Next week, more than 10,000 people will visit over 500 exhibitors at the seventy-second International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades better known as ICAST (pronounced eye-cast). The 200,000 square foot Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida hosts over 900 brands showcasing their latest fishing tackle, clothes, accessories and kayaks to potential retailers. The show is closed to the public, but the Kayak Angler team is on the show floor bringing readers the tackle and gear they’ll see on the store shelves in 2026.

Leading up to the big show, here are some of the products we are excited to share with our readers.

Kayak Angler editorial team at ICAST.
Keep an eye out for coverage from this crew: Ric Burnley, Joe Potoczak and Keith Stevenson. | Image: Kayak Angler Staff

What we expect to see at ICAST 2025

Kayaks and paddleboards

Kayaks and paddleboards make a big splash at ICAST. AT past shows, some of the now most popular fishing kayaks have won the overall Best in Show award. We’ll be the first to see this year’s candidates.

We are excited to test out new kayaks from Hobie. After being quiet for the last few years, the original fin-drive kayak company is bringing fresh boats to the show. Rumor has it that the new Hobies do not have a Mirage pedal drive. We’ll get our first test drive of the boats at the on-the-water demo on Tuesday and a behind-the-scenes look at a special event Wednesday evening.

Sea Eagle has been setting the bar for inflatable fishing kayaks and they are promising updates to their line for 2026. They’ll have new boats at the show and we’ll share news of the latest models.

We also expect to see the new Old Town Sportsman Pro and Vibe’s Hydra 130 and Shaka 100 sit-inside kayak. We also have an appointment to test out a jet-powered kayak at the on-the-water demo day. Can’t wait to take a ride on the crazy sled.

Electronics

Technology moves fast and ICAST is the best opportunity to catch up on the latest fish finders, batteries and trolling motors.

Most exciting for kayak anglers, a new fleet of trolling motors designed for fishing kayaks. MinnKota released the Kayak Terrova earlier this year and Garmin will unveil their Force Current. Both motors feature a 36-inch shaft and GPS integration. We’ll test the new motors at the on-the-water demo and get more info on the features.

The biggest news on electric outboard motors comes from ePropulsion, a self-contained battery, motor and propeller that fits a fishing kayak. Bixpy, Torqeedo and Newport are also bringing new power options to the show.

Lowrance and YakPower have teamed up to create an integrated power-control system. Using YakPower’s Portable Power Station connected to a Lowrance fish finder, anglers can control power to lights, fish finders, motors and chargers from the display screen. The feature eliminates the need to install a traditional switch system saving space and reducing the risk of failure.

Shimano Vanford spinning reel on display at ICAST 2024 The Best New Shimano Gear For 2025

Tackle

Over the past few weeks, we’ve received a steady stream of press releases for new rods, reels, line and lures. We look forward to investigating the latest offerings from Shimano, Daiwa, Okuma.

Shimano is bringing a full arsenal of new products covering rods, reels, and freshwater and saltwater lures. We’re excited about the new Exsence B spinning reel optimized for long accurate casts and quick hooksets for finesse fishing. The show will premier the Outlier fishing rods designed for swimbait fishing with compressional and torsion rigidity for working big lures.

A new company, Mad Scientist Tackle, uses a “secret lure coating process” to create a sheen that attracts fish. Not sure how the fish will react, but a preview of the lures assure they will attract anglers at the tackle shop.

Gear

Dhukr Human De-hooking tool made a big impression at 2024 ICAST and we have rumors of two new models including a smaller version for small hooks.

Another cool product is Hobie Eyewear’s Hull Float floating sunglasses made of recycled plastic from Hobie kayaks.

Schedule

The four-day trade show kicks off on Tuesday, July 14 with an on-the-water demo. Held on the convention center’s ornamental retaining pond, media and buyers test new kayaks, rods, reels, electronics and lures in real-world conditions.

Later that evening, the New Product Showcase opens with over 1000 new products on display. Members of the media vote for the best new tackle in 41 categories from rods and reels to bait buckets and fillet knives.

