ICAST 2012 Preview–SPRO–SUNLINE–River2Sea

As we get ready to board a flight tonight to Orlando, Fla., thoughts of new toys fill our heads. No, it’s not really the Christmas season, but for an avid angler, it might as well be. For much of the next week, the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. will look like the fantasy of a tackle junkie.

The aisles will be brightly festooned with logos and lights and flashbulbs will be illuminating everyone’s delights as media and buyers work to uncover the best new sights. Okay, that was a completely cheesy attempt at turning ICAST into the Holiday season for anglers. but, the point remains, the next few days are all about capturing the fancy of anglers everywhere.

Three of those companies that will be vying for the attention of the media and the masses will be SPRO Corporation, SUNLINE and River2Sea. Advanced Angler caught up with representatives from those companies to see what new and exciting wares they would be displaying at the show.
Here is what they told us.

SPRO – Stickbait and Crank
With the help of Bassmaster Elite Series pro Mike McClelland, SPRO has become known as one of the best jerkbait manufacturers in the business. McClelland’s original McStick series and the McRip have been strong performers both on the water and on the shelves. McClelland worked with SPRO to come up the McStick 115, a bulkier, higher floating version of his original.

SPRO also enlisted Elite Series pros Russ Lane and John Crews to expand their popular crankbait line with Lane’s Fat papa mid-depth bait and Crews’ new Little John Baby DD.

Those items along with color additions to existing lineups make up the highlights of the show for SPRO.

Russ Lane’s Fat Papa 55 – SPRO is proud to announce that it has teamed up with Elite Pro Russ Lane to bring you his newest crankbait to his signature line of crankbaits, the Fat Papa 55. The Fat Papa 55 weights in at 1/2oz and will dive to the 8 to 10ft depth range when fished on 10lb test line. Russ’s goal was to offer a line of baits that are fishable right out of the package, and designed the Fat Papa to have a strong wide wobble that has a distinct rolling action when retrieved.

The Fat Papa 55 comes with fish catching rattles and is equipped with 2-#4 Gamakatsu Treble hooks. The Fat Papa 55 will come in 5 of SPRO’s top fish catching colors.

McStick 115 – SPRO welcomes its newest addition to Mike McClelland McStick line of signature baits the McStick 115. Mike McClelland is known on the Bassmaster Elite trail as a stickbait master. When the bite gets tough Mike can work magic with a stickbait. The McStick 115 is 115mm long, weights 1/2oz and comes with 3-#5 Gamakatsu premium treble hooks. The McStick 115 is the big brother to the McStick 95 and 110.

Mike designed the McStick 115 to be used when the fish are in shallow water looking for and feeding on bigger sized forage. The McStick 115 is a suspending bait that has a working depth of 0-4ft when fished on 10lb line. Casting is a breeze with Spro’s weight transfer system built into all McStick models, making it easy to fish the McStick 115 on either a baitcaster or spinning system. The McStick 115 comes in many of Spro’s top fish catching colors.

Little John Baby DD – SPRO is proud to introduce the newest addition to the Little John family of crankbaits, the Little John Baby DD. John Crews is no stranger to crankbaits as he has teamed with SPRO to bring us the Little John line of crankbaits in the past. This year John and SPRO will add a new bait to the Little John family the Little John Baby DD. Built on the Little John frame this is the deeper diving brother of the Little John MD.

John says “there are times when you need to reach the deeper depths but do not want to throw a big frame bait to do it, or in some cases you may need to match the hatch. The Little John Baby DD will fill this bill”. The Little John Baby DD weights in at 5/8oz and will reach the 12ft depths when fished on 10lb test line.

The Little John Baby DD will come in 7 of SPRO’s top fish catching colors.

Fat John 60 – (Weight 5/8oz, Size 60mm) The SPRO Fat John was designed by BASS Elite Series Pro John Crews to be the best shallow running square bill crankbait on the market. The SPRO Fat John comes with two premium Gamakatsu size #3 trebles. The Fat John is equipped with a soft tungsten weight transfer system for extra long casting like all the other baits in the SPRO Little John family. Previously available in 8 colors, this year brings 5 new colors: Rootbeer, Chrome Olive, Chartreuse and Blue, Chartreuse Nasty, and Fire Craw.

