Oh goody! New goodies

Ever wondered how the latest in rods, reels or terminal tackle went from being just another great idea to your favorite tackle shop? While it may be frustrating at times, the first part is really pretty simple. Someone comes up with a good idea and makes it work. Then comes the hard part —finding a way to get it on the market.This is where the frustration can begin. The marketplace for tackle is very competitive, and getting something into production involves either having enough resources to manufacture it on your own or convincing a tackle company it needs to be a part of their line.

Many times, working with a tackle company involves giving up control over your idea, and what comes out isn’t always exactly what you had in mind. Even worse, it’s rarely an improved version.

Trying to go it on your own may allow you to keep the integrity of the item, but it will usually create difficulties in marketing a single item or in having the funds and ability to market it successfully.

Once a product is in production, it takes several steps to get it into stores and get it to fishermen, who will eventually determine its success or failure — and this road often has the largest bumps and deepest potholes. Typically, this is where the resources of a larger company tend to aid with success, as long as an individual item doesn’t get lost in the overall product mix.

Rep groups call on wholesalers and some larger retailers, and finding a rep group with a good relationship with their customers is certainly a major plus. However, many of these rep groups already have a full plate and getting them to add a single item is sometimes difficult. Promoting things yourself keeps your enthusiasm in the mix, but you may not have the reputation to get into the right meetings, and enthusiasm often isn’t enough when wholesalers and retailers are examining price points and margins.

At a few tackle shows, new products are showcased for the entire industry. The biggest of these is ICAST (International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades), the trade show for the ASA (American Sportfishing Association). It is an annual event where tackle and associated products from around the world are presented to the wholesalers, retailers and fishing press.

ICAST 2009 was the show were much of the new tackle and related items for the 2010 season were introduced. Held in Orlando, Fla., it covered more than 400,000 square feet and was packed with 1,200 vendor booths. It attracted more than 7,400 representatives of the fishing industry from 63 countries.

At ICAST 2009, 208 companies entered 600 of the industry’s newest innovations in gear and accessories in the New Product Showcase, which is the flagship feature of the show. The products in the New Product Showcase were entered into the “Best of Show” competition where buyers and members of the media judged each product based on its level of innovation, execution, workmanship and practicality. Best of Show honors were selected in 17 categories, as well as the overall “Best of Show” winner.

The New Product Showcase Award Winners at ICAST 2009 were:

• Overall Best of Show and Marine Category — Hobie Mirage Pro Angler;

• Apparel — Cablz;

• Combo — Pflueger Arbor Combo;

• Electronics — Lowrance HDS-10;

• Eyewear — Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, Zane;

• Fishing Accessory — Durasafe, Codeable Locks;

• Giftware — Master Vision, Mini Lantern;

• Kids Tackle — Ross Reels USA/Ross Worldwide Outdoors, Journey Youth Fly Fishing Outfit;

• Line — Berkley Trilene TransOptic;

• Soft Lure — Sebile USA, Magic Swimmer Soft Pro Model;

• Hard Lure — Sebile USA, Spin Shad;

• Freshwater Reel — Shimano American Corporation, Stradic CI4;

• Saltwater Reel — Daiwa, Saltist Lever Drag;

• Freshwater Rod — USA Custom Rods, Camo Stix;

• Saltwater Rod — G. Loomis, Pro Green 882S;

• Tackle Management — Plano Molding Company, Liqua-Bait Locker System;

• Terminal Tackle — Better Bait Systems, Circle Hook Rig.

While some of these items were available immediately, all of them should be arriving at your favorite tackle shops is good supply for the upcoming season. Many items introduced at ICAST are in initial production runs and aren’t always available in numbers sufficient to make it to smaller, local tackle shops by the fall.

During late fall and winter, most tackle distributors hold shows for their dealers, providing an opportunity for the smaller shops to examine and order new products for the spring. Many manufacturers display their lines at these distributor shows — which are only open to retailers — so local tackle shop owners can see the new items and decide if they will sell well in their areas. Dealers place orders, and the merchandise is delivered to them in time for us (the fishermen) to have it for spring fishing.

One of the largest tackle distributors on the east coast is Henry’s Tackle Co., part of Big Rock Sports in Morehead City and Hamlet. Several decades ago, Henry began holding a show for its dealers in its Morehead City warehouse. It expanded to other local facilities before outgrowing the area and moving first to the Merchandise Mart in Charlotte, then the Palmetto Expo Center in Greenville, S.C., and this year to the Raleigh Convention Center.

The 2010 show was held in early January; both exhibitors and buyers said they were very pleased as the turnout and that sales exceeded their expectations. It was the first time many dealers had seen most of the items from the ICAST show and they were really checking it out. A few new items had also been introduced in the time between the shows. Many new items should be in local tackle shops this month.

The fish won’t know what’s hit them.

The old axiom about “Being as excited as a kid in a candy store,” certainly holds true if you get a chance to attend a show like this.

One thing I found very interesting was the new Invisaswivel fluorocarbon swivel from AquatekO. They really do almost totally disappear in water. I will be using them on some live-bait trout and king mackerel rigs in the not-too-distant future.

It was impossible to walk by the Star Rods booth and not notice folks straining as they tugged on a rod you expected to shatter at any time. The rod, a Plasma Deep Jigging spinning rod, never gave up, even though it was kept bent double for most of the afternoon.

The standard demonstration had a 10-pound downrigger ball tied to line from a large spinning reel that was on the rod. This bent the rod to the point it was doubled. A second downrigger ball was added so folks could see whether it could handle 20 pounds of drag. The reel gave up, but the rod was still bending and working as designed. Made from volcanic rock fibers, these rods weighed mere ounces and included models rated up to 80 pounds. They should be great rods for jigging up bottomfish like amberjack, grouper and snapper.

Lowrance’s award-winning HDS 10 Fishfinder/GPS Combo was on display, along with the new Structure Scan add-on side-imaging unit. They were impressive. Who wouldn’t want to be able to see more than just what is directly under the boat?

Most folks know Fishbites best for their Bag O’ Worms synthetic bloodworms, but they make many more synthetic scented baits. Several years ago, they introduced their Extreme Scented baits in small paddletail, shrimp and jerkbait shapes. These baits get the specks and reds biting like the bloodworms worked on spots and such. Several new colors are available for 2010.

There’s little to say MirrOLure that hasn’t been said already? They are fantastic hard baits and have continued to build on the success of their MR 17 and MR 27 Luminescence Series of suspending baits, which have quickly grown so popular with Tarheel State fishermen. MirrOlure added a few soft baits for 2009 and a floating prop bait (MR 10 MirrO Prop) for 2010. Other big news for 2010 is the handful of special colors being made only for distribution through Henry’s Tackle.

A few local companies keep coming up with new ideas. Tim Barefoot of Barefoot Fishing in Carolina Beach had several items made especially with the offshore bottom-fisherman (Decoy Jig), offshore troller (Chin Weighted Circle Hook) and king mackerel fisherman (Chin Weighted Ribbonfish Rigs and Hooks) in mind.

James Strange of Skipperspride Lure Company in Little River, specializes in items for the king mackerel fisherman. His first was the Turbo Rattler, then a wire-twisting machine, then special hooks and now the Turbo Tournament Gaff, which grabs the fish by its tail and doesn’t make any holes.

So when you head out this spring with a bunch of new stuff in your tackle box or on your boat, remember, they all began with someone who had an idea and moved forward with it.