ICAST International Tackle Show New Product Winners

There were 331 companies that entered 974 products in the New Product Showcase at the 2018 ICAST international tackle trade show in Orlando. Members of the media and buyers for retail outlets voted on their favorites to determine the Best of Show in more than two dozen categories.

Best Electronic Product

The Garmin Panoptix LiveScope, which also won the coveted Best of Show award, is a live scanning sonar that gives anglers higher resolution and easier-to-interpret images of structure, bait and fish swimming below and around the boat

The transducer can be easily adjusted to point forward to see around the boat or to point down to see below the boat; clear and precise images allow anglers to distinguish between species of fish

Includes a compact GLS 10 sonar black box, LVS32 transducer and plug-and-play Garmin Marine Network connector for compatible Garmin chartplotters, plus a trolling motor barrel and shaft mounting kit and a transom mounting kit

Best Saltwater Rod

The St. Croix Mojo Yak is designed for kayak fishing and available in six spinning and two casting models in 7-foot and 7-foot, 6-inch lengths

Made of premium, high-modulus SCIII graphite blanks that can handle frequent bumps against a fiberglass kayak with Kigan Master Hand 3D guides with aluminum-oxide rings and black frames and a Kigan hook-keeper

Custom Winn split-grip handles have a tacky surface that offers a more secure hold on the rod when wet

Best Saltwater Hard Lure

The Octopi from 13 Fishing resembles an octopus, which, according to the Clearwater, Florida, company, is a highly desirable food source for game fish

Balanced to sit horizontally anywhere in the water column with a rapid rate of descent, it has lifelike features and action with an interchangeable skirt

Comes in 2-, 4-, 6-, 9- and 12-ounce models

Best Fishing Line

PowerPro SuperSlick V2 Braid features densely woven Honeywell Spectra eight-end fiber with the Enhanced Body Technology coating process that floods resin through the finished braid for increased abrasion resistance

Line is also structurally rounder and smoother, which reduces backlashes and increases casting distance

Offered in Blue, Moss Green, Hi-Vis Aqua Green and Onyx in 8- to 80-pound test and 150- to 3,000-yard spools

Best Footwear

The Fish Sandals from Rivers Edge Products come in bass, trout and redfish designs

Easy to wear and maintain

Available in a range of sizes for adults and children

Best Tackle Management Product

The Lure Locker from Tak Logic Lure Lock makes it easy to store and carry tackle

The Lure Lock tackle boxes have an environmentally safe ElasTak liner that does not leave residue or scent on your lures, and the tacky liner also keeps lures secure and weights organized

Boxes can be washed in the dishwasher or by hand with soap and warm water

Best Lifestyle Apparel

The Hexatron Performance Fleece from AFTCO is a sun protection shirt that offers mid-layer warmth

That warmth is provided by the proprietary heathered ThermoHex dobby fleece throughout the shirt

Can be worn by itself as a shirt on cool days or integrated into a layering system

Best Saltwater Reel

The Tekota 500 levelwind reel is the newest generation of Shimano‘s Tekota line, which was introduced in 2003

More compact, ergonomic and lighter with Shimano’s S-Compact body design (only 14.5 ounces), the TEK500 is offered in right- and left-hand retrieve and standard and line-counter versions

Durable cross carbon drag, shielded anti-rust bearings, up to 24 pounds of max drag pressure and 6.3:1 gear ratio with a line capacity of 240 yards of 50-pound PowerPro or 285 yards of 16-pound monofilament

Best Eyewear

Fishermen can feel extra good about wearing Baffin sunglasses by Costa because they are made from recycled fishing nets from Chile that used to be cut free and left to drift in the ocean

The name comes from the current that carried those discarded nets across marine ecosystems

Offered in Net Gray-colored frames, the Baffin is available in prescription-ready Gray, Green Mirror, Blue Mirror and Copper 580 polarized lenses

Best Fishing Accessory

The YETI Tundra Haul is the first YETI cooler on wheels, which makes it easy getting your bait, drinks and ice to the boat and getting your catch back to your vehicle or home

Tundra Haul has two solid, impact- and puncture-resistant NeverFlat wheels and a welded aluminum T-Bar StrongArm handle

The cooler is built with rotomolded construction and PermaFrost insulation and holds 55 pounds of ice

Best Saltwater Soft Lure

The Live Target Fleeing Shrimp has the realistic anatomy and movement of a live shrimp

A proprietary skirt emulates the action of a live shrimp’s front legs, both while in motion and at rest

Rigged on a custom jighead with a strong, corrosion-resistant hook, the Fleeing Shrimp is available in 2.75- and 3.5-inch sizes and eight colors

Best Technical Apparel

Stay dry and comfortable in the most extreme foul weather with AFTCO’s Hydronaut Heavy-Duty Waterproof System

Two-layer nylon shell that is 100 percent waterproof with a SpeedVent airflow hood

Cyclops integrated camera mount pocket, internal sleeve cuffs and CORDURA reinforced pliers pocket and knees