The latest tackle and lure trends for largemouth and smallmouth bass.

The annual trade show of the sportfishing industry provides a one-stop look at the latest in tackle and accessories. More precisely, attending the 47th annual International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) required nearly 400 stops at the different booths displaying their latest products. Held in July in Las Vegas, this year's show was the largest in five years, both in terms of exhibitors and attendees, including tackle company representatives, buyers, and the press.

As usual, the majority of new items targets the bass market. Lure and tackle-makers know we're suckers for new technologies and innovations. And those, the In-Fisherman staff found in abundance. To fully recognize the importance of new products, take a look at the tackle selection in your boat today. How much of that stuff was available just three years ago?

In the December issue of In-Fisherman magazine, we presented a review of several categories that includes a host of neat new products -- wooden crankbaits; innovative topwaters; the latest tricks and tools for drop-shot fishing; scent and flavor products; jerkbaits; expanded use of new metals in crankbaits, sinkers, spinnerbaits, jigs, and rods and reels; and tubebaits. We also highlighted the new category of hybrid baits, those that are mixtures of hardbaits and softbaits, revolutionary products that promise anglers the best of both worlds.

FUNKY FROGS
Following recent tournament successes with hollow rubber frogs, several noteworthy new entries have been made in the field. Berkley's Power Pop Frog combines a hard body and single treble with a pair of curly legs that stretch out and retract as the lure's popped. And, of course, they're made of Powerbait, to encourage fish to mouth the bait. This lure is a real long-spitter, working well in field tests late last summer.

Snag Proof, makers of the venerable Weedless Frog, have enlisted the expertise of California frog expert Bobby Barrack in designing Bobby's Perfect Frog, a reconfiguration of the popular Tournament Frog and available in 8 designer colors with a special Gamakatsu hook. At Southern Lures, home of the Scum Frog, the trend is also to premium hooks, as the new Trophy Series (1/2-ounce and 2 1/2-inch, or 5/8-ounce and 3-inch sizes), features a double Owner hook and colorful silicon skirts. There's also a brass weight at the frog's rear to keep his nose up, and for longer casts.

Other noteworthy new frogs: SPRO's Jungle Frog, balanced to never land upside down and with just its head and eyes above water. It also has two kicking legs and a swivel to add feathers, stinger hook, spinnerblade, or other trailers; Kanji International's Customized Frog, with its tail-weighted posture and natural coloration, and the Sumo Frog from Nature Friend, a broad and hefty weedless frog with long-stranded rubber legs and an Owner hook.

Nature Friend also expanded the menagerie with the ZZ Walker, an elongated frog with a tadpole-like tail that walks back and forth on the surface but has a double hook along the side, to enable it to work through vegetation. And, if you like a little more meat on your frog, noted Florida wood-carver Lee Sisson designed the Tree Frog, with a wooden body and a single hook that holds a grub to keep it weedless.

Frogs

Top to bottom: Nature Friend Sumo Frog, Snag Proof Bobby's Perfect Frog, Nature Friend ZZ Walker, Lee SissonTree Frog, Kanji International Customize Frog, Southern Lure Trophy Series Scum Frog, Berkley Power Pop Frog, and SPRO Jungle Frog.

IN THE SWIM
In recent years, In-Fisherman has published several features on the effectiveness of swimbaits for walleyes, bass, muskies, and more, highlighting techniques and lure types. Angler interest has fueled production of new styles. Storm Lures has jumped into the swimbait scene with both fins. This year, Storm's WildEye Live Series includes 7 lifelike shapes that mimic sunfish, perch, trout, minnows, northern pike, and more. Sizes from 1 to 6 inches are available. Storm's 2005 catalog has no fewer than 22 pages devoted to swimbaits.

Using their potent Powerbait formula, Berkley has molded a new swimbait, the Swimming Pogy, available in 3- and 4-inch models in 8 colors planned for the saltwater market but sure to prove attractive to bass, as well. Pace Products revealed the L.A. Slider at the ICAST show, and it was voted Best New Lure of 2004. The L.A. Slider features a leadhead that slides into the body of the swimbait, allowing you to readily switch among 8 lure colors which match heads from 1/2- to 1 1/2 ounces. Sliders come in 5- and 6-inch lengths. Charlie, also from Pace, won the Best New Lure Award two years ago and is making inroads in the swimbait market coast to coast. Charlie features a hard head and diving lip connected to a segmented soft tail (6 sizes, from 3 1/2 to 10 inches long).

Persuader American, known for buzzbait innovations, offers a hand-poured Swim Bait in 6- and 8-inch sizes. Like nearly all swimbaits, this broad-bodied lure has a boot-style tail that vibrates as the lure's retrieved. Lure designer and president Cliff Liddy added a rattle chamber to the tail that's activated with every beat to interest bass in darker water or to tease following fish. The Tsunami line from Bimini Bay includes several fine-looking swimbait designs. Lobina Lures, renowned for the Rico Popper, has added the Monster Jack, a 2-piece, 7-inch, hard-body swimbait with a soft plastic tail. Check the 2005 issue of In-Fisherman's annual Bass Guide, due on newsstands in late January 2005, for a full feature on this hot lure category for big bass.

It's clear that the Japanese influence on the American tackle industry keeps getting stronger, particularly in the hardbait market but increasingly with worms, as well. Imaginative use of materials, fine detail, and colors are their trademark. That's timely, considering the sensational win at the Bassmaster's Classic by Takahiro Omori, and the Angler of the Year Award won by Shinichi Fukae on the FLW Tour. Bass fishing is truly an international sport.

At the same time, we see that what's old becomes new. After Rapala acquired Storm Lures, they changed production methods and several of those super-popular models were not quite the same. Bowing to angler demands, Rapala has released "Original" versions of the Wiggle Wart, Mag Wart, and Hot'N Tot, even down to the old clamshell packaging.

In the meantime, Dave's Ka-Boom Baits, under the leadership of Dave Storm, has built versions of the original Storm Thunderstick and Deep Thunderstick, called the Ka-Boom Shiner and Deep Ka-Boom Shiner, as well as the Winning Streak, for all the world like Storm's old Hot'N Tot. Bagley's Bait Company, too, has returned to its roots, bringing back original versions of the Kill'r B, Diving B, and Balsa B.

In this brief review, we've lacked space to look at some of the great new rods and reels that we saw at ICAST. Suffice it to say that Shimano, Pflueger, Abu Garcia, Daiwa, Quantum, Okuma, and others have some real sporty reel models. Among rods, Shimano, Fenwick, G. Loomis, Falcon, Pflueger, and Daiwa deserve a close look, if you're in the market. In this realm, we're relieved to see that there's no inclination to return to the past. These tools just keep getting better and better.

Swimbaits

Left to right, top to bottom: Berkley Swimming Pogy, Lobina Lures Monster Jack, MegaBait L.A. Slider, Storm WildEye Live Pike, Lobina Lures Flat Jack, and Persuader Swim Bait.

COMPANY CONTACTS

• Berkley, purefishing.com
• Kanji International, 914-946-8867
• Lee Sisson Lures, 863-967-4036
• Lobina Lures, 800-498-9520, lobinalures.com
• Nature Friend, 626-968-3782, naturefriend.com
• Pace Products (MegaBait), 714-773-4132, pacemarine.com
• Snag Proof, 800-762-4773, snagproof.com
• Southern Lure Co., 662-327-4548
• SPRO, 770-919-1722, spro.com
• Storm Lures, stormlures.com