Tackle Trade World - April 2023

SENT TO MORE THAN 

18,500 

TACKLE INDUSTRY 

PROFESSIONALS 

IN OVER 

120 COUNTRIES 

EVERY MONTH 

APRIL 2023 

INTRODUCING THE ALL NEW SIMMS CHALLENGER KIT MADE FROM 

100% RECYCLED MATERIALS FOR 100% COMFORT ON THE WATER.

COMMITTED TO INCREASING YOUR BUSINESS GLOBALLY 

www.tackletradeworld.com 

THE LURE OF LURES 

How to understand one of 

the largest product sectors 

in fishing. PAGE 20 

125 YEARS YOUNG 

How Platypus Fishing 

line has survived into its 

second century. PAGE 30 

TRADE SHOWS FORCED 

TO RESPOND TO 

CHANGING MARKET 

The after-effects of the 

Covid-19 pandemic 

allied to a shift in the 

way companies do business has 

brought about big changes with 

some of the key global trade 

events scheduled for this year. 

After almost four years, 

EFTTEX – the European 

Fishing Tackle Trade 

Exhibition – will return this 

June, in the beautiful setting of 

Budapest, Hungary. 

Meanwhile, after last 

year’s returning but quiet 

International Fly Tackle Dealer 

(IFTD) show in Salt Lake 

City, the organising team have 

reimagined what a trade show 

and industry gathering should 

look like for late September. 

At the same time, aware of 

demand from fly tackle dealers 

on the east coast of the USA, 

the largest sportfishing show 

in the world – ICAST – has 

been courting fly fishing brands 

and suppliers to its Orlando, 

Florida event in July. 

For EFTTEX, which had 

to switch to a Digital New 

Product Showcase format late 

in the day in 2022, it is running 

an in-person product showcase 

alongside the trade event itself. 

Crucially, though, those 

launching new products can 

participate in the Showcase 

without having a stand at 

EFTTEX itself. Although they 

won’t be allowed to bring any 

physical products to subsequent 

meetings. 

It is also opening up the 

event to what it calls ’noncore’ 

businesses in a specialist 

area. These might include 

logistics, IT, online marketing 

or packaging suppliers, for 

example. 

EFTTEX general manager 

Dr Zoltan Kekkoi said: “It is 

a great challenge to take on 

an exhibition with such a long 

and colourful history. The 

traditions such as the Best New 

Product Showcase and Gala 

dinner need to be honoured 

and retained but there is also an 

expectation among exhibitors 

that EFTTEX 2023 should be 

upgraded to a new level.” 

The American Fly Fishing 

Trade Association’s show in late 

September, meanwhile, has a 

new look and a new name. 

The AFFTA Confluence 

will reflect all of the various 

requirements of the fly 

fishing industry, both inside 

and outside the Salt Palace 

Convention Centre. 

• Continued on page 8 

S E N T T O M O R E T H A N 1 8 , 5 0 0 T A C K L E I N D U S T R Y 

PROFESSIONALS IN OVER 120 COUNTRIES EVERY MONTH

APRIL 

2023 

TackleTrade 


EDITORIAL 

Editor: 

John Hunter 

+44 7990 542958 

john.hunter@dhpub.co.uk 

A journalist all his life and with 20-plus years 

of international business magazine experience, 

John was the founding editor of TTW and has 

now returned to the helm. He has helped 

many brands launch and grow over the years 

through B2B publications and via his own 

consultancy business. 

Co-Editor: 

David Haynes 

+44 7766 263908 

david.haynes@dhpub.co.uk 

ALL ABOARD 

FOR NEW 

OPPORTUNITIES 

A lifelong angler, David has tried his hand 

at most types of fishing and is a great 

accumulator of tackle and now focuses on 

competition fishing. Having worked at DHP for 

the last 18 years on every title in the company’s 

portfolio, he brings a wealth of knowledge and 

experience to the editorial team. 

04 

ADVERTISING 

North America: 

Bart Manganiello 

+1 914 722 7601 

bartalm@optonline.net 

For over 38 years, Bart has been working with 

trade magazines, 34 in the tackle industry. 

Since 2001, he has been TTW’s North American 

Director, providing the best communication 

programs to companies, helping them connect 

with current and prospective trade partners 

around the world. 

Rest Of The World: 

Guido Knegt 

+39 3475036436 

guido.knegt@dhpub.co.uk 

A born and bred Dutchman, he spent five 

years travelling the world as a scuba-diving 

instructor and English teacher before settling 

down in Sardinia. Guido previously worked for 

TTW between 2014 and 2017. 

China: Robert Li 

Li Ziwei 

+86 13451914155 

robert.li365@gmail.com 

Li Ziwei (Robert) has been working as news 

editor for over 20 years. He founded the most 

influential Chinese fishing forum in the Straits 

and successfully organised many industry 

events. His love for culture and tourism has led 

him to devote his entire life to the exchanges 

between China and southeast Asia. 

Magazine Manager 

Justin Fox 

+44 7813 327966 

justin.fox@dhpub.co.uk 

A hugely experienced communicator with 

more than 20 years at parent company DHP, 

Justin knows what it takes to grow brands 

and businesses across the tackle sector. 

Art Editor: Paul Evans 

Editorial Design: Brad Sharp 

DHP LTD 

Editorial, administration, subscriptions and 

accounts to: DHP Ltd, 1st Floor, Nene House, 

Sopwith Way, Daventry, NN11 8EA, UK 


Ihave always marvelled at the 

crossovers between the fishing tackle 

industry and others in the outdoor 

sector. 

At the risk of repeating myself, one 

of those which continues to pique my 

interest is the recreational boating 

market. 

That’s not just because I am fortunate 

enough to own a very modest boat but 

because I also use it to fish from, so I 

see first-hand the synergy between being 

afloat and angling. 

That means, as tackle, accessory and 

clothing sellers, we have another allied 

market to target. 

This was brought sharply into focus 

recently when I attended the SBS 

BoatLife show in Birmingham, England. 

I was actually there as a guest of the 

organisers of the Sea Angling Classic 

event, who used the occasion to unveil the 

prize boat – a cool Extreme Boats Game 

King 745 if you must know – and trailer 

which the winner of the 2023 competition 

will be able to drive away. 

What was even more telling was that 

the craft and the Extreme Boats stand 

were sat within a designated angling area 

at the show. 

Brands there represented everything 

from hooks, rods and reels to rod mounts, 

electronics and survival gear. Indeed, a 

number of these have already partnered 

with the Sea Angling Classic for 2023 

and beyond. 

So we have companies like Penn and 

3,511 

6,466 

Eagle Claw rubbing shoulders with the 

likes of Lowrance and Yamaha, among 

others. 

Not only that but the angling section at 

SBS BoatLife appeared to be one of the 

busiest parts of the four-day show. 

Of course, many in the industry already 

see these synergies – the Recreational 

Boating & Fishing Foundation in the 

USA is testament to that. 

While ICAST’s On The Water 

showcase the day before the show is a 

terrific place to, quite literally, get to grips 

with this sector if you are new to it or 

have questions. 

Naturally, TTW has long recognised 

this, too. Our recent Watercraft and 

Accessories supplements in the November 

and December 2022 editions were the 

second successive year we have done this. 

Indeed, they proved so popular we are set 

to repeat the special sections at the end 

of 2023. 

We’ll be at many of the international 

trade shows around the world this 

year and myself, Guido and Bart will 

be delighted to chat through the 

opportunities that exist and detail some of 

the success stories we have already seen. 

If you are open to new markets and 

diversification from ‘traditional’ tackle 

into the boating world, then get in touch 

with any of us as we’d be only too happy 

to discuss further. 

John Hunter 

Editor

ands in focus! 

Best New Product Competition has been renewed in 2022 

and becomes the most essential part of EFTTEX 2023! 

We want to magnify every brand to take part in this exhibition. The only thing is to nominate your 

product and you become a BNP Exhibitor with nearly all the advantages of the Exhibitors. 

www.efttex.com/efttex-2023 

GOT A QUESTION? CONTACT US 

AT INFO@EFTTEX.COM

APRIL 


20 

08 

30 

18 

26 

Contents 

40 

8 NEWS 

Mayfly acquires Dyna-King, PRADCO makes 

a move in the UK while Mikado has designs 

on the Scandinavian market. Plus more 

stories. 

16 SEA ANGLING EVENT GETS BOOST 

A number of key brands sign up as 

partners to the UK’s unique Sea Angling 

Classic event. What’s the attraction? 

18 LIMITED EDITION RACING RODS LEAD 

THE WAY 

The flagship Tobizo rods are one of Zenaq‘s 

bestsellers. Its limited edition Racing 

collection looks set to accelerate that 

reputation. 

20 SPOTLIGHT ON… LURES 

Wherever anglers try their luck, if there’s a 

fish there then it can more than likely be 

caught on a lure, but what sort? 

06 www.tackletradeworld.com 

22 SHOP WINDOW 

Lures are such a vast product range, it can 

be hard to know which ones to stock. We 

have some suggestions to help… 

24 COMBINING TRADITIONAL AND 

MODERN SOLUTIONS FOR FISHING 

Product development is the key to 

sustainable operation for every player 

in the fishing industry. Energofish is one 

company offering solutions for almost 

every fishing method. 

26 DOING BUSINESS WITH… DENMARK 

Small but mighty, at around six times 

smaller than the UK but with 450,000 

anglers, Denmark still packs a trading and 

fishing punch. 

30 PLATYPUS LINES UP 125-YEAR 

CELEBRATIONS 

As Australia’s longest-running tackle 

brand, Platypus, marks its 125th year, TTW 

looks at where it came from and where it’s 

headed next. 

34 ICAST DAYS CAN PAY OFF YEAR- 

ROUND 

Not only is ICAST, the giant US trade show, 

great for manufacturers, suppliers and 

brands, it also gives retailers a leg-up on 

the competition. 

36 MAKING CONTACT 

More products from global suppliers that 

will be worth stocking in your outlet over 

the coming months. 

40 THE CHALLENGE OF RECYCLED 

MATERIALS 

With the advent of the Simms Challenger 

Suit, made of 100 per cent recycled fabric, 

innovation meets sustainability and 

performance.

Super 

Heat Dissipation 

 

 

 

Super 

Low-Friction 

Super 

Hardness 

Super 

Lightness

TRADE SHOWS FORCED TO 

RESPOND TO CHANGING MARKET 

• Continued from page 3 

A change in days to a 

midweek show is designed 

to allow retailers to attend 

more easily, while open-air 

celebrations will include food, 

drink, live music and product 

demonstration as well as 

those important networking 

opportunities. 

It will have focus on bringing 

buyers and the media together 

Mayfly Outdoors adds 

vise and tool business 

Mayfly 

Outdoors – the 

owner of brands 

including Ross 

and Abel Reels 

and Airflo – is 

buying Dyna- 

King, one of the 

world’s foremost 

manufacturers 

of fly-tying vises 

and tools. 

As a result, 

production of 

all of Dyna- 

King’s equipment will switch to 

Mayfly’s headquarters in Montrose, 

Colorado. 

President of Mayfly Group, Jeff 

Wagner, said: “This is a great day 

for our company as we continue to 

grow our family of brands. Dyna- 

King is perfectly suited to join 

the Ross and Abel brands as US 

made, premium, legacy, fly fishing 

products. 

“We look forward to partnering 

with the Dyna-King retailers and 

customers that have known and 

trusted the brand for so many 

years. We will carry forward the 

legacy of innovation, quality and 

customer service that Dyna-King is 

known for.” 

