We just got back from ICAST 2012 in Orlando, checking out some of the latest and greatest in fishing gear to hit the market this upcoming year. There were definitely some trends among fishing manufacturers, not the least of which was “multi-bait rigs,” following the whole Alabama Rig craze. Just about every lure manufacturer now has their own version of the Alabama Rig, each with their own spin. More arms, less arms, removeable arms. Soft baits, hard baits, spinnerblades, weighted and unweighted heads, and so on. A new company, Livingston Lures, which had a score of scantily clad models working the booth, described their spinnerbait contraption, the Scuttlebuzz, as a “Tournament Legal” take on the Alabama Rig.
Ultra-violet (UV) finishes were another biggie at this year’s ICAST. Yo-Zuri, Rapala and Storm were just some of the companies that added these finishes to their lures. Fish can see ultra-violet light that is invisible to us, so the lures with a UV finish are supposed to be more visible to the fish.
