Mid-July will see the ICAST — the International Consortium of Allied Sporting Trades — coming to Orlando, Fla. I won’t be attending this year’s show, but I can tell you from experience it’s the fishing industry’s most anticipated event.
It’s something completely different from any other show that’s out here. ICAST is always a big deal because, in addition to showcasing all the new items, it gives you an inside look at the industry.
Normally, tackle company owners and the big bosses don’t attend every tackle show throughout the year, but they all show up for ICAST. As an angler, you can meet some of these industry leaders and get a better look at how a company is run.
ICAST is not a consumer show, so it’s not open to the public, but for folks who work in the fishing industry, this the one show where just about everything related to fishing will be there. And not just U.S. brands — you’ll see a lot of companies from Japan and Europe.
In terms of baits, PRADCO has me covered top to bottom, but in the years when I’ve attended ICAST, it’s always interesting to see what new things are introduced. As a fan of the sport, I always like to see what’s out there.
This year, several of the companies I work with will debut new items at ICAST. War Eagle, Great Lakes Finesse and Amped Outdoors will have several interesting items on display, while YUM Scottsboro will introduce the new minnow-style bait that I used during the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller.
Looking back at what brought some of these new items to their final version, I can say I’m proud to have had a hand in the R&D process. Typically, that process begins with the anglers coming up with ideas and giving the company’s engineers a wish list for the size, weight and shape we’d like to see.
The engineers develop a prototype and then you put it through the testing and analysis phase. Some people might think you just draw up a bait design and slap it in a mold, but there’s a lot more to it.
You often go through several different versions of a bait until you figure out exactly how to make it do exactly what you want it to do. There’s a lot of trial and failure, but a lot of times, that’s what it takes.
Everyone thinks it should be done in 30 days, but sometimes, the process can take three years.
I’m fortunate to have a close and comfortable relationship with most of my sponsors. We talk about the latest tackle trends, we bounce ideas off one another, and when it’s time to test the products, I approach it in a very organized manner.
It’s like a checklist in your mind. When you get a crankbait, you know what you want it to do; you want it to run a certain way and hunt a certain way. You might get 10 prototypes and you have to go test each one against that checklist.
You may only find one that performs right, but putting in the work to make that determination is what helps my sponsors bring a new product to ICAST.
Even though I won’t be there this year, I feel proud to have had a part in helping my sponsors create something that I know will put fish in the boat.
