FISFISHIINNG FISSPHEINCIGAL SPECIAL 2020 2020 BE ST BEST HOOK BEST FRESHWATER HARD BAIT BLADED ERRATIC SHINER BEST TACKLE STORAGE HYBRID TREBLE SHORT ICAST should give a free pass to Canadian tackle FISHING Named best new terminal tackle at ICAST, maker Grant Koppers—his Livetarget lures win EDGE this premium black-nickel hook sports a small at least one award every year. The latest con- If you think lure storage can’t be improved, willow-leaf blade attached to the base. The vention was no exception, with Livetarget cap- you haven’t seen the Edge series. These hook comes in sizes 2 to 8, so you can swap turing three honours, including best freshwater boxes feature a watertight seal, corrosion- a Bladed Hybrid for the rear treble on your hard lure for the Erratic Shiner. This transpar- preventing base, transparent lid and vented favourite jerkbait, crankbait or surface lure to ent lure has the action of a spoon, with an inner dividers impregnated with desiccant to soak GEAR get an entirely new look, sound and vibration. core replicating the exact size, shape and mark- up moisture. There are 10 models designed For years, we’ve dressed hooks with bucktail ings of a shiner. It comes in four sizes and 10 for every kind of lure, from jigs to spinner- BY GORD PYZER and feathers, but this is more attention grab- unbelievably natural colours. Livetarget Lures, baits to terminal tackle. It’s no surprise Edge bing. Trust me, it’s a winner. Normark Canada, 1-888-231-4448; www.livetargetlures.com earned best new tackle management hon- (905) 571-3001; www.vmchooks.com ours at ICAST. Plano Molding, 1-800-226-9868; www.planomolding.com THE YEAR’S TOP NEW RODS, REELS, LURES, ELECTRONICS AND ACCESSORIES FOR ANGLING IN CANADA BEST BAITCASTER THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR LIGHT LURES of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) is TATULA ELITE the world’s largest fishing trade show, Daiwa turned a lot of making it the place to learn about the lat- heads at ICAST with this est new products for anglers. The quan- baitcasting reel. It has BEST BLADE BAIT tity and variety of tackle, accessories eight ball bearings, Iand apparel on display each year is truly an aircraft-aluminum BEST TECHNICAL FISHING AID BLADE BAIT astonishing, and the latest show was no frame and a sideplate When the water is cold and the fish are down VIRTUAL different—highlights included bold new that locks the internal gear deep, a blade bait is often unbeatable. I like system into place, all making for a smooth Are you ready for this? Abu Garcia has unveiled this new model from Freedom Tackle because directions from industry heavyweights, performance and outstanding long-dis- the first-ever Bluetooth fishing rod so you can of its unique hooking options. In particular, the innovations from scrappy upstarts and tance casting. At 6.6 ounces, it’s much record details of your latest catch on your double hook can go in the usual spot on the everything in between. Here are my top smaller than comparable reels, allowing smartphone via the free ANGLR app. Just push a bottom, or be moved to the top of the head picks of the new products best suited to you to cast smaller, lighter lures a long button on the rod butt to mark the precise way- (as pictured above) to help avoid snags. Ice fishing in Canada. way without backlashing. I don’t have point of your catch, along with weather, water anglers can also attach their line at the nose, large hands, so I also love the way the and lure details. No cell service is required. and fish the lure vertically like a flash spoon. Tatula fits like a glove.Daiwa, 1-800-736- There are 10 spinning and baitcasting rods The Blade Bait comes in ½- and ¾-ounce sizes 4653; www.daiwa.com in the Virtual series, but you have to wonder, and 10 colours. Freedom Tackle Corp, (416) MANUFACTURERS where do we go from here? Abu Garcia, (519) 748-7250; www.freedomlures.com 750-0100; www.abugarcia.com 50 | OUTDOOR CANADA [ FISHING SPECIAL 2020 ] WWW.OUTDOORCANADA.CA | 51 FISHING SPECIAL 2020 BEST TROLLING MOTORS FORCE & GHOST Some of the biggest news at ICAST was the debut of trolling motors from electronics companies Gar- min and Lowrance. Garmin won the overall Best BEST BEST TRANSDUCER FISHING of Show award with its whisper-quiet brushless GLOVES motor, the Force. So many of the Force’s features MEGA 360 IMAGING BEST CUTTING-EDGE LURE are wireless, including the foot pedal, that it con- Named best electronics at ICAST, Humminbird’s trols as smoothly as a cable drive. It also wirelessly latest transducer provides a high-resolution, ANIMATED LURE connects to Garmin chartplotters, and both the 50- 360-degree view around your boat. Offering When I first saw the self-propelled Animated Lure and 57-inch models have an integrated transducer, image