What's new with ICAST

It is impossible to count the number of new fishing products arriving on retailers’ shelves each year, hundreds probably. Here is a quick look at just a few noteworthy items shown at this year’s International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST).
USA Custom Rods, of Houston, Texas, won the “Best Freshwater Rod” award at ICAST. USA rods feature premium cork handles, American engineered multi-modulus rod blanks, and quality Pac-Bay guides and reel seats.
Plus they added Mossy Oak brand camouflage graphics to their fishing rods through a license with Haas Outdoors, the makers of Mossy Oak brand camouflage. Their 17 models are the only rods in the world that feature the Mossy Oak look. See USA Custom Rods at www.usacustomrods.com/, MSRP for most rods is $139.99.
It took four years for Berkley to develop a nylon monofilament line that captures ultraviolet (UV) rays to change the line’s color. Above the water, it is hi-vis gold but underwater where the UV rays are filtered out, the line is transparent.  The color-changing line benefits anglers who watch their line for the subtle bites. Anglers can see the line, fish cannot.
Named Trilene TransOptic, it received the Best Line Award at ICAST. The line touts superior knot strength, abrasion resistance and extra shock resistance, and is suitable for line-watching methods like flipping, pitching, jigging plus any application that calls for a hard hook set.
Available in pound tests ranging from 4- to 25 pounds on 220-yard spools, Trilene TransOptic has an MSRP of $8.95 to $10.95. See it at http://berkley-fishing.com/.
Who would you expect to introduce a new concept in landing nets? Frabill, of course. Their new Hiber-Net stows inside its own heavy-walled, extruded aluminum handle when not needed.
This net has an extruded aluminum hoop frame that opens to 22- by 22-inches by 24-inches deep with a rubberized handle and soft black poly mesh net to reduce hook snags in the fibers.
To open the net for use, grab the handle, slide the grip forward, and out shoots a hoop and net, locking into place for the big moment. See it at www.frabill.com/.
Heddon’s classic Spook sports two new models for 2010 – the Rattlin’ Spook and the One Knocker Spook. Each has its own unique sound; the Rattlin’ Spook features a new rattle chamber with tungsten BBs that produce a unique sound and a smooth walk-the-dog retrieve.
The One Knocker Spook uses the same technology at the Rattlin’ Spook and applies it to the classic angler favorite “Sweet Size” Spook that has been successful for years. See it at www.lurenet.com/; both models have an MSRP of $6.99.
Blakemore’s incredibly successful Road Runner gets a facelift this year with several enhancements. Currently dubbed, Road Runner 2.0, it will feature a premium hook, 3D eyes, a realistic finish and an oversized body barb to hold tubes – or anglers can break off the barb to use smaller minnow bodies.
The Road Runner 2.0 will be available in 1/16- and 1/8-ounce sizes and seven colors. Watch for them at www.ttiblakemore.com/shop/.
YUM’s new Money Frog has “paddle” feet to produce maximum water displacement and vibration. Because of this, it can be fished a variety of ways – buzzed on the surface like a buzzbait; waked just under the surface; Texas rigged and flipped and pitched to thick cover; as a jig trailer and many more.
Highly detailed frog patterns are the result of individually hand-painted process, plus it has 3-D red eyes. It also sports a belly slot that allows straight rigging and a better hookup ratio. The 3.75–inch Money Frog comes in six color patterns and has an MSRP of $6.99. See it next month at www.lurenet.com/.
Over the last few years, soft plastic swimbaits have become the hottest bass lures on the tournament trail. Sadly, there were no ‘swimbait hooks’ available so anglers had to devise their own rigs. No more, Northland’s new Lip-Stick Swimbait Hook ensures that soft plastic swimbaits track true while providing bone-crushing hook-ups fish after fish.
The 6/0 Swimbait Hook features a 45-degree wide-gap with two keel weight sizes for balance and tracking plus it uses a CorkScrew fastener to hold the swimbait firmly while casting. See it at www.northlandtackle.com/.  
  Anglers looking for red, weighted swimbait hooks should check out Daiichi’s D67Z Butt Dragger in Bleeding Bait Red color. See it at www.ttiblakemore.com/shop/.
Plfueger’s new Arbor Combo spinning rig won Best Combo at ICAST last July. To take advantage of the Arbor spinning reel’s large spool, engineers started with a sensitive one-piece IM-8 graphite blank and then developed the Large Arbor Guide Concept.
This concept includes an oversized, reversed stripper guide to reduce line buildup at the front guide during casting. “Whether an angler decides to throw the fluorocarbon or braided lines the Arbor’s larger design is the perfect. The rod was custom built to take full advantage of the many benefits of the Pflueger Arbor,” said Andrew Wheeler, Pflueger Product Manager.
While manufacturers make every effort to introduce new products at the ICAST Show in July, anglers will see more new products before the end of 2009. After all, Christmas is only about 119 days away.