By
Dave Langston


WOW! What a great start to a 2009 season for tackle manufacturers. The annual ICAST Trade Show was
held in Las Vega, Nevada in July 2008 and all the stars were out in full force. From Hank Parker to Babe
Winkelman, the ICAST had them all. This is the largest fishing trade show in the world.

We took off from Pocatello and headed towards Vegas to film the “Western States Sportsman Outdoor
Show” an exclusive for www.XONTV.TV one of the leading fishing and hunting websites on the internet
where viewers can watch my show along with Hank Parker and many more 24/7 on your own time.

As soon as we arrived the cameras came out and manufacturers were pulling us from one table to another
in order to show the products new for 2009. We filmed last year’s event and were treated upon arrival with
quite a reception by manufacturers due to the popularity of the show we produced last year.

We made a point of visiting our sponsors Iron Clad Soft Baits and 20 Below Outdoor Products talking with them about new products they are bringing to the market for 2009. It looks like these two companies have a lot in store for the consumer this coming year.

“This is an event where the smaller companies can show their goods to the buyers like Maurice’s and
others, that is what this is all about,” says Bill Dance of Bill Dance Outdoors. “It’s a time where all of us get
together in one place and push our sponsors products to the buyers and visit with the media” he adds.

We hit the floor visiting Zebco, Pure Fishing, Sebille, Kamakazee Baits and many, many more manufacturers. We interviewed over 50 manufacturers and are looking forward to the upcoming show where we can show you all the new products and interviews from your favorite stars of the industry.

Here is the list of stars you can expect to see on the show: Bill Dance, Ray Scott, Hank Parker, Jimmy
Houston, Babe Winkelman, Boyd Duckett (2007 B.A.S.S. Masters winner), Skeet Reese (2007 B.A.S.S. angler of the year) and Tanya Kreuzer (Bass N Babe).

“This is the only time we all get together and talk reminiscing about old times and for some of us this is the
only time we see each other… all year,” says Jimmy Houston. “You know Dave, Bill Dance and Roland
Martin are very good friends of mine and together we have combined for over 100 years of television. I am
proud of that and hope guys like yourself and others can continue on what we have started, it’s been a fun
ride,” Houston added.

The manufacturers we met along with the many icons of the industry were not only interesting but also very
polite and helpful answering all of our questions.

One of the products I really liked was the Stick Jacket. A cover that beats all other covers for your fishing rod. We spend so much on our one-piece rods that a company like Stick Jacket finally developed a quality cover. You can see the Stick Jacket at www.stickjacket.com tell them Dave sent ya!

So many good products were introduced like Team Catfish Baits, Bio Bait, Humminbird electronics, Jig X by
Vertical Lures, Aqua Scent, Concept-For-You catfish carp baits, Xtreme Lubricants, E21, Laser Lure, Jackall, Wingman, Bio Edge, The Bait Shuttle, C.A.G.I Outdoor Products, Sebile, Zebco Brands, Panther Martin...it is difficult to really decide which is the best. They all make quality products for everyone.

Idaho had a few companies showing off their goods like David Pook of Kamakazee Bait Company out of
Emmet, Idaho. “It’s been a very good show and we are hoping to sell to buyers in the states and across the
world,” says Pook. You can look at his line of products at www.kamakazeebaitco.com