clarity that’s three times crisper than in action, I barely believed my eyes. Developed in with CHIRP, Ultra High-Definition ClearVu and BEST FISHING GLOVES traditional units with 455kHz frequencies, the Silicon Valley, the three-section articulated bait is SideVu scanning capabilities. Garmin, 1-800 654- Mega 360 mounts independently to the trolling electronically programmed to swim in a random, 3415; www.garmin.ca FREE STYLE motor and scans in a circle up to 125 feet from lifelike pattern after hitting water. Charged via Those who’ve tested CUSTOM FIT GLOVE the boat. Anglers will also appreciate the seam- USB, the robotic lure can swim for up to three Lowrance’s Ghost, I know what you’re thinking—that these are less integration with MinnKota Ultrex, Fortrex hours under a float or while suspended beneath meanwhile, says it’s just gloves—but they’re so much more. For and Maxxum trolling motors. Johnson Outdoors, the ice. Available in three sizes and a wide variety so powerful—25 per starters, you can customize them by cutting (905) 634-0023; www.humminbird.com of baitfish patterns, it is a great lure for the tough- cent more than tradi- off the fingertips for better dexterity and feel est to catch fish.Animated Lure, 418-889-0909; tional units—that you’ll when fishing, and the snug four-way stretch www.animatedlure.com get whiplash the first time material won’t fray or split along the seam. you step on the pedal. It’s Providing UPF 50+ protection, these quick- also stunningly quiet, letting drying gloves also feature non-slip palms you sneak up on fish. The all- and built-in wire pads to protect your hands BEST BASS ROD aluminum bracket is super- from line cuts. Fish Monkey, 1-888-659-8864; strong, and you can loosen www.fishmonkeygloves.com MOJO BASS GLASS the shaft collar from inside For the second year, St. Croix won all three fish- of the boat, so no more leaning over the ing-rod categories at ICAST, something no other water. And naturally, the Ghost fully inte- company has achieved. Named best new fresh- grates with Lowrance chartplotters and water rod, the fibreglass Mojo Bass Glass offers transducers. Lowrance, 1-855-361-1564, BEST DEVICE SAVER the flex and feel that many bass anglers prize www.lowrance.ca for fishing crankbaits. And thanks to St. Croix’s KOALA new technology, it’s as light as an expensive When fishing, there’s always graphite rod. The series includes four baitcast- the risk of accidentally drop- ing rods and one spinning rod, all with premium ping your cell phone into the guides, reel seats and cork handles. St. Croix, watery depths. You can eas- 1-800-826-7042; www.stcroixrods.com ily avoid that, however, with the Koala super-grip phone harness and tether. Made BEST PROPELLER BEST TOOTHY CRITTER LURE of soft silicone, the harness BEST DOWNRIGGER wraps snugly around any MX-1 I-WING 135 smartphone, with or without OPTIMUM This revolutionary propeller debuted after the A US$60 surface lure is a non-starter for many its case. The sturdy tether, Precision trolling for salmon latest ICAST, but it’s sure creating a buzz. The anglers, but the i-WING 135 could be a big-fish meanwhile, anchors to the and trout on big water has finally MX-1’s cool-looking loop design reduces drag, game changer. On slow retrieves, it rocks from likes of your clothing, PFD or arrived. The Optimum electric down- letting you boat faster and farther, with better side to side thanks to an internal weight, while tacklebag with a secure clasp, rigger lets you precisely position your can- handling in tight turns at high speeds. Thanks the customizable wings buzz like a school of and stretches up to four feet nonball and lure via an integrated full-colour to extensive computer modelling and in-water excited baitfish. When you quickly retrieve this in length. So smart. Hangtime display showing the depth, trolling speed and testing, the propeller also promises to run 5 hefty 1 ⁄8-ounce lure, on the other hand, it’s like Gear, (505) 226-2185; water temperature. And by connecting wire- quieter, significantly smoother and nine to 15 a Whopper Plopper on steroids. The i-WING is www.hangtimegear.com lessly to the Cannon mobile app or a Humminbird per cent more fuel efficiently than traditional designed to catch big bass, but I think muskies chartplotter, you can simultaneously control up to propellers—and that’s at any speed. Sharrow and pike will also devour it. Megabass, four Optimums. Johnson Outdoors, (905) 634-0023; Marine, www.sharrowmarine.com (412) 503-4443; www.megabassusa.com www.cannondownriggers.com 52 | OUTDOOR CANADA [ FISHING SPECIAL 2020 ] WWW.OUTDOORCANADA.CA | 53 FISHING SPECIAL 2020 BEST LURE-TIE SYSTEM RAIL SHAD BEST LINE BEST TOOL The tie-on point on this clever vertical lure is a split- BEST WINTER LURE ring that slides along a wire rail.