Karen Hall, Dyna-King’s current 


with manufacturers even before 

the event starts to maximise 

time while there. 

Event director Kenneth 

Andres: “The event will have a 

different feel and cadence. All of 

which are a result of listening to 

what the fly fishing community 

wanted from their trade event.” 

When ICAST returns to 

Orlando on mid-July, there 

president, noted: “It is a positive 

move for Dyna-King. My mom 

and dad are giving me the ‘atta-girl’ 

from Heaven. We are excited to 

see the family legacy continue with 

a company that is willing to care 

for it.” 

Mayfly will be transitioning the 

production and shipping of Dyna- 

King to their facility in Montrose 

over the coming months. 

Karen added: “During this time 

we will be setting up machining, 

customer services, warranty and 

repair and other critical operations. 

We know this downtime will cause 

some disruption for our dealers but 

we know this short wait will set us 

up for many years to come.” 

www.dyna-king.com 

will also be an enhanced focus 

on fly fishing, with more 

categories for this in its New 

Product Showcase and more 

opportunities to engage with 

this sector. 

Blake Swango, the American 

Sportfishing Association’s vicepresident 

of trade show and 

membership, explained: “Our 

goal is to represent the entire 

recreational fishing community 

and fly fishing plays a key role 

in reaching a specific audience 

of anglers. Most issues related 

to access, clean water and 

abundant fisheries overlap both 

conventional and fly fishing.” 

• You can read more about 

each event elsewhere in this 

edition. 

FLY FUNDING 

WILL GET MORE 

PEOPLE FISHING 

US organisation Fly Fishers International (FFI) has 

detailed significant funding for two distinct programs 

designed to engage and inspire youth and novice anglers 

interested in learning more about fly fishing. 

Both the youth and introductory fly fishing education 

programs will build on FFI’s culture of mentorship and 

teaching and be developed in partnership with other 

leading organisations in the sector, complementing its 

online and in-person resources for fly fishing education. 

FFI CEO and president Patrick Berry said: “FFI’s 

role as the go-to resource for fly fishing education 

will be further strengthened by the addition of these 

two new programs. By working with key partners and 

industry representatives, we will be able to create more 

universal programs to grow the sport we love.” 

The “Next Gen” youth program funded by the 

YOT Full Circle Foundation is being developed in 

partnership with Trout Unlimited (TU) to educate and 

inspire the next generation of fly fishing enthusiasts 

through a series of videos, tutorials, and social media 

campaigns. 

Meanwhile, a second but related fly fishing skills 

achievement program funded by the Howe Foundation 

will provide a friendly and accessible gateway for anyone 

who has an interest in fly fishing and allow them to 

approach the sport regardless of their experience in fly 

fishing. 

Starting with an easy-to-understand course of 

learning that participants can consume at their own 

pace, the program will offer an organised road map 

to guide their further exploration of the sport. Along 

with the FFI Education Committee, the program will 

be developed in collaboration with the American Fly 

Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA) and supported by a 

select steering committee from across the industry.

Fishing matters for PRADCO in the UK 

US-based PRADCO Fishing 

has reached an agreement 

with British brand owner and 

wholesaler Fishing Matters to 

be its official distributor for the 

United Kingdom and Ireland. 

Fishing Matters, based in 

Somerset, England, is well 

known for its hook brands Cox 

& Rawle, Partridge of Redditch 

and SPRITE. 

PRADCO, based in Fort 

Smith, Arkansas in the USA, 

has made a name for itself with 

famous fishing lure brands, 

which include Heddon, Bomber, 

Cotton Cordell, Rebel, YUM, 

BOOYAH, Bobby Garland and 

more. 

Mark Hamnett, managing 

director at Fishing Matters, 

said. “PRADCO’s brands are a 

strategic fit for our business.” 

Mark actually lived and 

worked in the US for many 

years and began collecting 

Heddon Lures so has a good 

knowledge of PRADCO’s 

many brands and its products. 

Bruce Stanton, vicepresident 

and general manager 

of PRADCO Fishing, added: 

“Mark clearly understands 

where our brands fit in the UK 

landscape, both in saltwater 

and freshwater markets. We are 

very fortunate to be working 

with him and his team.” 

Fishing Matters has been 

distributing fishing products in 

the UK since 2005. PRADCO 

was founded in 1962 and the 

oldest brand in its portfolio – 

Heddon – can trace its history 

back to 1894. 

sales@fishingmatters.biz 

GIVE YOUR BRAND GLOBAL 

EXPOSURE AT EFTTEX 

Gaining global coverage for your latest tackle, 

clothing and accessories is now easier than 

ever, thanks to EFTTEX’s Best New Product 

Showcase. 

Alongside the return of the key trade show in 

Budapest from June 15th to 17th, the organisers 

are also hosting a vastly expanded Best New 

Product Showcase. 

And the beauty is that you don’t even need 

to be an exhibitor to take part – giving you a 

valuable presence without building a stand! 

Last year’s Digital BNP saw a flood of entries 

and plenty of coverage for the nominated 

products and, crucially, for the winners. 

For 2023, the concept returns in physical 

form alongside EFTTEX itself – whether you 

book a stand or not – offering almost all the 

????? advantages of actually exhibiting on-site. 

If your brand is patent protected or officially 

registered, you’ll be able to enter a product for 

just €500, then add products in other categories 

for €250 each. 

You’ll also be able to book a meeting room 

in the new Business Lounge to discuss your 

product with potential buyers as well as 

receiving free tickets to the fun Goulash Party 

plus an entry badge for EFTTEX itself. 

After the awards, whether you are a winner 

or runner-up, the marketing opportunities are 

huge, with coverage in the media assured. As 

a media partner, Tackle Trade World will be 

offering exposure through the magazine to over 

Mark Hamnett (L) 

and Bruce Stanton 

18,500 industry professionals in more than 120 

countries while other publications will also be 

spreading the word. 

There are new categories covering the likes 

of carp fishing, more judges and, crucially, 

once again there will be a massive focus on 

environmentally friendly items. 

A ‘green booster’ will once again be applied 

to participating products and their packaging 

to ensure that those items with eco-friendly 

credentials are fully recognised as the show and 

showcased organisers look to the future and to 

the importance of sustainability in our industry. 

EFTTEX Trading general manager Dr 

Zoltan Kekkoi explained: “Our Digital Best 

New Product Showcase in 2022 was a big 

success and products received so much global 

coverage. 

“With EFTTEX taking place in Budapest 

this June, we can now run a physical BNP 

Showcase at the same time and those involved 

will benefit from expanded categories, more 

media exposure and the chance to actually 

display their products for show visitors, the 

media and judges to see them in person. 

“This makes a real difference when it comes 

to assessing new products. We have ambitions 

to widen the net still further as well as increase 

recognition for ‘green’ tackle. It all equals more 

exposure for brands and a recipe for success.” 

www.efttex.com/efttex-2023/bnp-exhibitor 

www.Bajiosunglasses.com 

Over 1,000 New Line 

items added to the 

2022-23 New Catalog 

Hareline Ceramic 

Zirconia Dubbing Rake 

The 

Bone Comb 

Hareline UV Flexi 

Squishenille

AFFTA’s Confluence event 

gAThering pACe 

The eagerly anticipated AFFTA Confluence 

is pacing well to bring the fly fishing 

industry together in Salt Lake City later 

this year, according to event director 

Kenneth Andres. 

Organised by the American Fly Fishing 

Trade Association, the event – scheduled 

for September 26th to 28th – is set to be 

unlike any other show before. 

Kenneth explained: “The event will have a 

different feel and cadence. All of which are 

a result to listening to what the fly fishing 

community wanted from their trade event.” 

Starting this year, the AFFTA 

Confluence will be hosted both inside the 

Salt Palace Convention Center for two days 

and then outside at nearby Pioneer Park for 

an open-air celebration. Food, drink, live 

music and product demonstrations are the 

goal of the new networking opportunity. 

Watercraft firm 

buoyed by fishing 

success 

Fishing has helped Johnson Outdoors, the company that 

owns brands such as Minn Kota, Humminbird, Cannon 

and Old Town kayaks, deliver higher sales for the first 

fiscal quarter ending in December. 

However, the business also revealed that – despite 

a hike in sales of 16 per cent to $178.3 million in the 

period compared to the same time last year – it was 

reporting decreased earnings results. 

Fishing sales were up by 27 per cent, mainly thanks 

to improved supply, component availability and rising 

prices while camping revenue dropped 18 per cent and 

watercraft recreation sales declined by just over a third. 

Helen Johnson-Leipold, the firm’s chairman and CEO, 

said: “We saw positive momentum in our fishing business 

as supply constraints continued to ease and we worked 

hard to fill customer orders. 

“In our camping and watercraft recreation businesses, 

we are experiencing some softening in the market after 

the pandemic-fuelled increase in demand of the last few 

years. 

“While it’s too early to predict how the fiscal year will 

go, we are monitoring consumer buying behaviour and 

are focused on filling customer orders as we enter into the 

primary selling season.” 

Total company operating profit was $5.5 million for the 

first fiscal quarter versus $13.8 million in the prior year 

first quarter. 


The change is part of the 

evolution the AFFTA-owned 

and produced show has gone 

through. 

The Confluence is focused 

on bringing buyers and media 

together with manufacturers 

to see the latest innovations 

in fly fishing. 

A new matchmaking service will make 

it easier for retailers and media to connect 

with manufacturers before the show so they 

can make the most out of being there. 

To make it easier for retailers to attend 

the event, the show days were moved to 

Tuesday to Thursday so that they can be 

back in their shops for the weekend. 

“We are working hard to bring not 

only core brands but a diverse offering of 

products for retailers to sell in their shops,” 

Vista Outdoor Inc, the parent 

company of 41 major brands, 

including wader and apparel 

giant Simms, has appointed Gary 

McArthur from its board as interim 

chief executive officer. 

Gary, who has served as a 

director of the sporting and outdoor 

lifestyle designer, manufacturer and 

marketing company since February 

2015, succeeds Chris Metz, who 

agreed to resign as CEO and 

director at the request of the Vista 

Outdoor board. 

It is understood this followed 

the board’s loss of confidence in his 

leadership for reasons not involving 

financial reporting or internal 

controls. 

Board chairman Michael Callahan 

said: “Gary is a seasoned executive 

with extensive financial expertise 

and has played an integral role in 

driving Vista Outdoor’s success. 

“We are grateful for Gary’s 

willingness to step in as CEO on an 

interim basis and expect him to hit 

the ground running. We appreciate 

Chris’ contributions to Vista 

Outdoor and wish him well in his 

next endeavour.” 

Gary added: “I look forward to 

added Kenneth. 

“One new way we are adding to the show 

is the Artist Alley, which will highlight 

the great art in fly fishing. Our big rollout 

for this year will be the presentation of the 

TrackFly Report. Both manufacturers and 

retailers will get detailed information on 

sales data that has not been available before. 

This is truly going to be a ‘can’t-miss’ event.” 

www.affta.org 

Changes AT the helm 

for Simms owner 

serving as interim CEO at this 

pivotal time in Vista Outdoor’s 

history. The entire board, including 

myself, has been deeply involved in 

the oversight and execution of our 

strategy, and I am confident we will 

continue to capitalise on our strong 

momentum. 

“With our unmatched portfolio 

of iconic brands, resilient operating 

model and strong balance sheet, 

we believe we are well-positioned 

to deliver compelling value for our 

shareholders. I look forward to 

working closely with the leadership 

team and leveraging my deep 

knowledge of the company to drive 

Vista Outdoor’s strategic priorities 

forward during this transitional 

period.” 