Little John 50 – (Weight 1/2oz, Size 50mm) Using a computer chip board for the lip in order to create more feel and greater durability, the Little John crankbait continues to impress fishermen with its long distance casting and fish catching ability. This bait performs well in windy conditions and comes rigged with the world’s sharpest treble hooks – Gamakatsu. Previously available in 18 colors, this year brings 5 new colors: Fire Craw, Blue Grass Craw, Rusty Craw, Chartreuse Nasty, and Chartreuse and Blue.

Little John MD 50– (Weight 1/2oz, Size 50mm) Designed to run about 9ft deep on 10lb test line, the Little John 50 is ideal for assaulting ledges and weedlines stacked with fish that are lurking to catch their prey. Previously available in 19 colors, this year brings 2 new colors: Chartreuse Nasty and Chartreuse and Blue.

McStick 110 – (Weight 5/8oz, 110mm) The original in the McStick line of baits, Mike McClelland designed the McStick 110 for the tournament fishermen, but in truth any fishermen can use it with great success on every game fish that swims. The McStick 110 is designed to suspend at lower water temperatures for those finicky early and late season fish and is a bait that is easy to adjust on those aggressive warmer season bites too. Previously available in 13 colors, this year brings 5 new colors: SPRO Blue, Ayu, Dirty Bone, Black Gold Shad, and Midnight Blue.

Bronzeye Popper – (Weight 1/2oz, Size 60mm) Designed to generate a loud popping sound that compliments its realistic life-like action, the Bronzeye Popper continues to attract and land big bass. Rigged with 3/0 Gamakatsu hooks. This Dean Rojas signature bait was previously available in 16 colors, this year brings 5 new colors: Amazon, Freak, Natural, Outback, Killer Gill.

Bronzeye Jr. 60 – (Weight 1/2oz, Size 60mm) The Rojas Signature Series Bronzeye Jr. 60 has a real attitude and is a leaner meaner version of its big brother. The body has been redesigned to maximize hook-up ratio of the “New” Gamakatsu Superline 3/0 EWG Double Hook. The Bronzeye Jr. 60 can be fished on either a spinning or baitcasting setup. This Dean Rojas signature bait previously came in 17 colors, this year brings 7 new colors: Amazon, Freak, Natural, Outback, Nasty Shad, Killer Gill, and Red Ear.

Bronzeye 65 – (Weight 5/8oz, Size 65mm) The Bronzeye 65 this is the benchmark that all the other frogs are measured against. Dean Rojas designed this frog to be fished in all types of conditions. Designed to cast long distances and is specially weighted to land upright on every cast. Simply put the SPRO Bronzeye 65 is the best frog on the market. Previously available in 26 colors, this year brings 4 new colors: Amazon, Freak, Natural and Outback.

SUNLINE SX1 Braid and Finesse Fluorocarbon
Sunline is known as the premier manufacturer of fishing lines all over the world, and their latest efforts have produced high quality products like FX2 Braid and Reaction FC Fluorocarbon. While they covered the heavy handed tactics in 2011, they have gone the other way in 2012 and produced a lighter braid, called SX1 and a new Finesse Fluorocarbon, called Finesse FC, the lines were developed in conjunction with world class finesse anglers Aaron Martens and Brent Ehrler.

Here is the info from Sunline

Sunline America is proud to announce that it is adding a new braided line option to its line offerings in the US Market. This new braided line is called SX1.

SX1 was developed with the help of Sunline Pro’s Aaron Martens, and Brent Ehrlers. Made of ULT-PE material for added abrasion resistance, instead of applying a thick resin coating to compensate for the tendency of the PE line to fray Sunline went to work to improve the raw fiber used in SX1. This results in SX1 being more abrasion resistant that other braids.

