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ICAST 2006 New Product Showcase “Best of Show” Competition Goes to Pure Fishing Berkley FireLine Crystal
by Mary Jane Williamson

July 20, 2006—Las Vegas, NV—Industry veteran Pure Fishing with its Berkley FireLine Crystal was voted by buyers and media as having the most innovative product in the ICAST 2006 New Product Showcase in both the Line category and the overall Best of Show.

Two first-time exhibitors won in the 2006 New Product Showcase. C.A.G.I. Outdoor Products, Cheyenne, Wyoming, with their Fish Call, won Best of Category in Terminal Tackle; and Outdoor Adventure Kids, St. Thomas, Ontario, won Best of Category in Kids Tackle with their Jr. Fisherman Rod Combo.

Sponsored by Fishing Tackle Retailer, nearly 200 companies entered more than 600 tackle products and accessories into the Showcase. The showcase is the flagship feature of the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST), the sportfishing industry’s premier trade event produced by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA). The 49th annual show, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, July 19-21, sold out the show floor months before the event.

“The New Product Showcase is a remarkable display of innovation in sportfishing gear and accessories unlike any other,” said Mike Nussman, ASA’s president and CEO. “I congratulate all of the winners and thank those who participated in the New Product Showcase, from the companies who displayed their products to the buyers and media who served as judges.”

Making up a special section of ICAST’s 250,000-square-foot show floor, the New Product Showcase gives the industry’s latest innovations special visibility during the show, with nearly 7,000 representatives of the sportfishing community attending, more than 1,500 of them buyers.

Buyers and media representatives judged the products based on their levels of innovation, execution, workmanship and practicality to select “Best of Show” honors in 16 categories, as well as the Overall Best of Show winner.

2006 ICAST New Product Showcase Award Winners
Category	Company	Product	Booth #
Overall Best of Show	Pure Fishing	Berkley FireLine Crystal	1924
Saltwater Rod	Shimano	Tiralejo Surf Rod	1370
Saltwater Reel	Penn Fishing Tackle	International Torque 300	434
Freshwater Rod	Airrus	Pulsar GL	746
Freshwater Reel	Shimano	Calais 200DC – 4x8 Digital Control	1370
Terminal Tackle	C.A.G.I. Outdoor Products	CAGI Fish Call	1457
Line	Pure Fishing	Berkley FireLine Crystal	1924
Hard Lure	MegaStrike, Inc.	Evolution Jig	1007
Soft Lure	AA/Optimum Bait Co.	Furbit Series	923
Tackle Management	Plano Molding Company	FlipSider Hybrid Satchel	1224
Kid’s Tackle	Outdoor Adventure Kids	Jr. Fisherman Rod Combo	709
Boating Accessory & Giftware	Minn Kota	Terrova Electric Steer Trolling Motor	1910
Fishing Accessory	Swifty Manufacturing, Inc.	Nu-Skin Reel Armor	918
Reel/Rod Combo	Okuma Fishing Tackle Corp.	Avenger Combo Rod/Reel	2070
Clothing	Shimano	Evair Boots	1370
Electronics	Humminbird	797c2 SI Combo	1910
Eyewear	Costa del Mar	Costa 580 Mirrored Lens	1564

For the next two years, ICAST will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. ICAST 2007 will be held July 11–13, 2007, and ICAST 2008 will be held July 16–18, 2008.

The American Sportfishing Association is the sportfishing industry’s trade association, uniting more than 650 members of the sportfishing and boating industries with state fish and wildlife agencies, federal land and water management agencies, conservation organizations, angler advocacy groups and outdoor journalists. The American Sportfishing Association safeguards and promotes the enduring social, economic and conservation values of sportfishing.

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