Outgoing CEO Chris Metz 

commented: “It has been an honour 

to lead Vista Outdoor for the last 

six years. It has an excellent team 

of dedicated employees who will 

continue to drive the company’s 

future success. I stand fully behind 

the planned separation of the 

Outdoor and Sporting Products 

segments into two strong, standalone 

businesses and believe the company 

has a bright future ahead.”

Mikado appoints to grow sales 

in Sweden and Finland 

Polish brand Mikado is pushing 

ahead with developing the 

Finnish and Swedish markets 

with the appointment of Jani 

Haavisto. 

Jani will call on dealers in 

the two countries while also 

supporting the marketing and 

promotion of Mikado products 

in the territory. 

He has a long track record 

of fishing and working in the 

tackle trade across Scandinavia. 

Starting as a retailer in 

2012, Jani has since been 

involved in sales, marketing 

and product development, with 

a strong background in ‘hands 

on’ experience, thanks to his 

guiding business. 

Jan Kolousek, Mikado’s 

export sales director, said: “We 

are pleased to welcome Jani to 

the team. His experience and 

knowledge of the industry in 

his region will be invaluable 

in supporting our further 

development in the territory. 

“As a lifelong angler and 

big fish specialist he will 

bring an additional level of 

support to the growth of the 

Mikado brand. Finland and 

Sweden are key markets for us. 

Having local representation 

Top TournAmenT Angler 

To hAng up his roD 

US professional angler Kevin VanDam – 

arguably the most successful bass angler of 

all time – is stepping down from the circuit 

after this year’s 2023 Bass Pro Tour season. 

Kevin explained: “This being my 33rd 

season as a touring pro, at the age and my 

place in life and career, I have decided I can 

be more impactful in the industry I love very 

much. I still have a lot to give back to the 

sport I am so passionate about.” 

Kevin is the most decorated tournament 

angler of all time with records that may 

never be broken, including seven BASS 

Angler of the Year (AOY) titles and an FLW 

AOY title; four Bassmaster Classic wins; 25 

total BASS wins and four MLF wins. 

and a contact 

point for our 

customers 

will increase 

our ability 

to respond 

to increasing 

demand for 

our products.” 

Already 

active with 

key retailers 

and chains in 

the territory, 

the addition 

of Jani to the 

team will 

accelerate 

the sales 

and popularity of Mikado 

through greater penetration 

and representation of products 

to the consumer. The product 

range is seen as an excellent fit 

to fishing styles there, especially 

in predator and ice fishing 

sectors. 

Wojciech Kurowicki, director 

and co-owner of parent 

company Abramis, added: “Our 

international development 

outside of our home market in 

Poland is driven by having local 

representation in the market 

so we have first-hand feedback 

Jani Haavisto and Jan Kolousek 

and knowledge to allow us to 

customise our offer to fit the 

market requirement. 

“We have been active in 

these markets for several years 

and adding Jani to our team 

is a sign of our commitment 

to continue developing our 

product and offering for 

consumers in these markets.” 

Retailers interested in 

learning more about the 

Mikado offering can contact 

Jani Haavisto. 

jani.haavisto@abramis.com.pl 

KVD, as he is known, has competed in 

over 320 BASS events with 121 top 10 

finishes and 183 top 20s. 

He will continue to work as an 

ambassador for brands like Strike King, 

Quantum and Lew’s. 

Rather Outdoors CEO Ken Eubanks 

said: “Kevin’s impact on this business has 

been profound and, among those who 

contribute to the success of Strike King 

and Lew’s, he is simply without peer. Yet, 

when Kevin walks through the shop at 

Strike King, or sits at the table with the 

Lew’s team, we don’t see him as a business 

collaborator, or a pro we sponsor; we see 

him as family.” 

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E-Mail: wapsi@wapsifly.com 

Website: www.wapsifly.com

NEWS IN BRIEF 

KastKing adds to 

team 

As affordable tackle manufacturer 

KastKing begins its 10th 

anniversary, it continues to 

expand with the addition of Eric 

Knickerbocker as national sales 

strategist, leading retail and 

wholesale sales efforts across 

America. He will work closely 

with the marketing, product 

development and supply chain 

teams to plan and launch wide 

product assortments. 

Garmin plots 

B.A.S.S support 

Garmin, the global marine 

electronics manufacturer, has 

partnered with B.A.S.S to renew 

multi-year sponsorship of the US 

Bassmaster Tournament Trail. 

Dave Dunn, Garmin senior 

director said: “The Trail embodies 

the spirit of our brand and it’s a 

great place for us to showcase 

our award-winning products and 

technologies to anglers and fans 

of all ages and skill levels.” 

Yamaha awards 

grant cash 

Yamaha’s Outdoor Access 

Initiative contributed more than 

$500,000 in grant awards for 2022, 

supporting projects from desert 

clean-ups to trail maintenance. 

Yamaha Motor Group said it 

intends to deliver critical resources 

to those working to make public 

land available for motorised and 

outdoor recreation. 

NORTH WALES TACKLE SHOP UP 

FOR SALE AS OWNERS RETIRE 

Foxons Tackle, a leading 

fishing store in North 

Wales, is on the market for 

the first time in 55 years as 

the current owners look to 

retire. 

As a family run business, 

Foxons has built an 

excellent reputation as one 

the largest game fishing 

shops in Wales, with a wide 

variety of fishing products 

and a highly knowledgeable 

and experienced team of 

staff on hand to assist 

customers. 

The store is heavily 

relied upon by the fishing 

community and is in a 

strong trading position, 

with no immediate 

competition and sales also 

available online. 

The property is located 

on Lower Denbigh Road, 

just off the main A55 and 

next to the River Elwy in 

St Asaph, Denbighshire. It 

also features a large fourbedroom 

family duplex 

apartment that is included 

in the sale. 

Current owner, Renee 

Foxon, said: “Foxons has 

been in our family now for 

55 years. The last few years 

have been tough for small 

businesses but Foxons has 

survived the storm and, 

with fishing becoming more 

popular than ever, it’s great 

to see customers old and 

new coming into the shop, 

sharing their stories and 

enjoying their sport. 

“We feel that this year is 

the right time to offer our 

shop to a new, enthusiastic 

owner. We will be looking 

for a like-minded person 

or family to take care of 

the future of Foxons and 

hopefully see it through 

another 55 successful years 

or more, but customers 

should rest assured that it 

will be business as usual 

throughout the transition to 

new ownership.” 

Ashley Cobban, retail 

business agent at Christie 

& Co, who is managing 

the sale, added: “This is 

a fantastic and very rare 

opportunity to acquire a 

well-established business in 

the fishing tackle market, 

alongside a fantastic 

property well suited to 

raising a family in-situ. 

“The online side of 

the business could be 

expanded and grown to 

help significantly increase 

sales and further increase 

profitability. We look 

forward to helping Renee 

and her family find a 

suitable new owner to take 

the business forward.” 

If you are interested, 

please contact: 

ashley.cobban@christie.com

Wiley X marks anniversary 

with new HQ 

MUD HOLE DIGS DEEP 

FOR CONSERVATION 

As Wiley X celebrates its 

35th anniversary, the company 

has opened the doors to its 

expansive, state-of-the-art US 

headquarters in Frisco, located 

just north of Dallas, Texas. 

The 65,000 sq ft facility 

has everything the familyowned, 

premium protective 

eyewear brand needs to run its 

expanding global business: from 

a large production, assembly 

and warehouse space to a 

sophisticated and expanded 

testing facility for safety 

certifications, as well as all the 

necessary administrative and 

office space. 

The building also features 

the first-ever Wiley X flagship 

retail store, which will open 

in 2024 for local customers, 

resellers across the US and 

Wiley X fans from around the 

world to enjoy. 

Myles Freeman, co-owner of 

Wiley X ,explained: “We are 

beyond thrilled to open the 

doors to our new headquarters. 

The city of Frisco and the 

Frisco Economic Development 

Corporation have been so 

welcoming to us.” 

From ground breaking 

to ribbon cutting, both the 

city leadership of Frisco and 

the Frisco EDC have been 

working closely with Wiley 

X on ensuring a smooth and 

welcoming transition. 

Co-owner Dan Freeman 

added:“What a great way to 

celebrate 35 years in business. 

We are excited to get to work in 

Texas and thankful for all the 

support we’ve received here.” 

Frisco is an ideal location 

for Wiley X for many reasons. 

It, and all of Texas, is home to 

a large population of military 

veterans; Wiley X is veteranfounded 

and has been providing 

premium protective eyewear to 

the United States military since 

being founded in 1987. 

Wiley X also has a long 

history of providing eye 

protection for outdoorsmen 

and women who hunt, fish, 

and shoot, as well as the 

government/first responder 

network, all of which align with 

Texan pastimes and values. 

Frisco also provides Wiley X 

with a great business climate 

with a large talent pool, and 

the centralised location within 

the United States provides 

distribution and shipping 

efficiencies. 

wileyx.com 

Florida-based rod building and tackle crafting supplier mud 

Hole Custom Tackle kicked off 2023 by lending its shoulder 

to a major state conservation effort. 

Staff from almost all of the company’s departments 

volunteered alongside Coastal Conservation Association 

(CCA) Florida members to build 370 oyster rings, which will 

be used to restore damaged oyster reefs in the Indian River 

Lagoon. 

They were joined by a group of environmentally conscious 

students from the University of Central Florida Biology 

Field Research Centre for the day. 

Brook Oliva, Mud Hole Custom Tackle president and 

UCF alumnus, said: “It’s always a pleasure to bring our Mud 

Hole team together for such a worthwhile effort. So many of 

our team members regularly enjoy fishing the Indian River 

Lagoon, so recruiting a group of dedicated volunteers to get 

their hands dirty and help CCA on this project was easy.” 

The group of over 50 volunteers created 370 oyster rings, 

made of hemp burlap and quick-drying cement – one of the 

most environmentally friendly methods of supporting habitat 

restoration. In just a two-year period, each oyster ring will 

produce an average of 160 oysters that will provide crucial 

filtration and have a direct impact to water quality in the 

Indian River Lagoon. 

Greg Harrison, CCA Florida Habitat Committee 

chairman, added: “It was an exciting day for our oyster 

restoration efforts and we are always pleased to have the 

support of Mud Hole on these projects. [It] was a ton of 

work but thanks to the efforts of the hard-working Mud 

Hole volunteers and amazing scientific leadership of UCF’s 

Dr Linda Walters, those 370 oyster rings will provide habitat 

for almost 60,000 oysters over the next two years.”

Flying Fisherman 

looks to the future 

Polarised sunglasses 

brand Flying Fisherman 

is looking to the sport’s 

future by partnering with an 

organisation committed to 

getting more people into the 

sport. 

The US-based brand is now 

the official sunglasses eyewear 

of Fishing’s Future, and its 

master anglers and volunteers 

after founder Shane Wilson 

(pictured) tried some out for 

himself and being impressed 

by their AcuTint technology 

combined with their polarised 

triacetate lenses. 

He explained: “Flying 

Fisherman eyewear is a 

perfect fit for our educational 

efforts and for our 

participants. 

“Last year, I ordered 

two pairs of sunglasses 

from Flying Fisherman to 

see if they could compete 

with other brands I have 

been wearing for years. 

To my surprise, both pairs 

performed exceedingly well. 

They performed far above 

my expectations, and they 

have become my go-to glasses 

before leaving the house. 

