by Gord Pyzer photos by Robert Biron and courtesy of manufacturers Top Tackle 2004 The year’s hottest (and coolest!) new fishing gear THE CRITERIA To make this list, the product had to be useful, innovative, functional and built for life in Canada. And, of course, it had to be something that I would actually want for myself (or, in the case of Zebco’s new Sponge Bob spincaster, for my grandson). You’ll also notice that we’ve once again bestowed some special honours, such as “Best for the Environment” for Berkley’s Gulp! baits and “Best Canadian Product” for the Markeze boat guide system. Every time I attend the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades, or ICAST, as the world’s largest recreational fishing trade expo is known, I wonder why they stage it in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s in the middle of a desert, there’s not a drop of water in sight and it’s so hot you could fry shorelunch on the sidewalk. And during the most recent show, Las Vegas set a record-high temperature of just above 47ºC. That’s when it dawned on me: Vegas is the perfect setting for ICAST because so many of the new products are always so darn hot. From among the more than 1,000 exhibits crammed into the 250,000-square-foot convention centre, here are my top picks for 2004. Lucky Craft LivePointer 95SP Jerkbait A hard-bodied lure that actually twists, bends, curls and swims like live bait? Introducing Lucky Craft’s LivePointer 95SP suspending jerkbait, voted the show’s best new lure. Thanks to a series of precision cuts along the body and a specially reinforced stainless-steel wire running through its length, the LivePointer swims with a unique, natural-looking, side-to-side motion. It’s so lithe you can actually touch the tail of the high-density plastic lure to its nose. A true suspending jerkbait, the four-inch-long LivePointer weighs 1/3 ounce, dives four feet and is available in 11 lifelike colours. Lucky Craft, 1-800-270-3117; www.luckycraft.com 3rd Grip Pole Holster Anglers who wade in rivers, cast in the surf, drift in a float tube, fish from shore or jig through a hole in the ice will appreciate the new 3rd Grip Pole Holster. When strapped around your waist, leg, float tube or ice-fishing bucket, the holster provides a convenient place to store your rod if you need to free up your hands. The holster is lightweight, well made, economical and very practical. Essentially a freshwater version of the rod holders worn by big-game saltwater anglers, it even has pockets and loops for storing essential fishing tools, such as pliers. 3rd Grip Pole Products, 1-866-708-4466; www.3rdgrip.com Mooselook Thinfish The Thinfish, the newest member of the famous Mooselook family of trout and salmon spoons, is a three-inch, ultralight flutter spoon that weighs less than 1/8 ounce. It’s ideal for trolling with downriggers, three-way swivel rigs and lead-core or wire line. Of course, when the fish are shallow you can also flatline troll it using monofilament. I field-tested the Thinfish last fall, and smelt-feeding lake trout couldn’t resist the silver/blue model. Anglers who enjoy fishing light flutter spoons are going to adore this lure. It’s available in six finishes, five of which incorporate genuine silver, 24-carat gold and sparkling copper. Brecks, (819) 563-2115; www.mooselook.ca Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5