I would hope they start putting some of the design features of that on some of their lesser priced models.

I also took notice of the "Carrot Stix" those look pretty sweet. And the orange color is AWESOME, it matches my truck.

Also the St. Croix Legent Tournament Bass rods are getting designed to look like custom rods now (Split rear grip, no fore-grip). Not just a high priced look-alike of their other rods.

I'm sure there is a ton more I just can't remember at the moment.

[jimbo80]

I read about the Carrot Stix rods, but could not find any HSOforum with info. Anyone have the info for them?

[ocf1]

Ill give you a hint. It starts t and ends with an ackle tour. I dont want to break any policies, Sorry if i did.

[RobertELee]

Here you go Deitz, not the greatest pic but it helps.

The Man-o'-War features removable side shields, providing maximum protection against dust, wind and glare,

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Man there are some neat things coming out. Reading the reviews online makes me want to sell what Ive got and buy all new. The shimano reels look nice. Lots of the rod companies seem to be incorporating many of the kistler designs.

[Central Bassman]

Strike king is coming out with Coffee Flavored tubes!!! Yea COFFEE!!!! They will come in a few different colors but with no salt… just COFFEE!!

I like the Longshank Spinner baits and Buzz baits… They need to add some colors but I like them.

The Spro crank bait, developed by John Crews the Little John flat crank looks cool… I need to learn more about crank baits but I think it looks cool

[jimbo80]

I was interested in a Carrot Stix Rod till I saw the price tag!!

[ocf1]

The coffee tubes have salt AND coffee, ireally like strike kings new products this year.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Whats the reasoning for have coffee flavor?

[ocf1]

Its so the fish hold on longer.

[jimbo80]

Quote:

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Whats the reasoning for have coffee flavor?

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I was reading a review from ICAST about em. The guy came up with the idea after he poured some coffee in the water, and it attracted some sunnies. I thought sunnies were attracted to anything!! Weak idea at best IMHO.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I'm not sold on the coffey thing either...or garlic for that fact, and a lot of people are into that too.

[river rat316]

About the best they do is Mask human odor, its funny to hear peoples take on scents though... some people will try anything

[RobertELee]

The coffee thing may be a good idea OR it may be a flop... It could work great on heavily pressured lakes where they have tasted everything from salt, to anise, and garlic. It may get a fish to hold on a little bit longer trying to figure out what they are tasting OR they will spit it faster than ever.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Im not buying the coffee scent either... Also, not a fan of Garlic, I hate getting that smell all over everything.

Any idea when the new shimano reels are coming out? Deitz? Do we have to wait till next spring?

[skink]

Has anyone else used the new(?) shad shape worm from GYCB? I have been having a blast with those suckers for the past few weekends.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

How are you fishing them? Drop shot? jighead? They dont seem like they would have much action.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Ihave heard that stores will recieve shipment of the new Shimano soon.. by the end of aug? But probably sooner.

[skink]

I've been fishing weightless with no action whatsoever, just watching my line twitch on the surface. Almost every cast was fun.