“Flying Fisherman 

sunglasses are surprisingly 

lightweight and their 

AcuTint polarised lens 

colouring system uses a 

specific technology to 

enhance colour contrast 

without distorting natural 

colour. 

“I was impressed how these 

sunglasses sharpened my 

visual acuity and eliminated 

the glare, allowing 

me to see deep into 

the water and spot 

fish. I experienced no 

eye strain and, more 

importantly, they do 

not slide down my nose 

while on the water.” 

The news was 

greeted with delight 

by Flying Fisherman 

vice-president Linda 

Sheldon, who added: 

“We’re excited to partner 

with Fishing’s Future on their 

mission to connect youth and 

families to the joys of fishing 

and the outdoors. 

“Polarised sunglasses are 

a must for fishing and we’re 

proud to provide the Fishing’s 

Future team with the eye 

protection and performance 

needed to maximise the 

overall outdoors experience.” 

Flying Fisherman 

sunglasses have been around 

for decades and have been 

endorsed by thousands of 

anglers from all over the 

world. 

www.flyingfisherman.com 

FUJI ® ULTRA-Poly ® 

Wrapping Thread 

it’s not just good, it’s FUJI ® good. 

Preferred by the best custom rod builders and 

factories worldwide. ULTRA-Poly ® is a colorfast 

polyester guide 

wrapping thread made 

exclusively for FUJI ® 

to wrap smooth, 

burnish without 

fuzzies and resist 

fading. You’ll enjoy 

intense color that 

gets better with 

every coat of finish. 

Contact info@ 

anglersresource. 

net for more information. 

Carded 

product available 

for retail. 

Exclusive FUJI Agent North America 

Foley, Alabama USA • info@anglersresource.net 

www.anglersresource.net 

Daiwa lends its backing 

to pro anglers group 

Tackle giant Daiwa joined the growing ranks of partners for 

the US-based National Professional Anglers Association, which 

promotes the sport and looks after its members with a range of 

benefits. 

Partnering with NPAA, says Daiwa’s senior marketing manager, 

Marc Mills, is one way the company can further invest in the 

future of the fishing industry. 

“This is a natural fit for us, and we’re very pleased to now be 

counted among the NPAA’s nearly 80 industry partners, which 

include some of the best-known brands and organisations in 

fishing, as well as newer and smaller companies that benefit from 

the association’s superior networking opportunities, sportfishing 

advocacy and efforts to recruit, retain and reactivate anglers at 

every level. 

“We feel the NPAA has the backs of all those making a 

living in the sportfishing industry, from guides and captains 

to tournament anglers, fishing department associates and 

management, manufacturing personnel, engine mechanics, 

professional rep groups, tackle shop staff, and more. We want to be 

a part of that positive force. For that reason, we’ve decided to sign 

on as a supporting partner.” 

NPAA president Patrick Neu added. “As NPAA continues 

to grow our partnership ranks, the addition of Daiwa is a very 

exciting development. Their products have a great reputation, are 

of exceptional quality and are used extensively by our members 

both in freshwater and saltwater environments. Working together, 

I expect we’ll accomplish some great things for the sportfishing 

industry in the years ahead.” 

Thread ad for TTW.indd 1 

5/9/22 9:41 AM

MAJOR SPONSORS LINE UP TO 

BACK SEA ANGLING CLASSIC 

The Sea Angling Classic has 

fired the imagination of key 

global brands – with three more 

partnering with the prestigious 

UK-based competition. 

Among those is one of the 

best-known sea fishing brands 

in the world, Penn, technical 

fishing wear and lifesaving 

solutions expert Mustang 

Survival and New Zealand 

brand Railblaza, known for its 

marine accessories and mounts. 

Penn is drawing on its 75 

years’ experience in saltwater 

fishing to support the 

international fishing event, 

which will be run out of 

Portsmouth, England, from 

June 15th to 19th. 

A major factor in its 

involvement is the fact the event 

combines a major sea angling 

competition, conservation 

and environmental initiatives, 

education and research, while 

introducing a whole new 

generation to the sport. 

With the largest and most 

valuable prize table ever 

offered in a UK sea fishing 

event – including a first prize 

of a fully kitted out Extreme 

boat, complete with Railblaza 

mounts, Penn gear and awardwinning 

Callan jackets and 

trousers from Mustang Survival 

– the Sea Angling Classic is 

set to attract boats and anglers 

from the UK and abroad, while 

also welcoming youngsters, 

environmental researchers and 

businesses. 

Dave McCartney, senior 

marketing manager 

at Penn Europe, 

said: “As Penn 

is one of the 

leading saltwater 

fishing brands 

in the world, it’s 

important that we 

support initiatives 

that represent the 

saltwater angling 

category. 

“When we were 

approached about 

the Sea Angling 

Classic, it was 

something that 

really excited us. 

There is currently 

no other saltwater 

event in Europe 

that can match the scale of this 

event. We knew we needed 

our brand, Penn, to be present. 

We’re looking forward to it and 

to making it a huge success.” 

Meanwhile, the Sea 

Angling Classic staff will be 

seen in Mustang Survival’s 

durable yet lightweight 

Taku products, perfect for 

all conditions an angler can 

face. The versatile range uses a 

combination of Marine Spec 

SP and Marine Spec BP fabric 

to offer an excellent blend of 

breathability and abrasion, plus 

saltwater and UV resistance. 

Aga Kosno, manager of 

global marketing and product 

development based in the 

Mustang Survival UK office, 

commented: “As a global 

leader of technical fishing 

Ross Honey and Peter Dudman, Railblaza 

wear and pioneer in the design 

and manufacture of lifesaving 

solutions since 1967, we are very 

excited to partner with the Sea 

Angling Classic, supporting the 

introduction of our technical 

apparel to the UK’s angling 

scene. 

“We’re looking forward to 

working with it to support the 

growing and environmentally 

aware angling community, 

whilst offering the on-water 

protection that’s needed for UK 

sea angling.” 

While Peter Dudman, 

Railblaza’s sales director, 

said: “With our ongoing new 

product development, the SAC 

provides a perfect platform for 

the further promotion of the 

HEXX range of electronics 

mounts and the HEXX Live 

Sonar Transducer Mounts (Live 

Pole).” 

The HEXX range of 

electronics mounts offers anglers 

a versatile and durable solution 

for mounting their electronics 

on their boats, while the HEXX 

Live Sonar Transducer Mounts 

means anglers can easily mount 

and adjust their transducers 

without having to drill holes in 

their boats. 

Event founder Ross Honey 

said that each of the partners 

was in tune with the event’s 

ethos; from great products such 

as Penn reels and rods to the 

safety of staff and competitors 

through Mustang Survival, 

while Railblaza has a keen 

focus on sustainability and the 

environment. 

He added: “The televised 

event was hugely successful last 

year and has already gained a 

tremendous following. As 

a condition of entry, all 

competitors do a shoreline 

clean-up, which has been 

embraced with open arms by 

all concerned and there are also 

our popular children’s crabbing 

days to encourage education and 

catch and release understanding. 

“The stage is set for a great 

event and Portsmouth is the 

perfect location complete with 

its amazing maritime history 

to stage it.” 

www.seaanglingclassic.com 

Mustangs’ Aga Kosno and Joel Chadwick with Ross Honey 

16 www.tackletradeworld.com

Introducing a new chapter in Total Boat Control with the Power-Pole MOVE Brushless Trolling Motor. These 

two models conquer the harshest conditions with unrivaled power, unmatched durability and unbelievable 

efficiency that operates with near absolute silence. Go farther. Fish harder. Make every move count. 

Power-Pole.com

FEATURE 

Zenaq 

LIMITED EDITION 

TOBIZO RACING RODS 

LEAD THE WAY 

The flagship Tobizo rod range has been one of Zenaq’s bestsellers and now its special 

limited edition Racing collection looks set to accelerate its reputation to the next level. 

Limited to just 100 rods and 

designed for targeting big 

species such as tuna and 

giant trevally, among others, 

the Racing concept features the latest 

cutting-edge technology to bring the rods 

to the forefront of the market. 

Breaking down stereotypes and 

constantly challenging the current 

standards, the Racing series has been 

developed to create attractive rods that 

are not bound by everyday constraints. 

KEY FEATURES 

Some important features make the 

Tobizo Racing rods stand out, not least of 

which is the newly developed and patentpending 

Hexagon carbon reel seat. 

Its solid frame – achieved by a 

combination of high-strength and longfibre 

carbon with a special moulding 

machine – holds even large reels firmly in 

place without shaking. 

The surface of the framework is 

covered with rubber of optimum hardness 

to ensure the highest level of comfort in 

the hand while the rod action is easy to 

control without unnecessary force. 


The seat is shaped like a hexagonal reel, 

just like Zenaq’s Hexagon grip, which 

is effective during fighting and reeling, 

suppressing what the firm describes as 

the “left-right blurring of the reel” and 

transmits power without loss. 

It also contributes to the preservation 

of grip strength, which is the first thing 

to be lost, thereby increasing the chances 

of landing a fish. 

In addition, a “rubber cushion” has been 

developed for the area where the reel foot 

rests. This prevents the reel from working 

loose even if the cushion is not tightly 

tightened. Even when fishing hard, the 

cushion prevents the reel from rattling, 

giving the rod and reel a perfect sense of 

‘oneness’. 

Meanwhile, the guide installation uses 

a single wrapping for a feeling that is 

closer to the original blank design. It’s 

best described as a sharp rod action with 

a sharp feel. 

OPTIONS ABOUND 

There are four models in the Tobizo 

Racing limited edition range, as follows: 

Tobizo TC84-100G Racing 

Length: 8ft 4in / Lure: 60-150g / PE Line: 

MAX 8 



MAX 8 



MAX 8 


Length: 8ft / Lure: 120-230g / PE Line: 

MAX 10 

To place an order for one of these 100 

rods, visit: www.zenaq.com 

ZENAQ 

www.zenaq.com

Your B2B 

COMPONENT 

SUPPLIER 

Best-in-class wholesale pricing and services. 

YOUR RODS. 

YOUR WAY. 

MUDHOLE.COM/wholesale

SPOTLIGHT ON... 

LURES 

SPOTLIGHT ON 

LURES 

From mighty oceans to tiny creeks, from raging 

rivers to quiet farm ponds, if there’s a fish there then 

it can more than likely be caught on a lure. 

Lure fishing is probably the 

quickest and easiest method of 

fishing to get started in – a rod, 

a reel, some line and a lure… 

and hey presto you’re fishing. 

A lure is a type of artificial fishing bait 

used to attract fish and lures come in 

many different shapes, sizes, and colours, 

each designed to attract a specific range 

of fish species. 

Using a lure is the most common 

alternative to live baiting. Lures allow 

you to cast further than using live bait, 

are less messy and are good for catch 

and release fishing, as the fish are less 

likely to gulp the entire hook. Using 

lures allows you to target a species more 

accurately and are easily interchangeable 

when fishing. 

Lures are generally more expensive 

than live bait, can get snagged on 

underwater structure and require you 

to constantly move them in order to 

attract the fish – some lures 

require skill to use effectively, 

which can make it harder for 

beginners. 

They are equally effective in 

freshwater and saltwater and 

can be used to catch a wide 

variety of fish species. 

There are many different types of 

fishing lures. Plugs or crankbaits are 

hard plastic fishing lures shaped and 

coloured to resemble bait fish or other 

prey, made out of a solid or hollow piece 

of plastic, with a thin lip of metal or 

plastic attached to the front, and hugely 

popular with bass and pike anglers. 

