ICAST 2023: Freshwater

An exclusive look at some neat new sportfishing, outdoor products

The best way to describe the annual International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) show in Orlando might be to borrow from the attraction that makes that city most famous — the Magic Kingdom.

Only ICAST isn’t imaginary characters, entertainment and rides, it’s a “Magic Kingdom” for fishermen and outdoor lovers. This year’s 66th annual event drew near record crowds of manufacturers, sporting goods dealers and outdoor media to the event at the huge Orange County Convention Center.

The latest and greatest in fishing gear, apparel, outdoor accessories, boat accessories and much more was on display at the show, a virtual “candy store” for outdoor gear.

Jon Miller was there, and he brought back a report of top items that caught his eye at ICAST, both freshwater and saltwater. Check out his top finds:

Lew’s Hypermag Casting Reel

I was impressed by the new Hypermag casting reel from Lew’s. I love lightweight reels and this reel only weighs 5.2 ounces. The magnesium frame, carbon side plates, Duralumin double anodized spool, and hardened anodized aluminum Speed Gears account for the low weight of the reel. It looks and feels like it has the right structural contours to take the stress of hard use and big fish.

Speaking of big fish, this reel has a carbon fiber drag system delivering an impressive 20 pounds of drag resistance. So whether you hook up on the bass of your dreams or a bull redfish, you can turn its head without much effort. It has the spool capacity of 110 yards of 12-pound line and gear ratios of 7.5:1 or 8.3:1. A left hand model is available in the 8.3:1 gear ratio.

The reel feels smooth due to the 11 bearing system and the anodized gears. To keep you tangle free while getting maximum cast length, it has a handy recessed brake dial with 4-pin SpeedCast adjustable centrifugal brake system. Two niffy features I like are the patented Speed Keeper retractable hook keeping system and the Speed Knot slot in the spool. The Speed Knot slot makes starting line ridiculously easy.  This reel will set you back by $339.99.

Daiwa Fuego LT Spinning Reel

I found the Fuego LT spinning reel to be an attractive new offering from Daiwa that falls into what I consider a budget friendly price range. It is offered in 1000, 2500, 3000, and 4000 sizes. This reel is on the lighter end of products in this price range, thanks to the carbon based material used for the housing. The reel weights range from 6.7-ounce in the ultralight size to 8.6-ounce in the 4000 size. The retrieve rate is from 25.5 inches per crank on the 1000 size to 32.5 inches on the 4000 size. A high speed version on the 2500 delivers 34.5 inches per crank, which is compared to the standard 2500’s retrieve rate of 29.6 inches.

It has a cutaway rotor, 6 ball bearing, one roller bearing, and a magnetic seal technology on the main shaft. The Fuego LT retails at $109.99.

Frogg Toggs FTX Elite Jacket

I have been a user of Frogg Toggs products for many years and was happy to see yet another product line of rain gear from them. This new line is called the FTX Elite and offers their highest water resistance and breathability performance to date.

The FTX Elite provide 20,000 mm water holdout and 20,000 MVTR breathability. This is double the values of the Pilot II jacket, which I am currently using to stay dry. Based on my experience with the Pilot II, I would expect the Elite FTX to provide comfort and dryness despite an all day rain.

The Elite FTX jacket features a quality YKK 2-way front zipper, attached hood, fleece lined collar, two chest pockets, and two hand pockets. It also has D rings, which are highly prized additions for me.

The jacket is offered in a range of colors and patterns including a fish scale blue for the fashionable angler and a woodland camouflage pattern.  The men’s FTX Elite Jacket retails for $289.99.

Strike King Crappie Baits

At ICAST 2023, pink was the popular color for Strike King crappie baits and several innovative soft plastic designs caught my eye.

I found two Mr. Crappie designs particularly interesting. The Maxie Waxie has the profile of an insect because of two rubber strands running perpendicularly through a grub body. This bait will surely attract multiple species of fish and Strike King recommends fishing it on a 1/64-ounce jig.

The Sugar Glider looks to me like a flying tadpole due to a grub body with two wings. The body is Mr. Crappie’s signature shad pole style and the wings impart a fluttering and gliding movement to the bait. While that movement alone is sure to attract crappie and bream, the glide created by the wings allow the bait to move laterally under structure when fished on a light jighead.

Bixpy Kayak Power

Electric mobility for small crafts such as stand-up paddle boards and kayaks has been growing in recent years. Among the ICAST offerings was Bixpy’s new K-1 motor.

The new K-1 motor has an output of 1 horsepower, weighs 3 pounds and the length has been shortened by 20% verses their previous model, which allows it to fit into more mounting configurations.

Bixpy also sells lithium ion batteries to power the K-1 motor. These are the floating PP-378, which is 378 watt-hr, and the PP-768, which is 768 watt-hr. The PP-768 allows the K-1 to run at full power for approximately 2.5 hours or more than 20 hours at low speed. The PP-768 battery enclosure has grooves that allow the mounting of accessories to the battery pack. The K-1 Angler Pro kit includes the PP-768 battery and  retails for $1,599.00 without motor mounting accessories.

Bubba Pro Series Smart Fish Scale

The Bubba company has grown its product line from popular fillet knives to a variety of fishing related products that have a reputation for functional designs and quality materials and construction. The latest is the Pro Series Smart Fish Scale and won the prestigious New Product Showcase Best of Category for Cutlery Hand Pliers, or Tools.

It has a pistol grip with the signature red Bubba rubber exterior. The top of the pistol grip has a display screen that allows physical button access to the software features and settings. Maximum scale weight is 60 pounds offering Tournament, Rally and Competitiob modes designed to fit seamlessly with procedures of tournaments. Retail price of the scale is $229.99.

Check out some of Jon Miller’s top saltwater finds at ICAST 2023 here.

The post “ICAST 2023: Freshwater” first appeared on LouisianaSportsman.com.