Despite grim economic forecasts, the most recent ICAST Show, a major fishing industry showcase for new products, featured a positive outlook and lots of great new tackle. While one might expect companies to resist retooling and other spendy initiatives, many instead offered numerous new line-ups of rods, reels, lures, and tools. Here’s a peek from the ICAST aisles and beyond.

Reel Innovation

No category expressed more futuristic trends than reels. Three trends were evident: elimination of the level wind in baitcasting reels; reduction in weight with no loss of power; and greater range in gear ratios of baitcasters.

Bye Bye Level Wind: This feature enabled evolution of present day reels that cast smoothly and pack line neatly. But the angle of line from the reel spool to this moving part varies, and at more extreme angles can cause friction that slows the spool, limiting casting range.

The eyelet also can contribute to backlashes when it’s positioned at the opposite end of the spool from the line. In that situation, the spool hesitates momentarily as the line catches on loops below, then accelerates as the eyelet moves directly in front.

Previous reel tinkerers have tried to eliminate this device, but never successfully. Today, two new designs have promise. Ardent Reels, famed as the only company to completely build reels in the U.S., has released the F500 Flip-n-Pitch Reel, with a snout-like ceramic line eye and super- narrow spool to reduce line friction as line shoots straight off it. With a Perma-Lock Drag System factory-set at 22 pounds, and 6.3:1 gear ration, it’s for toe-to-fin action in heavy cover.

U.S. Reel’s SuperCaster 1000 is remarkable with its Reverse Rotation Spool and what’s called the ABLe Levelwind that pivots up and down to load line evenly onto the spool. Reverse rotation means line leaves the spool from below, said to be more efficient from a physics standpoint. Its gears also have been redesigned for compact assembly and a smooth drive train. Models with 6.6:1 and 7:1 will be available this year.

Lighter and Tougher: Another major trend is smaller, lighter reels with no reduction in spool size or power. That’s a tall order, but several companies have ambitiously tackled it. Shimano introduces the Curado E series of 5 baitcasters. The 200 size reel weighs but 7.6 ounces and is built on a frame smaller then previous Curado 100 models, but with the same line capacity of previous editions. The Curado 200E7 and left-hand 201E7 have 7.0:1 gear ratios, while the 200E5 provides cranking power with a 5:1 ratio. Right- and left-handed 300-size Curados with 6.2:1 ratios also are available. Citicas also have undergone weight reduction, now at 7.8 ounces, thanks to aluminum frames, graphite sideplates, drilled handle shanks, and aluminum Lo-Mass spools.

Meanwhile, Quantum engineers went to the shop with a goal of creating sleeker, slimmer, and smaller profiles for both spinning and baitcasting reels. Tour Edition, Energy, Kinetic, and Catalyst lines have been retooled in what Michael Whitman of Quantum refers to as an evolutionary process.

“The key to reel design is balance,” he says. “New materials such as carbon fibers have allowed weight reductions, but where metal still is used you must be careful. If you remove too much, you sacrifice durability. And cost is a factor in fishing products, especially in today’s economy. We could make reels even lighter, but costs would be prohibitive for most anglers and we couldn’t sell enough.”

Not to be outdone, Abu Garcia shaved ounces off new editions of the popular Revo line, rendering the Premier at 6.35 ounces and the SKT, colored yellow and black to match pro Skeet Reese, weighing in at 6.8. Daiwa, however, appears to have the lead in the weight reduction race, offering two models of its svelte new Steez, the 5.6-ounce 103SA and the 100HSA at 5.7. The latter has a high-­capacity U-shaped spool to accommodate heavier line tests. Both come with a 7.1:1 gear ratio. Pflueger, too, has cut weight from its Supreme XT Series, yielding light reels with fast retrieves and lots of power.

Gear Ratios: Back in 1987, Daiwa was the first manufacturer to break the 7:1 gear ratio barrier, and now most manufacturers offer fast reels favored for speedy presentations or quickly retrieving line when pitching. Daiwa ups the ante again with the Team Daiwa Zillion, featuring a 7.3:1 ratio, billed as the world’s fastest. Available in right- or left-handle models, Zillion retrieves an amazing 32 inches of line per crank. Its free-floating, perforated aluminum spool works with the Magforce-Z automatic anti-backlash control to deliver long casts.

At the other end of the spectrum, many anglers like slow reels for fishing crankbaits. To fill this role, Abu’s new Revo Winch has a 5.4:1 ratio, along with 11 HPCR bearings and a carbon matrix drag. And Daiwa’s Team Daiwa TDZLN100PA, in their Zillion line, has a 4.9:1 ratio. Both right- and left-handed models are available. Bass Pro Shops lowers it a bit more with the David Fritts Signature Series reel, with 4.7:1 gears that the crankbait master favors.

purpose-built rods

To match the many presentations used for bass, manufacturers have embraced technique-specific rods. Over a decade ago, G. Loomis began building their collection, beginning with a CrankBait line, moving to jigs and spinnerbaits, then adding an entire Bronzeback series for smallies. For 2009, 3 new crankbait actions have been added, along with 2 ShakyHead models, and 2 for spinnerbaits.

Quantum’s Tour Edition Signature Series began with models like Gary Klein’s flipping rod, a Kevin VanDam spinnerbait stick, and Mike Wurm’s Finesse Worm Rod. Since then, 10 pros have helped design 15 different models to their specifications for favorite presentations.

All Star Rods has a new ASR Series, constructed of IM-10 multimodulus graphite blanks, designed for 10 applications. These rods have a new Split Grip Design for better balance and sensitivity, while cutaways on the seat and foregrip are part of Total Touch Technology to give anglers every sensory advantage. Kistler’s Graphite Plus Freshwater Series and Magnesium TS Rods also offer an array of lengths and actions labeled for specific lure types and conditions.