The lip is often adjustable to make the 

lure wobble. Plugs feature two or three 

treble hooks and can float, sink, dive, or 

hover. Most plugs float on the water’s 

surface or suspend in the water, but dive 

sharply when retrieved, so by reeling, 

stopping and repeating you can imitate 

the behaviour of live, or injured bait fish. 

Changing twitching intervals and reeling 

speed adds variety. 

Jigs have a weighted head on one side 

and a hook on the other. Often featuring 

a plastic grub, jigs are one of the most 

popular types of fishing lures. They sink 

easily, making them great for bottom 

feeders – cast it out and let it sink to the 

bottom, then start jigging! Anglers need 

to experiment with different speeds and 

movements to see what works best. 

Spinnerbaits move horizontally 

through the water, come in many shapes 

and colours – depending on the targeted 

depth and species – and have a hook on 

one side, and one or more metal blades 

that spin like a propeller on the other. 

The spinning blades vibrate, flash and 

reflect colour to accurately mimic bait 

fish and attract predators, making them 

perfect for catching bass, perch and pike. 

Spoons are curved, concave metal 

lures that shine and wobble as they move 

through the water. The bigger the curve, 

the wider the wobble. A wobbling lure 

resembles injured bait fish, and this is 

something game fish can’t resist. 

Soft plastic lures imitate a variety of 

aquatic ‘bait’, from minnows to worms, 

from crawfish to frogs and are very 

popular for bass fishing. They work 

everywhere and the vast choice available 

is due to the fact that no one single lure 

will catch fish in all conditions on the day. 

There are designs for fast water, coloured 

water, dark days, light days and all the 

seasons of the year when fish behaviour 

and even species specific behaviour have 

to be taken into consideration. 

Many lure anglers who fish nothing 

else will have hundreds or possibly 

thousands of lures in various types 

to choose from. These will also vary 

depending on the country you’re in, 

although a pike in Scandinavia will be 

caught on the same lure as a pike in the 

UK, or a muskie in the USA, or a bass, 

or a crappie, or… well, take a look at our 

selection of just a few lures overleaf. 


Register Today! 

POWERED BY 

July 11-14 | Orlando, FL 

Orange County Convention Center 

ICASTfishing.org


LURES 

MIKADO 

REAL FISH ROACH 

This lure has won the recognition of anglers 

around the world, thanks to its incredible 

effectiveness when fishing for zander, perch, 

pike and asp. The selection of an appropriate 

mixture of ecological silicone without 

phthalates (phthalates free) combined with 

the highest quality hand painting allowed 

Mikado to obtain the most faithful imitation 

of a roach available on the market. The lure 

is characterized by a very good tail action, 

combined with fine mirroring of the body 

that replicates scale flashes on the flank, 

thanks to which no predator will pass by it 

indifferently! 

www.mikado.pl 

MEGABASS 

SLEEPER CRAW 

The long-awaited, bottom-scuttling stealth 

craw has arrived. Sleeper Craw harnesses 

the revolutionary performance of the 

Sleeper series, bringing a hidden-hook 

design, enticing realism, and undeniable 

fish-catching ability to the category of 

conventional craw imitators. Constructed 

with a buoyant, highly durable material 

with custom scent, Sleeper Craw navigates 

treacherous rock formations without the 

unnatural sounds of lead or tungsten 

contact. Bring it to life with light line shakes, 

a drag, or a vigorous hop; regardless of your 

technique, the unique design will let you 

target new areas and deliver fresh bites. 

www.megabassusa.com 

Z-MAN FISHING 

SALTY NED SHRIMPZ 

This industry-first saltwater-specific profile 

has been designed with the popular Ned 

rig finesse technique in mind. 

Made of 10x Tough ElaZtech for extreme 

durability, it features a lifelike shrimp 

profile with thin legs and antennae that 

quiver with the slightest movement. 

The naturally buoyant material allows 

for a slow sink rate and causes the 

bait to rise off the bottom for realistic 

presentation. 

The Shrimpz pairs perfectly with 

Finesse BulletZ, ShroomZ, NedlockZ and 

Texas Eye jigheads. 

www.zmanfishing.com 

PANTHER MARTIN 

INLINE SWIVEL 

Named the Best New Freshwater Lure at 

the 2023 Big Rock Sports Outdoor Expo 

this innovative new lure has a swivel built 

directly on to the spinner, reducing water 

resistance and weed snags. It makes it easier 

to cast, retrieve and troll while eliminating 

the chance that the swivel may impede 

the effectiveness of your casts or cause 

unneeded turbulence when retrieved or 

trolled. It also saves anglers time, money 

and space since there is no need to 

purchase, store or add a separate swivel to 

the spinner. 

Available in three sizes and 10 colours 

as well as a six-pack. Perfect for bass, trout, 

crappie, and more! 

www.PantherMartin.com 


BERKLEY 

POWER BLADE. 

An old-school technique that has 

withstood the test of time, the spinnerbait 

has lived in the tackle boxes of anglers for 

decades. After vigorous testing, the team at 

Berkley, along with Pro Edwin Evers, have 

upgraded it with advanced modern design 

features. 

Available in two different technique 

specific styles – standard and compact 

– the Power Blade contains several 

blade design styles that were built from 

scratch in order to feature maximum 

performance. The Fusion19 hook contains 

an extended shank and O’Shaugnessy 

design that eliminates the need for 

a trailer hook. In addition, the Power 

Blade possesses premium components, 

premium wire, conical style keeper and 

a hand-tied PowerBait infused skirt to 

round out its modern design. 

www.berkley-fishing.com 

SPRO 

RK CRAWLER 50 DD 

The SPRO RK Crawler 55 has been one of 

the best-selling winter/spring crankbaits 

the past few years. New for 2023, comes the 

addition of a smaller deep-diving version 

– MLF angler Mike McClelland’s goal was 

to create a smaller size RK Crawler that 

would dive deeper. The DD 50 weighs ½oz 

and is 50mm long and features the famous 

“hunting action” of the original RK Crawler. 

It dives fast, covering deeper fish-holding 

structures with every cast. When targeting 

fish in nine to 12 feet of water, the new DD 

50 will quickly become an angler’s favourite! 

The RK Crawler DD 50 features sticky 

sharp Gamakatsu treble hooks and comes 

in 12 proven colours. 

www.spro.com


LURES 

PRADCO 

BOBBY GARLAND MAYFLY 

An insect-profile crappie bait with realistic 

features and a natural oil scent that in 

combination appeal to multiple sensory 

functions that crappie depend on for 

feeding, including sight, sound, smell, and 

taste. The Mayfly fits most jighead sizes and 

all crappie fishing techniques. 

www.pradcooutdoorbrands.com 

SAVAGE GEAR 

DEVIATOR SWIM 

The Deviator was launched 10 years ago, 

a classic and effective jerk bait brought to 

market when the traditional jerk bait fishing 

was on top of the predator game. Savage 

Gear has now launched the Deviator Swim, 

and the name (and some cool colours) are 

the only remains from the past. This lure is 

new. 

The Deviator Swim swims with an 

incredible side shifting action on the retrieve 

and makes eye-catching side flashes on the 

twitch. A highly durable construction with 

thru wire can withstand anything you or 

brutal predator fish can throw at this lure, 

which is also long-casting, easy to fish and 

features a built-in rattle. It’s the ideal search 

lure for just about any predator fish out 

there. 

www.savage-gear.com 

RAPALA 

X-RAP MAGNUM STICK 

Featuring a tough, through-wire construction 

and a textured translucent body, the 

17cm X-Rap Magnum Stick is a showcase 

of Magnum durability and detailed X-Rap 

finishes. 

Made for fast and aggressive retrieves, 

the lure swims in wide, S-shaped curves. 

Adding rod sweeps to the retrieve induces an 

exaggerated kicking action, triggering bites 

from cautious fish. On pauses, the lipless bait 

dives head-down with a flutter. 

Comes in 14 saltwater prey patterns, 

combining X-Rap finishes, textured translucent 

body constructions, 3D holographic eyes and 

internal holographic foil for detailed and flashy 

looks. Each is equipped with two VMC 7266 TI 

Inline single hooks. 

www.rapala.com 

MUSTAD 

OTO DIVING PENCIL 

For an unbeatable intense flash, the Oto 

boasts a transparent body with internal 

reflective material and ribbed construction, 

making wire-through obsolete. This design 

improves strength and buoyancy, leading to 

the stable action expected from a premium 

diving pencil. Adjust the action with a feather 

or blade on the added ringed eye. Fish will 

struggle to throw hooks on this bait because 

of the partially integrated swivels both in 

the belly and tail. Pre-rigged with Mustad’s 

new Jaw Lok Treble Hooks, triple forged for 

impressive strength. 

www.mustad-fishing.com 

WESTIN FISHING 

FREDDY THE FROG WAKEBAIT 

In France, frog legs are a delicacy – on this 

lure creation, they are a work of art! Freddy 

the Frog comes hopping on to the scene 

with a crazy, crawling action while those 

lifelike legs will stir curiosity in the most 

cautious of predator fish. Freddy’s body 

is 9cm (3½ in) long, with the free-moving, 

jointed legs taking his total length to 18.5cm 

(7¼ in), making him a versatile snack for 

predators of all kinds who hunt on the 

surface, including bass and pike. His moves 

on the surface are complemented by a glass 

rattle stick with internal steel balls. A simple 

cast-and retrieve method will bring plenty of 

surface action. 

www.westin-fishing.com 

DAIWA 

EVERGREEN SB-150 LURE 

Designed with big bass in mind, the SB-150 is 

now available in more patterns to strengthen 

the bass angler’s armoury. 

Its distinctive design moves water like a 

subdued popper – splatters, spits and bubbles 

– while locomoting in walk-the-dog fashion, 

making it a truly novel hybridisation. At 5 7/8in 

(150mm) and 1 9/16oz (44.5g), the SB-150 

sports a trio of #2 trebles, the rear tied with 

tantalising feathers. 

New colours include Full Metal, Flash 

Wakasagi, Flash Clear Shad, Ghost Olive Shad 

and Silver Flitter Shad, adding to existing 

patterns, Bone, Natural Gill and Black Bone. 

daiwa.us 

BERKLEY 

SLOBBERKNOCKER 

The Berkley Slobberknocker features an innovative through-head design that is completely unique 

to other bladed jigs. After countless hours spent testing on and off the water, this unique design not 

only delivers a consistent vibration but is also perfectly suited to come through heavy cover while 

staying engaged. 

Backed by science, the Slobberknocker features a signature hand-tied Berkley silicone skirt 

infused with PowerBait flavour to help ensure that every fish that bites will hold on longer, helping 

anglers put more fish in the boat. 

The Slobberknocker also features a chip-resistant paint finish, as well as the sticky sharp Fusion19 

hook, with 12 premium forage matching colourways to choose from. This grand combination makes 

the new Berkley Slobberknocker the ultimate solution when it comes to fishing bladed jigs. 

www.berkley-fishing.com 


23

FEATURE 

Energofish 

COMBINING 

TRADITIONAL AND 

MODERN SOLUTIONS 

FOR FISHING 

Product development is the key to sustainable operation for every company in the fishing 

industry, with new products the focus of customers’ interests year after year, both retailers 

and anglers. Energofish is one company offering solutions for almost every fishing method. 

Everybody is curious about 

the latest equipment, baits 

and solutions as fishing 

changes constantly and being 

competitive as a shopkeeper or an angler 

requires the best strategy, based on the 

best products. 

