New products are debuting at different times
It used to be that the ICAST (International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades) show held each July was the place fishermen got their first look at new products that would separate them from their hard-earned money.
That game has changed. The Big Rock Sports Group, which is based in Morehead City, has quietly acquired several smaller distributors and established regional warehouses across the country on its way to becoming the largest outdoor sporting goods distributor in the United States. As one tackle shop owner said when he walked out onto the balcony overlooking the sales floor at Big Rock Sports’ recent dealers show in Raleigh, “Wow, This looks like a mini-ICAST!”
Indeed it did look like a mini-ICAST, plus, there was a section for hunting and shooting sports. Most of the products on the show floor were in stock and ready to be shipped to fill shelves this spring. I’m not sure three days was enough time to look everything over thoroughly and complete a stocking order for a large outdoor shop.
Manufacturers no longer wait for ICAST to introduce new products. ICAST is the focus for the international fishing community, but in the United States, several large winter shows are held, and manufacturers also introduce new products and revisions to current products at the winter shows.
Every year, Sea Striker and its Star Rods division have something new for the Big Rock show, and 2014 wasn’t an exception. Several new Star spinning reels were displayed, and they felt good. In fact, they felt good enough that I volunteered to see how they felt on a rod, with line and a fish attached to the other end. There isn’t a projected production date yet, but hopefully they will be available before ICAST in July.
Sea Striker also introduced a new fishing cart for pier and surf fishermen and a new line of hand and shorter gaffs. The pier carts are made of mild steel and are powder-coated to help keep the cost down while preventing corrosion. They are a little heavier than the aluminum carts many fishermen currently use but are set to sell at approximately half the price.
The other thing from Sea Striker that caught my eye was a line of BlackWatch gaffs and pliers. These appear to be the first wave of a new line of fishing accessories. Gaffs come in several lengths, and along with high-quality pliers, they are being billed as “Tactical tools for fishing.” The BlackWatch gaffs and pliers are aluminum, with replaceable stainless steel points and cutters. For more information visit www.seastriker.com.
Many fishermen originally thought of Betts Tackle from Fuquay-Varina as their source for reasonably-priced, high-quality cast nets. The past several years, Betts has promote an inshore line of Billy Bay Halo soft plastics, spinnerbaits and Flounder Fanatic Jigs. Those are doing well, and this year Betts introduced the only cast nets previously missing from its extensive line: Deep Hole Cast nets in three series with 3/8-inch and 5/8-inch mesh in standard nets and 5/8-inch mesh in a Super Pro net. The Deep Hole nets have a strip of webbing around their perimeter, just a few inches above the lead line to hold them open as they sink in deep water. The design is an aid for catching shrimp and shad minnows in deep water. These nets come with a 50-foot hand line. For more information visit www.bettstackle.net.
The L&S Lures booth had a full display of everything in its line, but it highlighted the new Soft-Dines in the Paul Brown Originals and the C-Eye Pro Dog Juniors from MirrOlure. Both became available in limited numbers late last fall, and a handful of lucky guides and fishermen quickly found out the trout and puppy drum really like them. The Soft-Dines are the same size and shape as the MirrOlure MR 17s but have a soft, outer shell. The C-Eye Pro Dog Jr. is the same body shape as the Top Dog Jr., but with new colors and the clear eyes that have become popular in the past year. For more information, visit www.mirrolure.com.
Precision Tackle is best known for its Cajun Thunder Rattling Cork; this year, it upped the ante with a Magnum Cajun Thunder Rattling Cork that is larger and louder than the original. My initial though was this would be perfect for using heavier jigs for the large red drum in the popping-cork fishery that developed last year. Precision’s Bill Hall said they were tested to suspend larger live baits for cobia and tarpon and for a rattle to call large fish up to hit the live baits and jigs. He said they withstood the abuse of amberjacks and other reef dwellers fine. If they will stand up to AJs, they should be perfect for big reds.
Engel Coolers showed off a live-bait cooler system that caught my attention. While available in several sizes, Engel showed the setup in one of their smaller coolers that can be easily carried by its top handle. The idea is to be able to insulate live baits in extreme heat or cold and carry them without spillage. This is an aeration system, so it won’t work well for menhaden, but I see it as a great way to catch some shrimp or minnows in one place and carry them somewhere else to fish or to the bait well on a boat docked elsewhere. The aeration unit will run on batteries or plug into a 12-volt power outlet we used to call a cigarette lighter. With a couple of cubes of ice, it should keep bait frisky and ready to go on the hottest summer day. For more information visit www.engel-coolers.com.
Haw River Tackle showed several new small versions of its Stingsilver Jigs. These were painted, with a reflector strip down the middle, and they didn’t have to explain the idea. These little jigs flashed in the show lights just like silverside minnows in the sunlight. I’ll bet that come spring, the fat alberts, bonito, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and more will like them just as much as I did. For more information, visit www.hrtackle.com.
These and more new and improved baits and tackle goodies should be on the shelf at your favorite tackle shop by now. Fishing is a growing pasttime, and improvements over older designs and new innovations are coming at a machine-gun pace. You might want to check them out for yourself. I’ll be trying a few just as soon as they arrive.
Good Fishing.
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