When the fishing industry gathers at the iCAST fishing convention every year in July. Anglers, sales reps, designers, influences, and more all show up to see forthcoming products, hype cool features and plug the brands they love.
With the rise of kayak bass fishing over the past two decades, the industry has noticed and accepted our sport. Once considered a novelty, kayak fishing has become accepted as the frontier of the sport where companies innovate and sell exciting new products.
Dozens of kayak fishing manufacturers had booths at the 2023 edition of iCAST. Kayak brands like Native Watercraft, Old Town and Bona Fide debuted new boats, for example, while brands like Yak Attack, Yak Gear and Ram Mounts previewed new accessories. From lures to clothing, footwear to food, iCAST exhibitors had everything an angler could need, and more.
Kayak Bass Fishing [KBF] never misses the show, and this year we decided to recap some of our favorite items. Some are KBF sponsor companies and others are simply products we thought were cool or interesting. We asked Chad Hoover to provide additional comments, when necessary, and also linked video content below.
Click on links, make purchases and support the brands that support our great sport!
By producing smaller, lighter and more durable lithium batteries, Dakota Lithium revolutionized the way we power our kayaks. For example, the popular 10 Ah 12 volt battery: it is now half the size that it once was. As you will see in the video, they call it “the cube.”
To see video from the iCAST floor, click here.
The BlackPak Pro has been a runaway success for Yak Attack. At iCast, the company unveiled how the BlackPak stiorage system will be compatible with emerging electronics such as Live Scope. To that end, Yak Attack premiered a prototype known as the “Switchblade Live.”
It also showcased the StakPak and Yak Attack Leaderboard.
To see video of the new Yak Attack products from the iCAST floor, click here
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Old Town EPDL
Equipped with a pedal drive that is battery assisted, the EPDL is a new hybrid kayak fishing boat platform. Anglers can paddle, pedal, pedal with motor assistance or motor on cruise control.
To see video from the iCAST floor, click here. Expect a full walk through soon!
Designed to accommodate a bow mount motor, dual power poles, multiple graphs and more, the Titan X generated considerable buzz in the kayak fishing world.
After seeing this kayak, Chad said “This new TitanX is unreal. I haven’t been this impressed with a kayak (watercraft) in a long time. It’s hard to believe how much they packed into this design.”
To see Greg Blanchard’s walk through (filmed live from the iCAST floor), click here
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Overview
What was Chad’s overall impression of the expo? Click here to find out!
- Additional Info
Complete info for the iCAST trade show can be found at https://www.iCASTfishing.org/
iCAST is organized by the American Sportfishing Association. To learn more, visit https://asafishing.org/