Introduction: ICAST 2025 kicked off this morning with the outdoor event where manufacturers could provide a first hands on look at the newest launches. By displaying these products outside in a event called "ICAST On the Water" they enabled buyers and media to try everything from making a few casts with new reels to getting a ride in the latest kayaks. These are the products that stood out.  

ICAST on the water was hit by two storms today cutting filming short but we still had a chance to get a hands on tour of the new products

The event is held directly behind the convention center

Daiwa showed their latest flagship spinning reel, the ultra refined Saltiga

The most exciting thing about the Saltiga is that it features a new DRD/ATD drag that looks more like a car rotor than a traditional drag and delivers constant smooth pressure under heavy load. We may soon see this drag in other Daiwa reels

Marc, Director of Marketing at Daiwa, shows us the new X-Braid which is a 9 carrier braid that is wound in a special way and ultra tight so that it will not deform under high pressure like so many other braids

The X-Braid is designed for the most demanding applications

The new Coastal TW is basically a Tatula for harsh saltwater conditions

Alex Wetherell shows us the new Shimano Sustain which has been redesigned this season 

The new Exsence is now stateside

The Antares DC is one sick looking reel. It just doesn't get much sleeker than this

Alex Davis shows us the complete Shimano swimbait system which comprises of a Tranx reel, Outlier Rod, and Gravitator swimbait

The TwinPower is also now available stateside

One of the most exciting reels at the show has to be the new Bates E.D.C., which is the company's first cast reel and will retail for $199

The E.D.C. is also the first Bates to offer a digital cast system

The D.A.B. (Digitally Assisted Braking) system is a brand new microchip self powered cast control system

Bates is also is launching a Hundo '50 and Salty Hundo '50 which will be 150 size reels

These slightly upsized reels are built for longer casts, heavier lines, and yes... swimbaits. They will eventually replace the GOAT reels

Svivlo reels from Sweden leverage watch making expertise to create a reel that eliminates backlashes. The larger Genesis One reel is designed for big baits and big fish

The CastGuard components that automatically adjusts to lure weights in realtime

The company is also introducing a BFS reel this year

A BFS kit can also transform existing Draken One reels to BFS

Z-Man showcased their new Swag LT swimbaits

The fuzzy dice craze is real and the Fuzzy TRD is now a thing

I'm a big fan of Tator Hog swimbaits and this year the company is partnering with Strike King to make a injected version that will be much more accessible to anglers

The Strike King Hog Father Jr. collab will retail for only $44.99

Strike King is also coming out with their own dice bait called the Tumbleweed

The Strike King Salty Bug is a cross of many bait types

A closer look at the Strike King Salty Bug

Bill Siemantel shows us the new BBZ rats from FishLab

This new rat is an homage to the classic jitterbug but with a new rat twist. Good to see the classic BBZ tail return as well

The FishLab Rattle Toad is designed to be the loudest external rattle on the market

Garrett of G.Ratt shows us a prototype of the Soft Sneaky Pete

This full sized swimbait is massive

The G.Ratt Sneaky Pete also gets a makeover

Steve Kennedy helped refine the new Sneaky Pete 2.0 with improved action and paintwork

The Rocker is a finesse scope bait

Available in a wide range of sizes to match the hatch

ICAST is launching a new series of sunglasses designed for the next generation of anglers called the Schoolie

The Schoolie features 580P lenses and is the first 8-base wrap specifically tuned for younger faces offering full coverage and elemental protection for them

The Garmin Force Current is a motor designed specifically for kayaks and features wireless steering and throttle pedals and also has anchor lock technology

Our Quick Take: There is usually a theme to every ICAST, whether it be a year with heavy emphasis on new reels, rods, or even technology heavy years where we saw the debut of live sonar, and who can forget the of the show where the trolling motor wars kicked off. This year it is starting to look like there are two themes starting to boil up, the push to create more affordable products across all categories, including custom swimbait manufacturers partnering with large manufacturers to bring their signature baits to the masses in injected form, and on the opposite end of the spectrum everyone is bringing out their take on "fuzzy dice", but more on that later as we head to the New Product Showcase and go deep with the manufacturers as the show floor opens tomorrow.