ORLANDO, Fla. – Grant Koppers was absolutely jubilant when the latest LiveTarget bait, the Hollow Body Sunfish, was named the ICAST Best of Show soft lure.
Koppers’ LiveTarget has now won awards five of the past six years, but the honor certainly wasn’t getting old for his team, which includes Bassmaster Elite anglers David Walker and Stephen Browning and Bassmaster emcee David Mercer.
“We’ve been working on this one for three years,” a smiling Koppers said. “This is actually the longest project that we’ve been working on.
“Making a frog swim and do the things you want it to do is one thing. Making a fish swim and do the things you want it to do is another thing. This is by far the most complicated bait we’ve made, by far.”
The Hollow Body Sunfish is a weedless lure featuring a custom Trokar double hook. Its two sizes and 12 colors match varied pumpkinseed and bluegill patterns and it is effective for a shoreline topwater bite.
“It’s getting more challenging,” Koppers said. “Fifteen years ago it didn’t mean as much to win an award. ICAST is it now. This is a red carpet event.”
LiveTarget was among the Best of Show winners announced Wednesday night at the Chairman’s Industry Awards Reception held in the Valencia room of the Orange County Convention Center. Sponsored by Costa, the event drew hundreds of industry workers curious to see what media and buyers voted from a slurry of fishing items in the New Product Showcase.
Like last year, the Overall Best of Show winner came from the boat category. The Eddyline Kayaks C-135 YakAttack took Best Boat and the Overall title.
“Our staff has worked so hard to create the best product we possibly can,” Eddylines’ Tom Remsing said. “I think we delivered.”
See all the winning products here.