The supply of Energofish tackle 

is immensely wide, offering complex 

solutions for the fans of nearly every 

fishing method. 

For the company’s distributors, this 

large assortment is also a guarantee of 

smooth, continuous service. If we take 

a closer look at the major elements of 

Energofish’s product range, it becomes 

immediately obvious that the company 

offers a supply of both traditional and 

brand new, modern items at the same 

time. 

HOOKED ON BAITS 

Corn is the most traditional bait for carp 

and feeder anglers. This seed is rich in 

protein and carbohydrates as well and is 

often used for feeding or as a hook bait 

when carp, bream or carassio fishing. 

Energofish, through its Carp Expert 

brand, offers dozens of corn-based 

products, including flavoured and natural 

versions. 

Two things they have in common 

are the exceptionally high quality and 

the cooking process, which makes the 

products easy to digest for fish. Carp 

Expert corn is available in different 

sizes, not to mention various colours and 

flavours. 

As natural hook baits, Carp Expert 

bottled corn is the perfect choice. These 

flavoured seeds are available in two main 

categories – pickled or preserved and 

soaked version. Both will prove attractive 

to fish and, thanks to their ‘clean’ 

packaging, to anglers as well. 

When it comes to both transport and 

margin, Energofish really does look after 

the interests of distributors. That’s why 

the available margin is relatively high, 

while shipping is completely free for 

these products. 

IN A TWIST 

Compared to the above-mentioned cornbased 

products, Benzar Mix Concourse 

Twister hook baits are the most modern 

elements of Energofish’s range. 

The Concourse Twister family is made 

up of special, unusual-shaped wafters 

with two colours and strong flavours. The 

wafters’ soluble nature and their circular 

shape makes them ideal four-season hook 

baits, not only for occasional anglers but 

for match fishermen too. As this is a 

premium segment product, its packaging 

is ultra-modern, exclusive and, of course, 

the margin is larger than with average 

hook baits. 

Last but not least, it’s worth 

mentioning a really special, absolutely 

premium product range, the Carp Expert 

Master Inox Bank Sticks and Buzz Bars. 

These useful accessories are made 

of 100 per cent stainless steel, which 

guarantees the maximum lifespan, no 

matter what conditions and stresses they 

are subject to. 

The 50cm or 80cm sticks have a 

telescopic design, offering a good choice 

whether as a front or rear mount, while 

the Buzz Bar is available in two- and 

three-rod designs. 

It is also important to note that Carp 

Expert Master Inox equipment is all 

made in Hungary, which is why their 

quality meets and exceeds the highest 

expectations. 

ENERGOFISH 

www.energofish.com 


THE ROD DESIGNER’S GUIDE 

ALSO AVAILABLE IN 

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American Tackle set out to design a family of 

guides that were ideal for casting, spinning, 

offshore, and more. With materials from 

316SS or solid Titanium alloy in a snagless 

frame design, the TiForged Guide family has 

something for every rod builder. Rod designers 

can choose from single-foot, double-foot, 

different ceramic rings or no rings, and multiple 

color options. And with a range of sizes from 5.5 

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that the TiForged family of guides can’t do. 

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SCAN HERE 

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DBW... 

DENMARK 

D O I N G B U S I N E S S W I T H . . . 

DENMARK 

Small but mighty, at around six times smaller than the UK but 

with 450,000 anglers earning a high average monthly disposable 

salary, Denmark still packs a trading and fishing punch. 

F 

amous for its LEGO, sweet 

pastries and the fact that it 

has no mountains, Denmark 

is a Scandinavian country 

in northern Europe, located 

south of fellow Nordic 

nations Sweden and Norway 

and bordered to its south by 

Europe’s largest economic 

power, Germany. Small it may 

be, but Denmark exported 

US$125 billion worth of 

goods around the globe in 

2021, with its top five trading 

partners being Germany, 

Sweden, Norway, the UK and 

the USA. 

Denmark supports a high 

standard of living – its per 

capita gross national product 

is among the highest in the 

world – with well-developed 

social services. The economy 

is based primarily on 

service industries, trade and 

manufacturing; only a small 

percentage of the population 

is engaged in agriculture and 

fishing. 

The highest dollar values 

in Danish global shipments 

come from pharmaceuticals 

(US$19.4 billion), machinery 

including computers ($16.6 

billion), electrical machinery 

and equipment ($9.6 billion), 

mineral fuels including 

oil ($6.1 billion), optical, 

technical and medical 

apparatus ($4.7 billion) 

and meat ($4.3 billion) – 

Denmark is rightly famed 

for its quality bacon and its 

pigs outnumber its people, 

with 215 pigs for every 100 

humans. 

The highest dollar values in 

Denmark’s import purchases 

come from machinery 

including computers 

(US$14.7 billion), electrical 

machinery and equipment 

($11.6 billion), mineral fuels 

including oil ($10.1 billion), 

vehicles ($9.8 billion), 

pharmaceuticals ($6.5 billion) 

and plastics and plastic 

articles ($5.4 billion) 

Next to its well-educated 

labour force, the soil is still 

Denmark’s most important 

raw material. About half 

of the land is intensively 

exploited and extensively 

fertilised. More than half of 


DBW... 

DENMARK 

ECONOMY FOCUS 

$398.3 billion GDP (USD) 

$68,007.76 GDP per capita (USD) 

4.9% GDP growth rate 

4.8% Unemployment rate 

Top export partners: 

- Germany 

- Sweden 

- Norway 

- UK 

- USA 

Top import partners: 

- Germany 

- Sweden 

- Netherlands 

- China 

- Poland 

FACT FILE 

Capital: Copenhagen 

Dialling code: +45 

Population: 5.857 million 

Prime Minister: Mette Frederiksen 

Official language: Danish 

Time zones: Central European Standard Time GMT+1 

Currency: Danish Krone (DKK) 

Internet domain: .dk 

Copenhagen – the real thing (above) 

and here’s the LEGO version of it. 

the cultivated land is devoted 

to cereals, with barley and 

wheat accounting for a large 

percentage of the total grain 

harvest. Sugar beets are 

another leading crop. Oats, 

rye, turnips, and potatoes are 

grown in western Jutland, 

where the soil is less fertile. 

Domesticated animals are 

an important feature of life 

in Denmark. Dairy cattle, 

pigs, and poultry are raised in 

great numbers to supply both 

the domestic and the foreign 

markets. 

The fishing industry 

remains economically 

important, and Denmark is 

among the world’s largest 

exporters of fish products. 

Herring, cod, and plaice 

account for most of the total 

catch; other important species 

include salmon and eels. 

Danish commercial fishing 

also extends into foreign 

waters in search of Atlantic 

cod, Norwegian pout, and 

North Sea sprat. Aquaculture 

accounts for a small portion 

of fish production. 

Danish natural resources 

are limited and during the 

early 1970s the economy 

suffered from dependence on 

imported petroleum for the 

vast majority of its energy 

needs. The discovery of oil 

and natural gas fields in the 

Danish sector of the North 

Sea later permitted selfsufficiency 

in this regard. 

The country also began 

using coal-fired power 

plants to produce most of 

the country’s electricity. The 

switch from petroleum was 

accompanied by economies 

of production: the otherwisewasted 

heat that results from 

the production of electricity 

began to be used to heat 

water that is piped to homes 

and factories. By the early 

21st century Denmark was 

exporting more electricity, oil, 

and gas than it was importing. 

In addition, the Danish 

government had moved 

toward more environmentally 

friendly power sources, 

banned the construction of 

additional coal-burning power 

plants and subsidised wind 


27

DBW... 

DENMARK 

farms, which now provide 

a growing portion of the 

country’s electricity. 

An extensive road and 

highway system serves 

the country and cities and 

towns maintain bicycle lanes 

located parallel to roads and 

pavements. 

The Danish transportation 

system has many bridges 

and harbours, including the 

Great Belt bridge, which 

links Zealand with Funen, 

and the Øresund Link, 

which connects Denmark 

with Sweden. Good 

harbours provide favourable 

conditions for both domestic 

and international shipping. 

Kastrup, near Copenhagen, 

is one of the busiest airports 

in Europe and a centre for 

international air traffic. 

Wind farms are an important 

source of Danish energy. 

F I S H I N G T A C K L E I N D U S T R Y 

A new trade association has recently 

been set up by the fishing tackle 

industry in Denmark. While some 

European countries, including 

Germany and Italy, have discontinued 

their trade bodies in recent years, 

Denmark has launched the Danish 

Angling Association. 

Founding members of the 

organisation include tackle 

manufacturers, wholesalers, tackle 

shops, fishing guides, tourism 

companies, NGOs (non-governmental 

organisations), boat and put and take 

operators who hope that their unified 

voice will have political impact. 

Further support has come from 

the Danish Sportfishing Association, 

which represents the country’s 

anglers. “We welcome the new 

trade association and see important 

collaboration opportunities,” said 

chairman Torben Kaas. 

“The sooner Danish politicians 

understand the trade, and the 

numbers and jobs involved, the better. 

A collaboration with the commercial 

part of the angling business will 

benefit our NGO when negotiating 

fish and angling politics.” 

The Danish fishing tackle retail 

market is largely dominated by 

independent retailers, some of the 

biggest of which lie in the capital 

city Copenhagen, in the east of the 

country. 

Outside of the city centres you will 

find larger stores with a more modern 

feel, similar to the types of shops 

you might find in the USA, with 

larger floor space, cleaner layouts and 

products displayed in a more orderly 

format. 

They also have large online retail 

operations that expand their reach, 

although online retail is relatively 

modest in Denmark as many Danish 

anglers prefer visiting a local store to 

browse and get advice, and the fact 

that Denmark is quite a small country 

means there is usually at least one 

within driving distance. 

Nearly all of the fishing tackle 

stores in Denmark deal directly with 

fishing brands themselves, so there 

are very few remaining wholesalers 

or middlemen in the chain. Even 

overseas brands tend to be handled by 

Danish brand owners and then sold to 

shops directly. 

A recent survey found that in the 

Danish tackle market the estimated 

number of recreational anglers is 

around 451,000, with an estimated 

160 tackle shops, 10 wholesalers, 

15 manufacturers/brands and a 

total economic value of recreational 

fisheries to Denmark’s economy of 

around $335 million. 

F I S H I N G I N D E N M A R K 

With thanks to John Petermann 

There’s a lot of spin fishing 

but with coarse fishing in 

general, there aren’t now a 

lot of bream, perch and those 

kinds of fish as the cormorants 

have had a very negative 

impact on their populations 

in the lakes. Years back I 

believe cormorants mainly 

ate saltwater species close to 

the shore but now they feed 

in freshwater on all kinds of 

fish. They take big trout, 50cm 

pike, bream and perch. 

It’s a very sad situation with 

the cormorants in general in 

Europe. Twenty years ago we 

had some of the most amazing 

grayling fishing in the rivers 

in Denmark but now they are 

an endangered species. You 

can still fish for grayling but 

personally I stopped fishing 

for them as there are very 

few left in Denmark – where 

you used to catch 20 or 30 of 

about 40cm in a day, now if 

you catch one grayling that 

size in a year you’re happy. 

The dry fly fishing is not 

as popular as it used to be 

20 or 30 years ago due to the 

Fishing from the coastline is a 

popular pastime in Denmark. 


DBW... 

DENMARK 

cormorant issue and the lack 

of game fish in the rivers, but 

the main target now is sea 

trout on the coastlines. It’s 

very popular and anybody 

can do it, with a fly rod or 

spin rod, and you can fish for 

garfish as well in the spring. 

