It’s always nice when I can include my family in my business-related travel, and that’s just what we did last week. We started with some grouper fishing on Florida’s Gulf Coast and ended up with snook on the Atlantic Coast. In between, I attended ICAST in Orlando.
I don’t know whose enthusiasm was greater – my kids or everyone at this annual fishing tackle show – but I enjoyed both. I can tell you that everyone I talked to, from my sponsors to other fishermen, was excited about this year’s new releases.
Every year I try to pay attention to the trends. This year it seemed like the electronics manufacturers had a lot of new innovations. It seems like instead of taking baby steps in the development of new technologies, we’re taking giant strides.
Just when you thought electronics can’t get any better, the technology improves even more.
For example, my sponsor Garmin is excited about the new Panoptix technology. I’ve had a lot of people inquiring about this, and I’ve probably answered more questions about this than anything else.
If I had to describe this technology in word, that word I’d use is “live” – the things you see are live, not sonar history. It’s like looking at live video. The sonar unit is not sending you a picture of where a fish, a bait school or your lure was, it’s showing you where it is.
I can see fish that don’t have a clue that I’m there. I can tell their size, how deep they are and which way they’re moving.
In addition to helping us locate fish, this Panoptix technology will also help anglers with their bait testing. We used to use two boats to test baits; we’d pass another guy’s boat and run the bait under the transducer to see how it performs at various depths. Now I can do that myself. I can test a bait in any depth and under any conditions to see how it performs.
Here are a few other new developments that my sponsors have introduced:
Gill Tournament FG2 Rain Jacket – I like a lot of features on this jacket, but the most impressive feature is a hood that stays up even when you’re running down the lake. The design uses a venting system that allows air to travel under the hood and out the back so the hood doesn’t get blown off your head.
This caught my eye because when your hood blows down that’s when you get wet. And once you get wet, you don’t feel like moving around as much.
I also like the jacket’s large cargo pockets, which hold everything from my cellphone to extra plastics. I can put hand warmers in those outer cargo pockets and then slip my hands into the fleece-lined side pockets right below them as well.
One of the key features, I think, is the placement of D rings on the bottom front of the jacket. This allows you to clip your kill switch to your jacket and keep it on top of your right leg so you don’t end up sitting on it or getting it tangled anywhere.
Lew’s Reels – This company is known for coming out with innovative reels with a set of options for everybody. One of the newest features that Lew’s has added to some of their reels is the Speed Dial line indicator, which reminds you what line type and weight you have on that reel. It’s built into the tension knob so it’s out of the way, but it provides a quick reference so you can grab the right rod.
I also like the Speed Keeper, which provides a place to hook your bait between uses. When I’m fishing, that Speed Keeper tucks out of the way beneath the reel.
BOOYAH Bank Roll Jig – This flipping jig was designed with a lot of input from pro staffers, and I’m happy with the result. The key is the wedge shape head, which will help me flip into bushes better without getting hung up. Also the stiffness/angle of the weed guard and the hook size are just right for the package.
The thing I like is that I can go down the bank and flip this jig into buck brush, and if I come to a bunch of grass, I can swim it. I won’t have to reach over and get another rod. I can just go from flipping to casting and not have to worry about it.
BOOYAH also introduced the new Finance Jig – a finesse ball head that I think will be great for cold water casting and flipping docks. You don’t see finesse jigs up to 3/4-ounce, but this one has a short skirt trimmed above the hook bend for a smaller profile.
I like that the Finance Jig has a good medium hook. It’s not too light for me to flip with 25-pound fluorocarbon, but it’s also not too heavy for me to throw it on 10-pound fluorocarbon.
As I look at these and other new products released at ICAST, I know that I have to find a happy medium between using the new stuff and using what I have confidence in. Now, the fourth day of an Elite Series event is not when I’ll be trying new baits or other items, but in practice or if I’m fun fishing, I’ll test new products to see what fits in my arsenal.
I think that’s important for all fishermen – try new products and see what fits your style of fishing.