SX1 has a sleek finish that reduces guide friction and gives the angler improved casting distance; it also retains the suppleness of PE for stress free-casting. One more key feature SX1 has a natural buoyancy; this line does not float like other braids. SX1 can be fished on either a spinning or baitcasting application.

SX1 comes in 7 different sizes 10, 12, 16, 20, 30, 40 and 50lb test and comes in 125yd and 250yd spools and comes in dark green color. Suggested Retail is $19.99 for 125yd spool and $34.99 for 250yd spool.

Sunline America announces that it is introducing a new fluorocarbon line option to its lineup of offerings in the US Market. This new fluorocarbon line is called Finesse FC.

Finesse FC is a new product that was developed specifically for use on spinning reels in a finesse application. This line excels in drop shot and shaky head applications.

Finesse FC is manufactured to be soft; Sunline has come up with a super soft line formulation so it lays smooth on your spinning reel, but at the same time has a high abrasion resistance. This strength is due to a super Dynamic process for additional tensile and knot strength. Sunline also incorporates the use a double resin line process that reduces surface friction and give the angler increased casting distance.

Finesse FC comes in 3 different sizes 6, 7, and 8lb test and comes on a 200yd spool length.

Suggested Retail is $28.99 for a 200yds spool.

River2Sea – Bumbershoot
River2Sea has decided to enter the castable Umbrella Rig market with their new Bumbershoot, a rig built in conjunction with Elite Series pro John Murray. While he can’t use the rig on tour, Murray loves to use them whenever possible, and has even used them to win a team tournament at home in Phoenix, Ariz. The biggest thing the Bumbershoot does is that it allows anglers to collapse the rig for easier storage.

Along with the bumbershoot, River2Sea is releasing a soft plastic swimbait with an integrated hook that makes rigging the Bumbershoot, or any other umbrella rig easy and fast.

Here is what they had to say.

River2Sea USA continues to make lures that produce results, and the new projects for ICAST 2012 are made to deliver for anglers and dealers alike.
River2Sea is announcing the first in the new John Murray Signature Series of lures with the Bumbershoot; a castable umbrella rig that is the product of collaboration with Elite Series pro Murray and the designers at River2Sea.

Bumbershoot is a colloquial nickname for an umbrella, but for River2Sea and Murray, the Bumbershoot is a revolutionary new umbrella rig that allows anglers to interchange hardware.

Bumbershoot is unlike other castable umbrella rigs because it allows anglers to collapse the wire arms for storage and re-engage them for fishing. Bumbershoot features an integrated c-ring organizer that keeps the welded end wires organized for easy adjustment and assembly. Bumbershoot also features a threaded lockdown nut that flares the pre-curved wires into fishing position when tightened and allows them to be folded together for storage when loosened.

Bumbershoot is constructed of heavy gauge stainless wire with heavy duty swivels and snaps for tackling the biggest and meanest game fish. Each of the four external arms will be loaded with the same ultralight, ultrathin blades that give our Bling spinnerbait its unique vibration pattern. These blades are removable thanks to our unique clevises that allow the blades to be taken off the arms.

Bumbershoot is available in a single shad color, and weighs in at one-ounce unrigged. It comes with replacement wires and a Rig Walker swimbait and retails for $19.99.

What umbrella rig is complete without some sort of soft plastic swimbait or creature on the business end? River2Sea is making that all possible with the introduction of our new Rig Walker 100 swimbait. Based on the concept of our popular Bottom Walker, the Rig Walker is designed to be the perfect complement to the Bumbershoot and castable umbrella rigs everywhere.

Rig Walker features a lively paddletail design, with a lifelike minnow shaped body and a giant, black nickel hook that is sure to grab any fish that tries to bite. Rig Walker also features a line tie at the nose of the bait to make it trail the umbrella rig in the optimal position for action and proper hooksetting.

Rig Walker 100 comes five to a pack, weighs-in at 1/2-ounce, measures four inches and is available in four colors; Silverside, Ice White, Smoke Shad and Herring. Rig Walker will retail for $6.99