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BEST TACKLE STORAGE

E D G EIf you think lure storage can’t be improved, you haven’t seen the Edge series. These boxes feature a watertight seal, corrosion-preventing base, transparent lid and vented dividers impregnated with desiccant to soak up moisture. There are 10 models designed for every kind of lure, from jigs to spinner-baits to terminal tackle. It’s no surprise Edge earned best new tackle management hon-ours at ICAST. Plano Molding, 1-800-226-9868; www.planomolding.com

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T H E I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O N V E N T I O N of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) is the world’s largest fishing trade show, making it the place to learn about the lat-est new products for anglers. The quan-tity and variety of tackle, accessories and apparel on display each year is truly astonishing, and the latest show was no different—highlights included bold new directions from industry heavyweights, innovations from scrappy upstarts and everything in between. Here are my top picks of the new products best suited to fishing in Canada.

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BEST FRESHWATER HARD BAIT

E R R A T I C S H I N E R ICAST should give a free pass to Canadian tackle maker Grant Koppers—his Livetarget lures win at least one award every year. The latest con-vention was no exception, with Livetarget cap-turing three honours, including best freshwater hard lure for the Erratic Shiner. This transpar-ent lure has the action of a spoon, with an inner core replicating the exact size, shape and mark-ings of a shiner. It comes in four sizes and 10 unbelievably natural colours. Livetarget Lures, 1-888-231-4448; www.livetargetlures.com

FISHING SPECIAL

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BEST BLADE BAIT

B L A D E B A I TWhen the water is cold and the fish are down deep, a blade bait is often unbeatable. I like this new model from Freedom Tackle because of its unique hooking options. In particular, the double hook can go in the usual spot on the bottom, or be moved to the top of the head (as pictured above) to help avoid snags. Ice anglers can also attach their line at the nose, and fish the lure vertically like a flash spoon. The Blade Bait comes in ½- and ¾-ounce sizes and 10 colours. Freedom Tackle Corp, (416) 748-7250; www.freedomlures.com

THE YEAR’S TOP NEW RODS, REELS, LURES, ELECTRONICS

AND ACCESSORIES FOR ANGLING IN CANADA

BEST TECHNICAL FISHING AID

V I R T U A L Are you ready for this? Abu Garcia has unveiled the first-ever Bluetooth fishing rod so you can record details of your latest catch on your smartphone via the free ANGLR app. Just push a button on the rod butt to mark the precise way-point of your catch, along with weather, water and lure details. No cell service is required. There are 10 spinning and baitcasting rods in the Virtual series, but you have to wonder, where do we go from here? Abu Garcia, (519) 750-0100; www.abugarcia.com

T A T U L A E L I T E Daiwa turned a lot of heads at ICAST with this baitcasting reel. It has eight ball bearings, an aircraft-aluminum frame and a sideplate that locks the internal gear system into place, all making for a smooth performance and outstanding long-dis-tance casting. At 6.6 ounces, it’s much smaller than comparable reels, allowing you to cast smaller, lighter lures a long way without backlashing. I don’t have large hands, so I also love the way the Tatula fits like a glove. Daiwa, 1-800-736-4653; www.daiwa.com

BE ST

G E A RB Y G O R D P Y Z E R

F I S H I N G BEST HOOK

B L A D E D H Y B R I D T R E B L E S H O R T Named best new terminal tackle at ICAST, this premium black-nickel hook sports a small willow-leaf blade attached to the base. The hook comes in sizes 2 to 8, so you can swap a Bladed Hybrid for the rear treble on your favourite jerkbait, crankbait or surface lure to get an entirely new look, sound and vibration. For years, we’ve dressed hooks with bucktail and feathers, but this is more attention grab-bing. Trust me, it’s a winner. Normark Canada, (905) 571-3001; www.vmchooks.com

BEST BAITCASTER FOR LIGHT LURES

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BEST BASS ROD

M O J O B A S S G L A S S For the second year, St. Croix won all three fish-ing-rod categories at ICAST, something no other company has achieved. Named best new fresh-water rod, the fibreglass Mojo Bass Glass offers the flex and feel that many bass anglers prize for fishing crankbaits. And thanks to St. Croix’s new technology, it’s as light as an expensive graphite rod. The series includes four baitcast-ing rods and one spinning rod, all with premium guides, reel seats and cork handles. St. Croix, 1-800-826-7042; www.stcroixrods.com

BEST DOWNRIGGER

O P T I M U M Precision trolling for salmon and trout on big water has finally arrived. The Optimum electric down-rigger lets you precisely position your can-nonball and lure via an integrated full-colour display showing the depth, trolling speed and water temperature. And by connecting wire-lessly to the Cannon mobile app or a Humminbird chartplotter, you can simultaneously control up to four Optimums. Johnson Outdoors, (905) 634-0023; www.cannondownriggers.com

