ORLANDO, Fla. — Larry Davidson set out to solve a problem, and in doing so he might just have perfected the fishing hook.
The successful tournament angler from Indian Orchard, Mass., didn’t like that his plastics wouldn’t stay on hooks. He came up with an innovative solution incorporating right-angle bends in the hook, which he surmised would also hold fish better.
He and his Trapper Tackle team unveiled the hook at ICAST, where on Wednesday night it was voted Best of Show in the Terminal Tackle category.
“We’re having an absolutely amazing day here at ICAST,” said Keith Alan, Trapper marketer and former Bassmaster emcee.
The story goes back 10 years to Davidson’s initial epiphany of creating a “trapper box,” which keeps the fish on as it restricts the hook’s ability to rotate out of the fish’s mouth. That has dramatically increased fish landing, Davidson’s pro staff anglers attest.
Since his idea, Davidson has been through the ups and downs of taking the idea to fruition. He put together a team about 4 years ago, and Alan was among those who came on board advising Davidson that everything needed to done right before launching.
It was, and Davidson said he was proud to improve upon something he discovered had been used by man as early as 42 millenia ago.
“I thought to myself, I have just created something that took 42,000 years to get here, and I’ve now got something that no other hook in the world is capable of doing,” Davidson said. “I thought, I’ve got to let the world know.”
Oh, they’ll know. The hooks created a definite buzz. Four-time Bassmaster Classic winner Rick Clunn reported he was intrigued with the design. He spoke with Davidson and team at their booth for nearly an hour. Clunn said he is eager to try them and see for himself.
Trapper Tackle has a lineup of five hook families in different sizes and gauges, totaling 19. The initial hook families include Heavy Cover Super Wide Gap, two Offset Wide Gap hooks, and a 30 Degree Jig Hook for those building their own jigs. There’s also a dropshot/live bait/finesse hook.
The hook was among 24 Best of Show Awards handed out. The overall Best of Show award went to Johnson Outdoors and their Minn Kota Ultrex trolling motor, which also took the Boat Accessory Award.
Johnson Outdoors also won in the Electronics category with the Humminbird HELIX 10 SI, and the Johnson Outdoors Watercraft division took another Best of Show for its Old Town Predator PDL, with pedal propulsion.
Team Lew’s was a three-category winner. Its Custom Pro SLP took the Freshwater Reel category, its Avid Inshore took Best Saltwater Rod, and it garnered the best Combo with its Mach II Speed Spool.
Pure Fishing was a double winner with the Pflueger President taking the Fly Reel title and its PENN SLAMMER III topped the Saltwater Reel category.
Like last year, St. Croix Rods won two Best of Shows, with its Legend Glass Rod in Freshwater Rod and its SOLE for Fly Fishing.
Among Hard Lure entries, Savage Gear took the Best of Show with its 3D Suicide Duck. The top Soft Lure went to Squidnation’s Longtail Flippy Floppy.
P-Line Tactical Fluorocarbon won the Line category, while Steinhauser repeated in the Kid’s Tackle with its 48-inch Starter Rod Combo.
Costa’s Rafael sunglasses won Eyewear, Plano Synergy’s Frabill I-Float Suit won Technical Apparel and Under Armour gathered the award for Lifestyle Apparel with its Men’s UA Fish Stalker.
The Cobra Garage Door Storage Rack was voted the top Tackle Management. Weego won in Giftware for Jump Starter 44.
The Footwear category went to Shimano and its Flats Wading Boots, which could be nicely teamed with the top Fly Fishing Accessory, Boomerang’s Retractable Fly Box.
Adventure Products won the FishSmart category with its EGO Kryptek S1 Genesis Landing Net, and YETI Coolers got the nod as top Fishing Accessory with its Hopper Flip 12.
Bassmaster.com will have more on many of the Best of Show winners in the coming days, and Trapper Tackle’s story will be told more fully.
