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ICAST 2025: 10 New Bass Fishing Products That I Can’t Wait To Get My Hands On
Get ready to open up the wallet… ICAST is officially over and a whole mess of new bass products have either already hit the market, or will be hitting the market very soon. If you’re a gear head like me, you’re already dying to get your hands on some of these innovative (or not so innovative) new products. And look, I know that the fishing industry likes to “catch fishermen” so to speak, and skeptics will ask how different can […] The post ICAST 2025: 10 New Bass Fishing Products That I Can’t Wait To Get My Hands On first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
Get ready to open up the wallet…
ICAST is officially over and a whole mess of new bass products have either already hit the market, or will be hitting the market very soon. If you’re a gear head like me, you’re already dying to get your hands on some of these innovative (or not so innovative) new products. And look, I know that the fishing industry likes to “catch fishermen” so to speak, and skeptics will ask how different can 1,000 different minnow baits really be, and all valid, but I’m always looking for anything that can give me the edge… even the slightest edge. Another thing I look for is efficiency… I don’t always have a lot of time tog et out on the water, so anything that can make the process quicker and easier… I’m here for it.
So with that being said, here’s a quick looks at 10 ICAST 2025 products that I can’t wait to try out:
Mr. Wheeler, you have my attention…
I’ve been throwing the ol’ Whopper Plopper quite bit lately, but this take on the topwater plopping bait has piqued my interest. Why? Well, the prop on it is made of metal, and it clacks with a metal blade that trails behind from a dorsal fin. In some ways, it’s plopper meets buzz bait, or almost like a more finesse approach to a buzz bait with the metal clacking. I’m intrigued.
The fuzzy lures have been the talk of ICAST, and while many are excited about every bait brand coming out with their own version, a number of people are also pretty fed up with the copycat game in fishing world. And they probably have a point… a lot of innovative bass techniques come out of Japan and then after a few years, start showing up in mass in the United States, and right now, fuzzy baits and the dice baits are the big one. That being said, this one from Z-Man looks pretty cool. I really like Geecrack Imo Kemushi, and really everything by Geecrack, but this type of bait in Elaztech could be pretty interesting.
Anything Seth Feider puts his name on is going in my tackle box. It’s that simple… and as a northern angler, tube fishing is a staple. But one of the annoying things about tube fishing is that you generally have to put the plastic on before you tie your line, and then rip a hole in the tube to get the eye through there. If it gets ripped up, you gotta cut the line and start over with a new plastic, but with Z-Man’s Elaztech material, you can just slide that bad boy right back into place.
Daiwa Aird 80 Casting Reel – $99.99
When it comes to budget casting reels, it’s tough to compete with the Shimano SLX A. At $99.99, it just doesn’t get cheaper for a quality baitcasting reel. The Lew’s Speed Spool is another good option, but the Gen 3 is now running up at $139.99… quite the price increase from the Gen 2. However, this new offering from Daiwa might be a competitor. If you used any of the Aird X rods, you know that they’re dirt cheap and DAMN good. I actually use one of the Aird X spinning rods quite often for my wacky rig setup, even though I have plenty of more expensive rods that would do the job. I just like it a lot… so if this reel follows suit, it could become my go-to budget casting reel.
VMC Redline Series Swivel Fluke Hook – $10.99
I love fluke fishing but I absolutely HATE how difficult it is to keep the fluke on the hook properly without slipping down. And then to rig up a swivel… it’s just annoying. And this new hook from VMC is going to take care of everything. Keep your bait on, built-in swivel, no extra knots and potential breaking points… and then you throw in that Redline coating, it’s a win win win.
I love the VMC Hybrid Swimbait jig head but with the screw-lock, it’s a nightmare to use any kind of elastomer soft plastic… like the Crush City Mooch Minnow, a stellar minnow shaking bait. This is the fix.
FXR Vapor Pro Trilaminate Jacket and Bib
I just got my hands on the FXR Adventure Lite Tri-Laminate jacket and bibs, and they’re absolutely awesome. Lightweight and waterproof, perfect for that summer sprinkles, but I’m also looking forward to getting some of their gear for the colder weather and heavier rainfall. I generally don’t fish when it’s raining too hard, but as a father of two small children and business-owner, sometimes my free time and the weather don’t always cooperate.
Great Lakes Finesse Marabou Jig – $6.99
Great Lakes Finesse is an absolute must in the smallmouth game, I just can’t say enough good things about the brand. This past spring, during the pre-spawn, I caught smallmouth bags like I’ve never seen before using their new Dropkick Shad, the Sneaky Underpsin, the Juvy Craw… however you like to catch ’em, they got a killer application. But up here in Southern Wisconsin, there’s nothing like a good marabou jig to catch those finnicky smallmouth our on pressured lakes. I’m excited to give this one a try.
They’ve also gone even smaller with micro versions of some of their most popular offerings… if you fish for smallmouth, you gotta try them. You won’t be disappointed.
Daiwa Tatula Cork Bass Rod – $179.99
I’m a HUGE fan of Daiwa’s Tatula line… whether it’s the budget Tatula XT line, or the higher priced Tatula Elite rods (I own and regularly use both), they just get the job done no matter what price point you are shopping at. But when it comes to bang for your buck, you just can’t go wrong with the new Tatula Cork line. Pair that up with a Tatula reel and you have a premium quality combo at a price that won’t make you want to cry.
St. Croix LEGEND X2 Rods – $615- $640
Speaking of crying at the price tag…
Look, I know this is a niche product that most anglers can only dream of, and I’ll be honest, I only have a handful of rods that cost more than $200 bucks, let alone rods north of $600. But this thing looks GORGEOUS, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to get my hands on one. St. Croix has fantastic rod options for every price point, but if you’re looking for the best of the best, this might be in the conversation.
BONUS: Humminbird XPLORE Fish Finder – $1299.99 – $2699.99
Truth is, I already have one of these on the way. They’ve been out for a bit and I’m pumped to give it a whirl, but messing around with one at my local Bass Pro and I just fell in love with the functionality. We’ll see how it holds up on the water, but everyone I’ve talked to who has one has nothing but good things to say about it.
The post ICAST 2025: 10 New Bass Fishing Products That I Can’t Wait To Get My Hands On first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