BEST TRANSDUCER

M E G A 3 6 0 I M A G I N GNamed best electronics at ICAST, Humminbird’s latest transducer provides a high-resolution, 360-degree view around your boat. Offering image clarity that’s three times crisper than traditional units with 455kHz frequencies, the Mega 360 mounts independently to the trolling motor and scans in a circle up to 125 feet from the boat. Anglers will also appreciate the seam-less integration with MinnKota Ultrex, Fortrex and Maxxum trolling motors. Johnson Outdoors, (905) 634-0023; www.humminbird.com

BEST FISHING GLOVES

BEST PROPELLER

M X - 1 This revolutionary propeller debuted after the latest ICAST, but it’s sure creating a buzz. The MX-1’s cool-looking loop design reduces drag, letting you boat faster and farther, with better handling in tight turns at high speeds. Thanks to extensive computer modelling and in-water testing, the propeller also promises to run quieter, significantly smoother and nine to 15 per cent more fuel efficiently than traditional propellers—and that’s at any speed. Sharrow Marine, www.sharrowmarine.com

BEST DEVICE SAVER

K O A L A When fishing, there’s always the risk of accidentally drop-ping your cell phone into the watery depths. You can eas-ily avoid that, however, with the Koala super-grip phone harness and tether. Made of soft silicone, the harness wraps snugly around any smartphone, with or without its case. The sturdy tether, meanwhile, anchors to the likes of your clothing, PFD or tacklebag with a secure clasp, and stretches up to four feet in length. So smart. Hangtime Gear, (505) 226-2185; www.hangtimegear.com

BEST TROLLING MOTORS

F O R C E & G H O S T 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 of Show award with its whisper-quiet brushless motor, the Force. So many of the Force’s features are wireless, including the foot pedal, that it con-trols as smoothly as a cable drive. It also wirelessly connects to Garmin chartplotters, and both the 50- and 57-inch models have an integrated transducer, with CHIRP, Ultra High-Definition ClearVu and SideVu scanning capabilities. Garmin, 1-800 654-3415; www.garmin.ca

Those who’ve tested Lowrance’s Ghost,

meanwhile, says it’s so powerful—25 per

cent more than tradi-tional units—that you’ll get whiplash the first time you step on the pedal. It’s

also stunningly quiet, letting you sneak up on fish. The all-aluminum bracket is super-strong, and you can loosen the shaft collar from inside

of the boat, so no more leaning over the water. And naturally, the Ghost fully inte-grates with Lowrance chartplotters and transducers. Lowrance, 1-855-361-1564, www.lowrance.ca

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BEST TOOTHY CRITTER LURE

I - W I N G 1 3 5A US$60 surface lure is a non-starter for many anglers, but the i-WING 135 could be a big-fish game changer. On slow retrieves, it rocks from side to side thanks to an internal weight, while the customizable wings buzz like a school of excited baitfish. When you quickly retrieve this hefty 15⁄8-ounce lure, on the other hand, it’s like a Whopper Plopper on steroids. The i-WING is designed to catch big bass, but I think muskies and pike will also devour it. Megabass, (412) 503-4443; www.megabassusa.com

BEST CUTTING-EDGE LURE

A N I M A T E D L U R E When I first saw the self-propelled Animated Lure in action, I barely believed my eyes. Developed in Silicon Valley, the three-section articulated bait is electronically programmed to swim in a random, lifelike pattern after hitting water. Charged via USB, the robotic lure can swim for up to three hours under a float or while suspended beneath the ice. Available in three sizes and a wide variety of baitfish patterns, it is a great lure for the tough-est to catch fish. Animated Lure, 418-889-0909; www.animatedlure.com

BEST FISHING GLOVES

F R E E S T Y L E C U S T O M F I T G L O V E I know what you’re thinking—that these are just gloves—but they’re so much more. For starters, you can customize them by cutting off the fingertips for better dexterity and feel when fishing, and the snug four-way stretch material won’t fray or split along the seam. Providing UPF 50+ protection, these quick-drying gloves also feature non-slip palms and built-in wire pads to protect your hands from line cuts. Fish Monkey, 1-888-659-8864; www.fishmonkeygloves.com

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BEST FISH-

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FISHING EDITOR GORD PYZER LOVES CHECK-

ING OUT THE LATEST IN FISHING TACKLE.

