ICAST 2019 - ANGLER AID RECAP

ICAST is an Anglers Christmas in July!

Everyone has seen the store commercials during the summer where everyone gets excited about all the new stuff coming just in time for Christmas. These ads run typically in July and set the stage for the fall shopping season. Well……I just found my new Christmas in July! I had the honor to attend ICAST this year with the Anything Possible Brands and Angler Aid crews. I had always heard the hype around this show and I was used to seeing the blast of content come out in the both online and print media. I thought I knew what to expect going into ICAST, but I had no idea just how huge this event is! We arrived on Monday for set up and the chaos of setting up a convention of this size is crazy.

We set up early because my oldest son Trenton and I got a chance to fish in Tuesday’s ICAST cup event on Lake Toho. This is an FLW sponsored event where each team is paired with a Pro, company representative, and a member of the media. We had Chris Schneider, from In-Fisherman Magazine, in the boat with us. We had a great day on the water, but it’s a cool opportunity to put some of that new product in the boat. It also gave me a great chance to take the time to shoot some video. Chris loved the concept of the Angler Aid Essentials Box.

“The Essentials Box sparked a lot of interest in the kayak angling world as well.” 

What I didn’t realize at the time was this would only be the start of the “buzz” this box created. The next three days of the show would be a consistent stream of traffic through the booth with positive feedback on the box. Having Brandon Palaniuk in the booth on several occasions’ draws its own traffic and really allowed a pros insight on how important angler and boating safety is. The Angler Aid team had several impromptu pro visits and even testimonials on the product from other professional anglers, as well. If you ever want a great story on how this box has already been put to use, just ask MLF pro Cliff Pace. It wasn’t just the professional bass anglers either. The Essentials Box sparked a lot of interest in the kayak angling world as well. This makes sense, as many of the kayakers pointed out, since they are often times away from immediate help and can’t travel at a high rate of speed.

So here is the take away from ICAST 2019:

  • SAFETY is very important to those who make a living or spend a great amount of time on the water
  • There is nothing like the Angler Aid Essentials Box that addresses as many potential emergencies on the market
  • The conversation and concept of boater safety is always important to outdoors men and women
  • Professional anglers from the MLF, FLW, and BASS love this box
  • Kayakers and kayak anglers see a huge need for the Essentials box
  • ICAST is something that everyone that loves fishing and the outdoors needs to attend
  • This was the most fun and exhausting week I have had in a long time

This only scratches the surface of what went on over this three day event. I have amassed so many great stories and experiences in that one week, I would need multiple blog entries just to cover it. I firmly believe, that Angler Aid has hit a gap in the industry and the people who invest their time and livelihoods in the outdoors appeared to be in overwhelming agreement.

Be safe, 

Nathan