The Best New Fishing Gear Of The Year — Winning Products Of ICAST 2017


ICAST 2017 took place in Orlando, Florida on the second week of July, and at the world’s largest sportfishing trade show we were introduced to the best new fishing gear on the market. The ‘Best in Show’ award went to the Bote Rover, a hybrid between a stand-up paddleboard and a fishing skiff. Other award winners include Yeti Coolers, Costa sunglasses, Huk Performance Fishing, Frogg Toggs, St. Croix Rods, and more.

ICAST is the world’s largest sportfishing trade show and due to the nature of the event, some of the products seen there aren’t yet available for purchase, but they are on the way. Below is a full list of the ICAST 2017 category winners. If you’re strictly looking for a new fishing rod you can check out our expert list of the 10 Best Saltwater Fishing Rods on the Market.

ICAST 2017 Winners — The Best New Fishing Products Of 2017

Best of Show — Bote Rover


The Bote Rover. This is a hybrid between a stand-up paddleboard and fishing skiff. Industry insiders think the Bote Rover will change the personal watercraft fishing game forever. This item begins shipping in early Fall 2017, and you can find more information on it over at the Bote website.

Best of Category (Fishing Accessory) – Panga Duffel by YETI Coolers


THIS is a product I’m excited about. The Panga Duffel by YETI Coolers looks outstanding. This is a new category of waterproof for Yeti and it looks like they’re hitting the ground running. The Panga Duffel comes in three sizes (50, 75, and 100). It features a Thickskin Shell, Stowaway Mesh Pockets, and an Eva Molded Bottom. This is instantly the best waterproof bag on the market.

Best of Category (Boats and Watercraft) – Bote Rover

This is the same Bote Rover mentioned above, in addition to winning ‘Best of Show’ it also took home the best in Boats/Watercraft category.

Best of Category (Eyewear) – Costa Del Mar’s Sunrise Mirror Lens


Costa makes some of the best fishing sunglasses on the market. Some anglers and captains swear by Costa Del Mar polarized lenses, and I wear Costa Corbina’s myself. Apparently, these new Sunrise Mirror Lenses from Costa are the absolute truth. You can check out all of Costa’s new mirror lenses here.

Best of Category (Footwear) — Huk Performance Fishing’s ‘Attack’


Performance footwear built for fishing isn’t supposed to be sexy, it is supposed to be functional. Huk Performance Fishing has been blowing up in the fishing community over that past several years and this is a huge win for them in the footwear category. The Huk ‘Attack’ will be available to the public in the coming days. In the meantime, you can check out the rest of Huk’s products on their website.

Best of Category (Boating Accessories) — LoadOut Bucket by Yeti Coolers


The Yeti LoadOut Bucket blew away people at ICAST 2017. This 5-gallon injection molded bucket is made Yeti tough. Gone are the days of your favorite 5-gallon plastic bucket falling apart and splitting when you sit on it. The materials in this are food safe (just in case), and Yeti claims this bucket is virtually indestructible.

Best of Category (Lifestyle Apparel) — The Prym1 Series Pilot II Jacket & Bibs by Frogg Toggs

ICAST 2017 winners best new fishing products

icast


I’m not actually familiar with Frogg Toggs but after spending some time on their website it looks like some of the highest quality gear on the market. Frogg Toggs took home awards for Lifestyle Apparel and Technical Apparel at ICAST 2017, so their stock is definitely on the rise.

Here’s a list of the rest of the category winners:

Best of Category (Fly Fishing Accessory) — G3 Guide™ Stockingfoot Wader by Simms Fishing Products

Best of Category (Fishing Line) — Berkley Fireline Ultra 8 by Pure Fishing Inc.

Best of Category (FishSmart) — 2017 Flounder Sample Pack by Eagle Claw Fishing Tackle

Best of Category (Kids’ Tackle) — Ambition Combo by 13 Fishing

Best of Category (Tackle Management) — Tactical Backpack by Daiwa Corporation

Best of Category (Terminal Tackle) — Trapper Round Bend Treble by Trapper Tackle

Best of Category (Freshwater Hard Lure) — Savage Gear 3D Topwater Bat by Okuma Fishing Tackle Corp.

Best of Category (Saltwater Hard Lure) — X-Rap Magnum 40 by Rapala

Best of Category (Freshwater Soft Lure) — Prop Series by Lunkerhunt LP

Best of Category (Saltwater Soft Lure) — LIVETARGET Hollow Body Mullet by LIVETARGET

Best of Category (Fly Reel) — Pflueger Supreme QRS Fly Reel by Pure Fishing, Inc.

Best of Category (Freshwater Reel) — Curado K Baitcasting Reels by Shimano American Corp.

Best of Category (Saltwater Reel) — Sustain Reels C4000/5000 by Shimano American Corp.

Best of Category (Rod & Reel Combo) — Mach Crush Speed Spool Combo by Lew’s Fishing Tackle

Best of Category (Fly Fishing Rod) — IMX-Pro Fly Rod by G. Loomis, Inc.

Best of Category (Freshwater Rod) — Fate Black by 13 Fishing

Best of Category (Saltwater Rod) — Legend Tournament Inshore by St. Croix Rods

You can find a complete list of the ‘First Runner Ups‘ at ICAST 2017 by following that link!



 
 

The BroBible team writes about gear that we think you want. Occasionally, we write about items that are a part of one of our affiliate partnerships and we may get a percentage of the revenue from sales.

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Cass Anderson is the Editor-in-Chief of BroBible. Based out of Florida, he covers an array of topics including NFL, Pop Culture, Fishing News, and the Outdoors.