Then there’s the salmon 

fishing because you have a lot 

of stocked salmon and stocked 

sea trout released that have 

been bred from wild fish. The 

stocking has helped those 

populations. 

Salmon fishing is growing 

and there’s a very famous 

salmon river in Denmark 

called the Skjern River; 

this year you’re allowed to 

take about 500 salmon, last 

year it was about 400 so the 

population is growing. 

Pike fishing is quite popular, 

there are still lakes and rivers 

in Denmark where you can 

fish for them. It was more 

popular a few years back. The 

spawning season is about in 

April so it’s quite popular to 

fish for them in March and 

then again in May. 

I N D U S T R Y V I E W 

JOHN PETERMANN, CEO, Fluebindinding ApS (The Fly Company), Viby J. 

Established 1995. 

We distribute fly tying 

materials and fly f ishing 

equipment in general. We 

have a large variety of 

fly tying materials from 

Hareline, Wapsi, Tiemco 

and more, plus tools and 

vises, as well as distributing 

Renzetti, Winston, Bauer 

and Nautilus reels in Europe, 

and Templefork Outf itters 

in Scandinavia and a few 

countries in Europe as well. 

We are purely a 

distributor so we sell 

business to business. Our 

market is Europe; of course 

Scandinavia is a big market 

for us but our market share 

has grown, particularly in 

southern Europe as well. We 

get more European requests 

every week. 

When the Covid pandemic 

was starting a lot of new 

f ishermen came on board 

and the sport grew quite a 

lot, and then we ran into a 

situation where our suppliers 

were f inding it diff icult 

to supply us with what 

we needed in the way of 

products. Several different 

fly tying materials were sold 

out, some have remained sold 

out for a long time, so that 

was quite a big issue. I think 

we lost maybe 20 per cent 

of sales because we couldn’t 

get hold of the product. The 

new interest and amount of 

new people starting f ishing 

was very high and as we ran 

into lockdowns we couldn’t 

get hold of a lot of different 

materials from suppliers. 

We didn’t lose anything but 

I think we could have sold 

maybe 20 per cent more if we 

had been able to get hold of 

the products. It’s starting to 

become better but it’s still an 

issue. 

And then with the energy/ 

f inancial/war crisis, I’m 

pretty positive about the 

future but it seems like in 

Europe the demand has 

calmed down a bit. People are 

waiting to see how much fuel 

is, how much food is going to 

cost next month, how much 

hot water is going to cost, 

gas and oil, and it appears to 

have an impact on customers’ 

ways to spend money. It 

seems like there are still a 

lot of people who don’t have 

any issues, still have a good 

living but maybe they are 

holding back a little, seeing 

how it will be next year, next 

month or next week. Will 

they have a job next year? I 

think that has def initely had 

a little bit of an impact on 

the way that customers are 

purchasing products. 

The ‘cost of living crisis’ 

has had a huge impact in 

Denmark too; where some 

families were spending say 

1,000 DKK on electricity per 

month now it’s 2,000 to 3,000 

DKK, so that’s something 

that has had a huge impact 

on their disposable income. 

On fly tying materials these 

are products where that 

has had the least impact 

because they’re not expensive 

products, but if you want 

to buy a new f ishing rod 

from one of the high-end 

brands from the USA then 

the exchange rate on the US 

dollar has been very high 

compared to Europe, and 

on top of the energy prices 

that makes a difference. But 

they still purchase a lot of fly 

tying materials. 

T A R G E T S P E C I E S 

SEA TROUT PIKE SALMON 


29

FEATURE 

PLATYPUS LINES UP 

CELEBRATIONS FOR 

125 YEARS 

Australia’s longest running fishing tackle brand, Platypus Fishing Lines, is celebrating 

its 125th year in business. As it does so, TTW looks at where it came from and where it’s 

headed next. 

Platypus Fishing Lines truly had 

humble beginnings when, in 

1898, George Ross McPherson, a 

Scottish immigrant rope maker, 

began making fishing line from twisted 

linen to meet the demands of local 

anglers. 

In 1902 the first ‘factory’, a corrugated 

iron shed at the back of the house, was 

established at Chermside in Queensland 

and, over the next 15 years, ‘Mac’s 

Platypus Brand’ cemented itself as a 

quality product. 

The Platypus name, chosen because the 

products were good on the land and in 

the water, reflected both the production 

of rope and fishing line. 

GENERATION GAME 

George’s son, George William, eventually 

purchased the business, adding more 

machinery while experimenting with a 

wonder thread called nylon. 


During the tough period of the war 

years, he could also be found buying 

thousands of shoelaces, due to shortages 

in linen thread, which were dismantled 

and re-spun into yarn to manufacture 

fishing line – a reflection of both angler 

and Aussie ingenuity. 

As nylon lines improved in the 1950s, 

George’s son Don became involved in 

the business, purchased the company’s 

first nylon extruder and began developing 

nylon fishing line technologies in 

Australia. 

This was a pioneering time in 

sportfishing, as linen gave way to nylon 

lines in the 1960s and throughout the 

1970s, with help from some highprofile 

Australian anglers who embraced 

Platypus lines. Soon, these Australianmade 

nylon lines became THE lines to 

use. 

Don’s intimate knowledge of nylon 

lines allowed him to control elements 

such as diameter, stretch and memory 

as he developed lines for specific 

applications, such as Lo-Stretch and 

Pre-Test, with its hundreds of IGFA and 

ANSA records.

Platypus 

FEATURE 

A larger factory was established at 

Strathpine and Don’s knowledge allowed 

the development of many other products 

used in medical, mining, farming, and 

other fields, while never losing focus on 

the development of quality fishing line. 

AUSTRALIAN AND PROUD 

Stewart McPherson joined his father 

Don in the late 1990s, before 

taking over the company, making 

Platypus a fourth-generation 

Australian owned company. 

This was an exciting period, with the 

development of high-tech fibres that 

saw a rapid growth in the popularity 

of braided lines, with Platypus at the 

forefront of this new line category. 

In 2018 an opportunity arose for 

Australian-owned and operated family 

business Tackle Tactics to take on the 

brand, ensuring that it remained an 

Australian-made product. 

Key Platypus team members remained 

with the business, including two fishing 

line technicians with over 70 years of 

combined fishing line development and 

manufacturing experience. 

Under the supervision of new owner 

Gareth Williams, the team has gone on 

to develop what it describes as its “best 

monofilament line ever” – Pulse Mono – 

the cutting-edge Hard Armour Leader 

range and a selection of new braids 

that utilise the latest in materials and 

machinery, including Pulse X4, Pulse X8 

and Bionic Braid X9. 

Many anglers have memories of 

spooling and fishing Platypus lines 

with their parents, grandparents, and 

great grandparents, so it’s exciting to 

see Australia’s longest running fishing 

tackle brand still at the forefront of 

fishing line development, continuing 

to manufacture quality, cutting edge 

products in the country, for anglers 

locally and globally. 

PLATYPUS 

www.platypusfishing.com.au 

UNI PRODUCTS J.G. Cote Inc. 

1004 Principale 

Ste-Melanie, QC. Canada JOK 3AO 

Tel: 450-889-8054 

Toll-Free: 1-877-889-8054 

Fax: 450-889-5887 

Email: info@uniproducts.com 

NEW FROM UNI 

UNI SOFT WIRE 

EXTRA SMALL GAUGE # 36 0.006 INCH 

AXXEL- 

MINI FLASH 

TINSEL 

FUCHSIA 

IRON GRAY 

Look to UNI for the best in spooled fly-tying materials! 

www.uniproducts.com

FEATURE 

Grizzly Jig Spring Tackle Show 

A FEW DAYS AT ICAST CAN 

PAY OFF YEAR-ROUND 

Not only is ICAST – the giant US trade show held each July – great for manufacturers, 

suppliers and brands but it also gives retailers a leg-up on the competition. 

Each week, the orders would pour 

in. They came from California, 

Wisconsin and Arkansas. They 

came by the dozens… and in 

large quantities, too. At one point, Wade 

Mansfield’s Grizzly Jig Co. was selling 

more crankbaits than some of the largest 

bass fishing stores in the United States – 

but Mansfield had a problem. 

Grizzly Jig Co, perched on the banks of 

the Mississippi River in the boot heel of 

Missouri, was a crappie store. Regionally, 

they have been a mover and shaker for 

decades, at one point even running a 

thriving magazine business and email 

marketing empire. 

And, though the small town, familyrun 

business had proven successful 


enough to be a major contributor to 

its hometown economy, Mansfield was 

having issues securing recognition from 

national crankbait manufacturers. What 

he needed was a deal. 

“You always need to know the person 

to get the deal,” says Mansfield. “You 

need to know the end decision maker. In 

our case, we had, at times, sold more bass 

baits than the big box store down the 

road, because crappie fishermen have so 

many poles and they want a bait in each 

colour for every pole. But it took going 

to ICAST, and actually meeting with the 

manufacturer’s decision makers, to get the 

best deal.” 

Mansfield has been attending ICAST 

– the sportfishing industry’s trade show 

produced by the American Sportfishing 

Association (ASA) – for 23 years. And, in 

that time, he says the connections made 

on the show floor have paid off yearround 

for Grizzly Jig Co. 

“People do their research,” he adds. 

“When you meet somebody, they ask 

around to find out who has buying power 

and who is and isn’t a player. In our case, 

I had to meet the right people initially for 

them to know who we were.” 

MORE THAN EVER 

Last year, some 12,000 people from 72 

nations made the trek to the iconic trade 

show. This year, ICAST has announced 

enhancements that could make it better 

than ever.

ICAST 

FEATURE 

The vaunted New Product 

Showcase pits hundreds of new 

products against each other 

in a voting contest – lead by 

retailers and media members – to 

determine category winners in 

divisions ranging from fishing 

reels to outerwear, kayaks and 

women’s apparel. This year, ASA 

has expanded the number of 

categories by eight, including 

six new categories devoted to fly 

fishing. 

The expansions complement 

the addition of an all-new ICAST 

Fly Shop, a boutique replica 

fly fishing store complete with 

artwork, casting exhibitions and a 

lounge for attendees to unwind in. 

With a sprawling show floor 

jam-packed with exhibitors, 

ICAST attendees have no 

shortage of entertainment options. 

Casting ponds and the lure tank 

showcase new products on and 

beneath the water. 

Outside, events like ICAST On 

The Water Product Demo Day 

put items like rods, reels, SUPs 

and kayaks in the hands of buyers 

and media on the ponds outside 

the Orlando Convention Center’s 

North Building. 

Meanwhile, the ICAST Cup 

bass fishing tournament hosted 

by Major League Fishing, daily 

Lunch & Learn business seminars 

and the State of the Industry 

Breakfast provide options for 

attendees to connect and learn 

from a diverse spectrum of minds 

representing the sportfishing 

world. 

“The business seminars provide 

valuable information,” says 

Mansfield. “You can get a lot of 

raw data and better understand 

your situation, like how many 

people are buying saltwater, how 

much of your business is impacted 

by bass fishing, and so on.” 

Annually, more than 100 

exhibitions provide special deals 

for attendees placing orders on 

the show floor. Meanwhile, daily 

cash giveaways for buyers and a 

fishing trip for two to Crocodile 

Bay, Costa Rica, enhance the 

value-added proposition of 

attendance. 

Registration for ICAST 2023 is 

open now. 

ICAST 

www.icast.org 

Wade Mansfield, 

from the Grizzly 

Jig Co. 

