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TackleTour's Best of ICAST
2021 Award Winners
While there were a lot of great new products there were a few across the
various categories that particularly stood out and the following are the ones
that our editors elected as TackleTour's Best of ICAST Award Winners. |
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KastKing Makes Higher-End Reels that are Still Accessible to All Anglers. Meet
the MegaJaws
Refinement and speed are two highly-desirable
traits when it comes to fishing reels. From fighting fish to simply reeling in
your rig for another cast, everybody loves a reel that delivers performance and
efficiency along with a quality feel. This year, KastKing’s new products include
reels which are designed to perform at higher levels.
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TackleTour ICAST 2021 Video Coverage
ICAST 2021 has arrived! After a strange last year we are excited to be
once again on the water and show floor here in Orlando. This year in addition to
our article coverage we will also be providing Instagram Quick Hit Videos from
the manufacturers and pro anglers.
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Quantum
Refreshes the Smoke X Series of Reels and Rods
Quantum went bold this year in the styling of their Smoke X Series of
reels and rods. The refresh of the series brings some enhanced features to match
up with the eye-catching new styling.
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Jenko Fishing Unveils Swimbaits made of Hemp
Think of all the different anglers out there and
all the lures that get popped off on a daily basis—the clutter adds up quickly.
Could an alternative material be available that is more friendly to nature? The
folks at Jenko Fishing believe so and we think what they’ve found is an
interesting start!
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Built to
Take a Beating: Visser's New Model S Spinning Reels
Spinning reels can often be associated with light line and finesse
presentations, but that’s definitely not always the case. Some anglers,
particularly those that fish saltwater, can subject their spinning reels to
extreme punishment. Whether it’s tossing a bait to Keys tarpon or chucking jigs
in the crashing suds for Montauk stripers, these reels need to be able to
withstand whatever the fish and environment dish out. |
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ARK
Fishing Introduces Three New Affordable Rod Lines
The team at ARK fishing leveraged ICAST to roll out three new rod lines
targeting value to mainstream oriented anglers. These build upon the success of
the higher end Reinforcer lines and feature clean lines and the Essence Series
in particular offers much of what we like about the Reinforcer but at a much
lower price. |
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An Array
of Unique Baits from Jackall, and a Return of a Classic
Jackall has a vast arsenal in their JDM portfolio and often times when a
new bait comes to the U.S. it has already been proven overseas. This year the
company brings back an old favorite as well as two very unique options for
anglers looking to present something different to finicky bass. |
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A
Return to Form - 13 Fishing's Envy Black is Back in a Big Way
When it comes to 13 Fishing Rods the Envy is the company’s well known
line of performance oriented sticks. This ICAST the company has completely
redesigned these new rods with a cleaner overall look and a focus on refining
their tapers for technique specific applications. |
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Keeping things Fresh and Green, the Shimano Curado Rods get a Major Redesign
While the G.Loomis GCX was the company's rod launch at ICAST Shimano also
unveiled a complete refresh to the Curado lineup of rods. The new sticks feature
a clean layout with the combination of Hi-Power X blank technology, Ci4+ reel
seats and FazLite guide inserts.
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What's in the Works at American Baitworks
Home to several brands which include Halo Fishing, Snag Proof, Net Bait,
Scum Frog, Freedom Tackle Corp, and STH Bait Co, it’s no wonder they had several
new items to show us this year. From killer new frogs to refreshed bass rods, we
dropped by to visit with pro angler Scott Canterbury to run through the latest
and greatest. |
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Seeing Red - The New G.Loomis GCX Rods Slide in Right Under IMX-Pro
It wasn't that long ago that G.Loomis launched the NRX+ Series so it was
a bit of a surprise that the company would launch a whole new series of rods at
ICAST. The GCX rods make use of proven actions to create a new workhorse series
positioned right between E6X and IMX-Pro. |
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Programmed for Performance: New Denali Android Rods
The cosmetics of these rods
instantly grab your attention. As the newest premium offering from Denali, these
feature plenty of bling and do look quite stunning in person. Starting down at
the handles, each model receives a split foam grip along with a custom reel seat
design. |
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Ready
to Destroy, the Okuma Hakai Brings a Dream Blend of Features in a Magnesium Body
Okuma has continually elevating their product offerings whether it be
refining existing lines, introducing limited edition products, or pushing the
design envelope. The Hakai is the company's newest baitcaster, and it just may
be the company's best yet with some never before seen features and a sleek
magnesium build. |
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Shimano Unveils a Lighter More Refined Curado, the 150MGL
Shimano seems to have a habit of releasing new Curado reels every ICAST
and this year the company unveiled the sleek 150MGL which is designed to be the
lightest Curado to date. |
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Abu Garcia's Zenon Series of Reels
and Rods Raise the Bar for the Brand
Designed to be the new halo reels and rods for Abu Garcia the Zenon reel
and rods take the brand into enthusiast territory when it comes to features,
performance, and price point. |
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Stay
Fresh or Get Salty with Yo-Zuri
Just like myself, Yo-Zuri has been
in the fresh and saltwater game for quite some time now. I’ve been using their
Hybrid copolymer line and a few of their hardbaits religiously for many years
now and have caught hundreds of fish with these products. Since their offerings
cover such a broad spectrum of environments and species, it should come as no
surprise they had a healthy batch of new products to show off at this year’s
ICAST show. |
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Daiwa Dominates Reel Categories this ICAST and the Saltist takes the Salt
Daiwa crushed it this year at ICAST taking home the Best of Show in both
the freshwater and saltwater reel categories. Our readers already know how much
we like the Zillion and on the saltwater side it was the new Saltist MQ that won
over the buyers and media. |
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The Tatula SV 103 Limited Baitcaster Looks Like a Keeper
Daiwa has a long history of catering to tackle enthusiasts and while the
company has been focused on expanding their mainstream offering in the last few
seasons it is good to see they haven't forgotten their roots. This season the
company is adding some extra features and styling to their popular Tatula line
with a new limited edition. |
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Shimano
Refreshes Sustain and Nasci Spinning Reels
Shimano refreshed a number of their spinning reels this ICAST and we were
particularly excited about the new look and feel of the new Sustain which has
now been redesigned with a MGL rotor. The Nasci line also gets an update and
continues to deliver a quality design for both fresh and saltwater environments.
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Shimano Turns Up the Flash with the World Minnow and World Diver Jerkbaits
While most anglers are eagerly awaiting all of Shimano's reel and rod
launches this ICAST the company surprised anglers with the introduction of two
brand new jerkbaits with some very innovative new elements designed to improve
both casting and retrieve performance with "BOOST" features. |
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Costa
Launches Untangled 2.0 Sunglasses Made From Recycled Fishing Nets - Good for
Anglers and the Ocean
This year the company unveiled the Untangled 2.0
Collection which are performance sunglasses that are as good for fishing as they
are for the ocean, as they are made from recycled fishing nets. |
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TackleTour ICAST 2021 Video Coverage
(Live from the show floor)
ICAST 2021 has arrived! After a strange last year we are excited to be
once again on the water and show floor here in Orlando. This year in addition to
our article coverage we will also be providing Instagram Quick Hit Videos from
the manufacturers and pro anglers.
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