BEST BAITCASTING REEL

S L X D C Shimano has taken the unique digital braking system from its pricier Curado DC baitcast-ing reel and added it to the more affordable SLX series. Named ICAST’s best fresh-water reel, the SLX DC has four braking settings to match your line type and casting tech-nique, plus a high-efficiency gear ing system. Weighing just 7.6 ounces, the baitcaster comes in three models with gear ratios ranging from 6.3:1 to a speedy 8.2:1. Shimano Canada, 1-866-491-5229; fish.shimano.com

BEST LURE-TIE SYSTEM

R A I L S H A DThe tie-on point on this clever vertical lure is a split-ring that slides along a wire rail. This lets the ring slip to the front for easy casting and a fast sink rate, then slip back again so the lure is positioned for vertical jigging. While designed mostly for vertical presen-tations, the bait can also be ripped back. Featuring a feathered tail hook, the two-inch, half-ounce Rail Shad comes in six finishes. I’m betting this will be the first of many lures with such line-tie systems. Salmo, www.salmousa.com

BEST SCENTED BAIT

S P I N F I S HI love ingenious fishing inventions like Yakima’s SpinFish. It looks just like an old-school FlatFish, but with a hollow core you can stuff with shrimp, nightcrawlers, min-nows—you name it. In the water, it spins, vibrates, flashes and exudes scent to drive walleye, trout and salmon totally crazy. Available in 20 UV-coated colours and three- and four-inch sizes, the lure comes pre-rigged with tandem single hooks. Yakima Bait Company, (509) 854-1311; www.yakimabait.com OC

BEST TOPWATER BAIT

S P R I N K E R F R O GWhat do you get when you mate a weedless hollow-body frog with a Whopper Plopper tail spinner? This 4½-inch hybrid lure, created by legendary Japanese tackle designer Hideki Maeda. I’d hesitate to throw the Sprinker Frog into spots where stringy float-ing grass could bind up the spinning soft-plastic paddletail, but in weedy areas with moderately open stretches, it should be a killer bait for bass and northern pike. Teckel, www.teckellure.com

BEST FISH-ATTRACTING SYSTEM

S C E N T F L A S H Trout and salmon can smell up to 100 times bet-ter than a bloodhound—that’s how they find their home rivers, and detect food. The new ScentFlash scent-dispersing flashers capitalize on that trait by creating a tantalizing trail that leads fish right to the bait. Just soak the reusable pad with fish scent and snap it into place. The eight-inch UV Triangle Flasher spins, while the 11-inch UV Paddle Flasher has a removable fin to adjust its movement. Mack’s Lures, (509) 667 9202; www.mackslure.com

BEST WINTER LURE

E Y E - B A L L S P O O NI would just as soon use the eye from a yellow perch or walleye to tip a jig or spoon than use live bait, especially in the winter. Why? I think predator fish zero in on the eyes of their prey like a target. Northland Lures has seized on this behaviour with its new Eye-Ball Spoon, which looks just like, well, an eye. It comes in 1⁄16-, 1⁄8- and ¼-ounce sizes and 18 colours. You won’t want to go pan-fishing again without one. North-land Fishing Tackle, 1-800-786-3474; www.northlandtackle.com

A D V A N C E F L U O R O C A R B O NThe near-invisibility of fluorocarbon line has always come at a cost—despite manufacturer claims, the stuff is persistently wiry and tends to jump off reels, especially spinning outfits. Enter Sufix’s promise that its Advance Fluorocarbon is “virtu-ally memory free.” The improved performance is based on new chemical processes resulting in a much heavier, denser line that sinks quickly and stays down in the strike zone longer. Normark Canada, (905) 571-3001; www.rapala.ca

BEST LINE

BEST TOOL

O U T T O O L No one wants a big toothy critter clamping down on their fingers when removing a lure, yet there have been few improvements on traditional jaw-spreaders—until now. To operate the tough, corrosion-resistant OUT Tool, simply squeeze the handle with one hand and the spreaders ratchet open up to six inches. And once you’ve removed the lure, just engage the spring-loaded release. Extracting hooks has never been easier or safer—for both fish and anglers. JPK Outdoors, (580) 761-1399; www.jpkoutdoors.com

BEST FRESHWATER SOFT BAIT

P H A N T O M S P I D E R Named the best freshwater soft lure at ICAST, the Phantom Spider is another ingenious, ultra-realistic lure from Canada’s Lunkerhunt. While the bait’s body is just two inches long, its eight huge legs make it look much larger—and downright scary. Made for fishing in weedy areas where you’d use a hollow-belly frog, the Spider truly excels when you cast it into open-ings, crawl it a bit, then let it sit. Largemouth bass are going to gorge on this thing. Lunker-hunt, (416) 792-0385; www.lunkerhunt.com

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