Wednesday the show floor opens. We’ll start the day at the State of the Industry breakfast where we’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the policy and trends the American Sportfishing Association will be advocating in the coming year. Then, the Kayak Angler editorial team spends the day moving from exhibitor to exhibitor looking for the coolest new tackle and hottest gear for kayak fishing. We’ll take notes, shoot photos and capture video to share with our readers. Each day, as the show winds down, the music comes up and select booths host a happy hour with liberal drinks and candid conversation.

Wednesday evening, the winners of the New Product Showcase are announced. Brand representatives take home trophies and celebrate winning Best of Show. Kayak Angler’s team attends the ceremony to bring readers the winners in real time.

The show goes on after the show floor closes. Kayak Angler has exclusive invites to brand-hosted parties where we’ll get a closer look at new gear no one has seen and hob-knob with the pro anglers who helped design it.

But ICAST isn’t just about tackle, gear and kayaks, the event joins people from all over the sportfishing world. Users and makers come together to share what’s new in the industry and the sport.

Day-to-day coverage from Kayak Angler

Starting on Tuesday and running through Friday, Kayak Angler is all over the ICAST show to get the latest news on new stuff. Tune into coverage on Kayakanglermag.com and our YouTube channel as well as our Instagram and Facebook channels to follow the action. We’ll see you at the show.

Feature Image: Garmin

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Ric Burnley
Kayak Angler editor Ric Burnley has been kayak fishing since the dawn of the sport. In 2007, Burnley wrote The Complete Kayak Fisherman, with chapters on how-to make a PVC rod holder and glue a fish finder transducer to the hull. In 2013, he landed his dream job as editor of Kayak Angler magazine. Burnley is a regular contributor to Salt Water Sportsman, Sport Fishing, Outdoor Life, In the Bite and other print and online publications. Burnley lives in Virginia Beach with his wife, adult daughter, daughter’s boyfriend and daughter’s two cats. Experience In 2004, Ric Burnley stole his first milk crate from behind a 7-Eleven and fashioned it into a gear crate for his Ocean Kayak Prowler 15. Many years and many milk crates later, Burnley has witnessed the rise of kayak fishing from a bastardized fringe element to a legitimate industry with millions of devotees. The journey to becoming an angler started early in Burnley’s life. His father, Eric Burnley, is a renowned outdoor writer and former fishing guide, so the boy grew up in the cockpit of a charter boat and in the pages of national magazines. After college, Burnley lost easy access to his father’s boat, but not his passion for fishing. Once he had exhausted the limits of land-based angling, Burnley decided to try out a new thing called kayak fishing. About the same time, Burnley was looking for extra work to pay for his expensive addiction. His father, editor of the Mid-Atlantic Fisherman Magazine, offered him freelance assignments for the weekly publication. That led to a position as regional editor at Salt Water Sportsman, publication of The Complete Kayak Fisherman and editorship of Kayak Angler. Meanwhile, Burnley and his partner-in-crime, “Kayak Kevin” Whitley were exploring the boundaries of kayak fishing. With the bountiful Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean as their playground, the two anglers were the first to target big red drum, cobia, trophy striped bass, monster black drum, sheepshead and many other species. Once inshore species were exhausted, Burnley loaded his kayak onto motorboats and fished for bluefin tuna, blackfin tuna, king mackerel and amberjack. All the while, Burnley shared his experiences and knowledge with anglers through print, photos, video, radio, seminars and online. Almost 20 years later, Burnley continues to fish obsessively and share the stories. His recent projects for Kayak Angler cover the latest trends in forward-facing sonar and remote-controlled electric motors. Over the past two decades, kayak fishing and Ric Burnley have come a long way from PVC rod holders and stolen milkcrates. Education ● Radford University: BA English; Virginia Teacher’s License. Highlights ● Other Interests: Mountain biking, traveling, hiking, surfing and skateboarding ● Day Job: High School English teacher at an alternative school for at-risk students Fun Fact Ric’s name is a contraction of Eric. Ric is named after his father, Eric Sr. To differentiate between the two Erics, Mrs. Burnley removed her son’s E. To this day, she writes the boy’s name ‘Ric, with an apostrophe replacing the E.

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