ICAST 2022 – Gimmick or Gold?
In over four decades of fishing I’ve learned that the sport has only one steadfast rule: There are no absolutes.
In particular, that means that you should NEVER say that something will NEVER work.
Every fishing guide and self-proclaimed expert knows this to be true. If someone gets into your boat and holds the spinning rod upside-down, or tries a “tourist rig” that looks like absolute crap, the second you tell them that they’ll “never catch anything with that” immediately precedes them catching a fish larger than anything you’ve ever seen.
Yes, there are more gimmicks than successes in new product introductions – particularly now that a lot of the low-hanging fruit has been snatched – but sometimes a product defies expectations and odds. I resisted throwing both the Senko and the Chatterbait much longer than I should have. When I heard about Paul Elias dominating a major event on Lake Guntersville with an Alabama Rig, I laughed at the pictures. Of course I had to eat crow in each instance.
As I looked through the new introductions from ICAST 2022, I saw quite a few that in the past I might have immediately condemned to the gimmick bin – but while I exercise a healthy skepticism of just about everything that comes out, I’ve learned not to judge too soon. Accordingly, here are six products that I’ll put in the “TBD” category until someone kicks my ass with them.
A buzzbait and a Plopper are two of my favorite lures for big bass – will the combination of the two be additive or will they detract from one another?
Another “hybrid” bait – like a Silver Buddy mated with a squarebill crankbait.
To me this looks like something you’d see used for stripers in the surf, but Ron Davis already has one of the biggest successes in tackle history under his belt, so I’ll suspend my disbelief and wait for results.
I’m a big fan of the Scrounger, so this offshoot built on a “swing head” might have a future.
Gaudy shades like “Wonderbread” and “Fruit Punch” and “Juicy Lucy” look like they belong in the walleye world, but they might attract freakish smallmouths, too.
While adding this “pistol grip” to a straight handle looks odd, there are already similar aftermarket products in the musky world.
If you’ve tried any of them and have an opinion, drop a comment down below.
