ICAST 2026 Plays Host to a Bevy of New Opportunities & Experiences for the Sportfishing Industry

The world’s largest sportfishing trade show came to a close last Friday as attendees filtered out the doors of Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center. After a jam-packed week of networking, business meetings, product testing and a full slate of new events, this year’s show will go down as one of the most successful ICASTs in recent memory.

ICAST 2026 By The Numbers

• Just under 12,000 attendees
• 540+ exhibitors, including 150+ first time exhibitors
• 200,000+ square feet of exhibit space
• 3,050 retailers and wholesalers in attendance
• 1,250 independent retail stores in attendance, which is 250 more than last year
• 870+ products entered in the New Product Showcase
• 46 products submitted to the inaugural New Product Showcase First Time Exhibitor category
• 74 countries represented

Rhino’s Rod and Reel Combo Takes Top Honor

ICAST 2026 brought a number of new events to the show schedule, but one staple remained center-stage for exhibitors, buyers and media, alike. The New Product

Showcase sponsored by Fishing Tackle Retailer has been the cornerstone of ICAST and the fishing industry for years, and 2026 was no different.

This year, the Rhino 30 6’6” 2pc Medium Spinning Combo joined the ranks of ICAST royalty after coming out on top in head-to-head voting against more than 35 other Best of Category winners. Rhino is a resurrected legacy brand from Zebco that traces its roots to an ultra-durable line of rods and reels targeted to everyday anglers.

“Winning Best of Show is an incredible honor, and we’re grateful to everyone who believed in what we’re building with Rhino,” said Chris Littau, Vice President of Zebco. ”Zebco has been the first chapter in so many people’s fishing stories, and the Rhino relaunch is helping make sure that first experience is one that lasts.”

“Every year, Best of Show shines a light on the people and products shaping the future of this industry,” said Angie Thompson, Publisher of Fishing Tackle Retailer. “FTR is honored to sponsor the New Product Showcase, and it means even more when the award goes to a partner as valued to us as Rather Outdoors. We’re incredibly proud of their team and thrilled to see the Rhino 30 Spinning Combo take the top honor.”

There’s still one trophy to hand out, though, and this time the choice is yours! The ICAST 2026 Anglers’ Choice Award gives anglers everywhere a chance to participate in the New Product Showcase fun, crowning one last champion from this year’s show. From now until August 21, you can choose which of our 39 Best of Category winners deserves to be crowned Anglers’ Choice.

Voting is officially live, and each vote cast enters you into weekly drawings to win exclusive prizes from ICAST, with one grand prize winner taking home two free passes to ICAST 2027. Click here to cast your vote today!

New Events Flourish, Old Favorites Return With a Splash

In addition to the normal business conducted on the show floor, ICAST 2026 played host to a full slate of events and networking opportunities. The annual Lunkers and Bunkers golf scramble with a fishing twist saw a record attendance of 96 participants. Also returning this year, the ICAST Cup presented by Major League Fishing teamed show attendees with professional anglers on Kissimmee’s Lake Toho. These two events, and a number of other activations, raised over $200,000 for Keep America Fishing, ASA’s advocacy and outreach program.

Behind the Orange County Convention Center, Tuesday’s On the Water Demo Day sponsored by Garmin put new boats, baits, rods and reels in the hands of tackle dealers and media members who got an exclusive first look at future best sellers.

For the first time ever, On the Water was followed by a retailer “speed dating” event called Meet the Market. Held in a breakout room above the ICAST show floor, Meet the Market drew more than 50 retailers from as far away as New Zealand to grow new connections with manufacturers before the show doors officially opened on Wednesday morning.

An Increased Value for Retailers

Tackle buyers were the big winners at this year’s show, benefitting from an increased emphasis on forging new business connections and delivering c-suite level knowledge. Nowhere was this more evident than on Thursday morning, when a panel of presidents from Rather Outdoors, AFTCO, Daiwa Corporation, Z-Man Fishing Products, American Fishing Wire and Temple Fork Outfitters joined tackle dealers for the all-new Retailer Leadership Breakfast. This informal panel discussion gave tackle dealers a chance to have honest, off-the-record conversations with leaders in the industry and get an behind the scenes look about where our industry is headed.

On the show floor, retailers got front row seats to the debut of ICAST Live! presented by Florida’s Coastal Corridor. Attendees were offered free access to seminars from experts on AI, tariffs, social media strategy and retail store operations; round table discussions on engaging the next generation of anglers; and even a live podcast recording. The full suite of ICAST Live! Programming is available on ASA’s YouTube Channel–click here to relive the fun!

Also debuting at ICAST 2026, the Retailer Lounge provided a safe haven for in-demand buyers to strategize, unwind and find reprieve from the buzz of the Orange County Convention Center’s exhibit hall.

ICAST remains the premier venue for fishing tackle retailers to conduct business in this industry, and attracting more buyers to ICAST is a top priority for the American Sportfishing Association. This year’s show saw more than 3,000 retail attendees register, with almost 1,300 of them representing different retail stores – an increase of over 250 from ICAST 2025!

“ICAST 2026 was the most impactful in my thirty-three years. We met with all our large customers, a large number of our vendors and had over 100 independent dealers (existing and potential) come by our booth,” said James Coffey, President of Pittman Creek, one of the nation’s largest tackle wholesalers. “It’s the aspect of having our industry under one roof that is so very important.”

An Icon Honored

For some, ICAST 2026 will likely be remembered as the debut of new events and business dealings, but its initial spotlight belonged to a household name in the fishing industry—Bill Dance.

Dance, 85, first exploded onto the national sportfishing scene in the 1960s during the rise of Ray Scott’s Bassmaster tournament series. Dance was famously the first angler to ever catch a bass in a B.A.S.S. tournament (in June of 1967 on Arkansas’ Beaver Lake) and went on to become one of the winningest tournament anglers of all time before stepping away from competitive fishing to focus on an educational television program, Bill Dance Outdoors.

At ICAST 2026, Dance was honored by the American Sportfishing Association with the ASA Impact Award at Wednesday’s State of the Industry Breakfast presented by Huk. The 2025 Impact Award recipient, philanthropist and comedian Steve Harvey, presented the award and he was joined onstage by Bass Pro Shops owner Johnny Morris and a childhood cancer survivor from his hometown St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Dance reminded the sportfishing universe that the friends made along the way are more valuable than any trophy catch.

What’s Next for ASA and ICAST?

At the American Sportfishing Association, the business of advancing the priorities of the recreational fishing industry continues well beyond the confines of ICAST. Every day, the ASA team is working hard to secure fair trade and commerce, promote fishing participation, and secure clean water, abundant fisheries and access to both. Our government affairs staff are tackling the issues that matter most to you every day in Washington, D.C. and state capitals around the country. Our trade show team is already busy planning our next great event. Our communications and public affairs departments are getting the most important information about our industry into your hands at the speed you expect.

We can’t do it without you, though. Help us chart the course forward and become a member today.

Becoming a member of the American Sportfishing Association is one of the most important decisions you can make to help us continue this critical work. Your membership also includes exclusive benefits, not the least of which is access to the largest network of sportfishing businesses and professionals in the world.

Membership in ASA also gives you a seat at the table and a say in the future of our industry. By joining one of our various committees, you can make your voice heard on issues that matter most to you and your community. There’s no better place to start than ASA’s premier gathering, the 2026 Sportfishing Summit in Point Clear, AL from Oct 20-23. Click the link below to learn more about this flagship event and secure your spot today!