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TATULA ® SV 

Original SV frame 

Corrosion-resistant 

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MAKING 

CONTACT 

Making Contact 

2 

1 

Want your products to 

be seen by thousands of 

potential buyers… FREE 

of charge? Then get in 

touch, we’d love to hear 

from you. 

1 WESTIN 

W6 BRAIDED LINES 

2 SFLYING FISHERMAN 

SANDBAR GLASSES 

3 

3 STONFO 

MICRO LOOP TYERS 

JOHN HUNTER 

+44 7990 542958 

john.hunter@dhpub.co.uk 

DAVID HAYNES 

david.haynes@dhpub.co.uk 

Contact John or David directly 

for details of how to send your 

product and a short description to 

Tackle Trade World’s office. 

These lines have been developed 

using a unique construction 

process for all-round lure fishing, 

using premium-grade Japanese 

UHMPE (Ultra High Molecular 

Polyethylene) fibres for incredible 

performance and strength. 

To achieve higher abrasion 

resistance and greater strength 

W6 braid uses a weave called 

“Advanced High PIC”. This 8X (eight 

braid carriers) braided line has a 

36 PIC construction (weaves per 

inch) that gives a stronger line for 

its diameter. The tighter weave 

also gives a smoother surface 

for longer, more accurate, casts. 

Casting performance is further 

enhanced by a process that gives 

the braid a smoother, hydrophobic 

surface, reducing water absorption 

and lowering friction. 

The latest addition to the 

brand’s Action Angler Series of 

affordably priced eyewear for 

anglers and outdoor enthusiasts. 

The medium fit, casual lifestyle 

frames sunglasses are built for 

adventure with performance and 

comfort features normally seen 

with higher priced eyewear, like 

recessed nose pads, non-slip 

temple pads, and saltwaterresistant 

lenses. The polarised, 

AcuTint lens colouring system 

enhances contrast without 

distorting natural colours, 

blocking glare and 100 per cent of 

harmful UVA & UVB rays. Available 

in three colourways: matte crystal 

black frames with amber-red 

mirror; matte crystal grey frames 

with either amber-green mirror or 

smoke-ice blue mirror lenses. 

Designed to make it easier to tie 

very small loops for hooklengths 

and hair rigs, for example, these 

micro loop tyers are proving very 

popular with anglers. 

The smaller size tool allows you 

to tie 4mm loops with the larger 

one capable of producing 6mm 

ones. 

www.stonfo.com 

www.westin-fishing.com 

www.flyingfisherman.com 


MAKING 

CONTACT 

4 

6 

5 

7 

4 FIRST DART 

HALS LOW STRETCH LINE 

5 WORTH CO 

TACKLEPACS 

6 DAIWA 

TANACOM 800 REEL 

7 ST CROIX 

AVID PANFISH SERIES 

HALS Low Stretch nylon 

monofilament enhances 

sensitivity for better bite 

detection and hook sets and is 

said to stretch less than 20 per 

cent at what is claimed to be the 

lowest in the industry. 

In addition, the line also 

features three times more 

abrasion resistant properties 

compared to standard nylon 

monofilament. 

info@firstdart.com 

The Worth Company, an industry 

leader in lure component 

manufacturing, is offering its 

world-famous components in 

sample pack sizes. The Americanmade 

precision parts are great 

for building new lures, replacing 

inferior components and repairing 

your favourite lures. 

These industry-standard 

items are used by many leading 

lure manufacturers. Fishing lure 

component packs are available for 

spinner blades, split rings, beads, 

lure bodies, clevises, swivel and 

wire forms. 

Worthco.com 

The Tanacom 800 aims to improve 

the angling experience while kite 

fishing, as well as deep dropping 

and bottom bouncing for monsters 

of the depths like halibut, snowy 

grouper, tilefish and more. 

It retains the power, ease of 

operation and super-fast retrieval 

rate of the others in the Tanacom 

line in a package that clearly stands 

out on its own. Saltwater sealed 

and with a capacity of 660 yards of 

80lb Daiwa J-Braid capacity – 200 

yards greater than the Tanacom 

750 – it also has a 30 per cent 

faster retrieval rate, sports 20 

per cent more winding power 

with a 22lb max and features a 

beast-taming 50lb maximum drag 

pressure. 

These rods encompass nine 

models with St Croix’s new 

SCIII+ hybrid carbon blanks and 

Seaguide’s innovative Delta 

TYG stainless steel guides for 

improved casting distance with 

micro-diameter lines. 

Made in the USA, the Avid 

Series Panfish rods retail at a 

mid-price point and feature a 15- 

year warranty backed by St Croix 

Superstar Service. 

dealersupport@stcroixrods.com 

daiwa.us 


STOPPIONI s.n.c. Firenze Italy Prod. Effevuemme s.r.l. 

Tel.+39 0558739615 -Fax +39 0558739648 stonfo@stonfo.com 

Art.687 

APICALE SOFTLINK 

The quickest and safest device to connect line 

and elastic. The Softlink elastic connector is 

composed of an highly resistant body with rubber 

knot cover. It is ideal for solid or hollow elastics up 

to 4 mm of diameter. 

rubber 

knot cover 

Art.694 

PTFE CURVED 

Bush in pure curved PTFE realized to facilitate 

the elastic retrieving outside the pole during the 

fight. It ensures the maximum smoothness of 

both solid and hollow elastics. 

Other features: 

small, lightweight, elegant design with reduced 

overhang. The mounting on the pole, thanks to an 

exclusive click system, is very easy, quick, 

secure and doesn't need the use of glue. 

Supplied with 2 useful elastic holders. 

NEW PACBAY 

CHARONOSAURUS 

ROLLER GUIDES 

The world’s best-known saltwater anglers trust in PACBAY’s fishing tackle components and accessories for their 

reliable and faultless performance. With a view to preserving its valued reputation, PACBAY has maintained a strict 

program of quality control in the making of each and every product with the PACBAY name carved on it. 

In the same spirit as always, PACBAY has now launched its brand-new Charonosaurus roller guides. 

- Aluminum openwork construction reduces weight but doesn’t reduce strength - Deeply embedded roller design restricts line from cramming between 

roller and frame - Inbuilt Teflon tube bearing to diminish friction and heat - Tube bearing treated with TEFLON for performance and constant lubrication 

- Perfectly shaped guide feet to fit blanks with tip size - The structure of the arch-bridge design reduces weight as well as reducing the restrain between 

blank and guide - Structure designed to accommodate knots and connection of wind-on leader – line never gets stuck 

- PACBAY roller tip-tops (model # ERT,EMRT,EJRT) are an excellent match for these guides - All products patented. 

Build Great Fishing Rods 

info@fishpacbay.com 

www.fishpacbay.com

FEATURE 

Simms 

TECHNICAL 

OUTERWEAR 

GOES GREEN 

One of the most exciting aspects of today’s tackle trade is the fact that 

recycled fabric is becoming less and less of a buzz-worthy topic, and 

more and more of a new standard to strive for. Simms’ new Challenger 

Suit is made from 100 per cent recycled fabrics. 

However, like all innovative 

leaps forward — 

achievements of this 

magnitude aren’t without 

their own unique set of hurdles and 

challenges. 

You don’t have to look back too far 

at all to realise that rods, reels, marine 

electronics, boats, engines, monofilament, 

lures, flies, you name it – virtually every 

single category of fishing gear has 

radically progressed. 

Although not always viewed through 

the lens of “gear”, fishing apparel has 

also seen its fair share of performative 

advancement. It’s hard to believe that 

we’ve only been reaping the rewards 

of waterproof breathable waders and 

outerwear for the past 30 years. 

When Simms launched that wader 

back in 1993, it was nothing short of 

a game changer – now, simply put, 

waterproof breathability is the norm. 

The fishing industry has always been 

rife with innovators – individuals that 

possess the unique ability to look ahead, 

identify a need, and creatively problem 

solve to meet that need in the most 

efficient way possible. Thankfully, today, 

more and more innovators are considering 

environmental impacts as they develop 

the next best thing. 


Using recycled materials in 

performance apparel is only one of 

many environmentally conscious 

manufacturing strategies the fishing 

industry actively has in the works; 

it’s a concept that consumers easily 

recognise and understand. 

It would be nice if transitioning 

to performance textiles and fabrics 

made from 100 per cent recycled 

materials was as simple as flipping 

a switch, but it isn’t. 

The truth is, it’s an incredibly 

complicated topic. Recycled 

material doesn’t always mean that it’s 

“greener” material. 

And of course, there’s the performance 

aspect manufacturers have to take into 

consideration. 

CHANGING THE GAME 

So, what does that mean for consumers? 

For years and years, whether it’s hard 

goods or apparel, anglers have more or 

less only seen advancements in their 

fishing gear. 

Staying warm on the coldest days, 

staying dry in the midst of torrential 

downpours, moisture wicking capabilities, 

breathability, having gear that lasts season 

after season has not only become the 

norm, it’s what consumers expect – all 

The Challenger Jacket and Bib 

use recycled fabrics yet retain 

superb performance. 

because the 

wheel of 

innovation has 

never stopped. 

Are anglers 

willing to 

sacrifice the performance and durability 

they’ve become so accustomed to as long 

as their apparel is made from recycled 

materials? Of course, the answer really 

depends on who you ask. 

However, brands like Simms have 

been working hard to prove that recycled 

fabrics have a bright future in the ongoing 

evolution of performance driven, technical 

fishing gear and its all-new Men’s and 

Women’s Challenger Jacket and Bib serve 

as a shining example of exactly that. 

• Continued on page 42

Registration’s Open Now! 

Salt Palace Convention Center 

September 26-28, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah 

Need more info? Go to AFFTA.org or email kenneth.andres@AFFTA.org 

FULL RANGE OF TERMINAL TACKLE AND ACCESSORIES 

It’s a 

family 

thing 

EST. 

1958 

F J Neil has been family owned and operated since the 

1950s… and is still going strong! Under the Dolphin brand 

we supply all types of terminal tackle and accessories, from 

traditional bamboo poles to the latest rigs and lures. 

• Competitive pricing 

• Large stock inventory – no order delays 

• Rapid turnaround • Export specialists 

• Able to source any special requirements 

FOR FULL TRADE DETAILS 

PLEASE CONTACT US AT CANEFISH@AOL.COM / +1 631-957-1073 

FJ NEIL COMPANY INC, 1064 ROUTE 109, PO BOX 617, LINDENHURST, NY 11757-0617 USA 

We are looking for experienced agents or distributors for the European market. If qualified, email Neil Miritello at nmfjn@aol.com

FEATURE 

Simms 

The Challenger Suit has a 

range of features fishermen 

(and women) will love. 

Simms’ CX Hoody (above), 

Santee Flannel hoody (below) 

and Tributary Hip Pack (left) 

all use recycled materials. 

Continued from page 40 

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE 

With an outer shell built from 100 per 

cent recycled waterproof/breathable Toray 

and a 100 per cent recycled polyester 

liner, the new Challenger Jacket and Bib 

has only improved. 

Equipped with fishy features such 

as an adjustable/stashable storm hood, 

oversized zippered chest pockets with a 

built-in sunglass chamois, adjustable cuffs 

designed to lock water out, the jacket also 

features reflective branding for safety. 

Constructed from the same recycled 

fabric as the jacket, the Challenger Bib 

offers ample on-body storage, adjustable 

suspenders, knee high zippers for easy 

on/off and rugged overlays in high wear 

zones for increased durability. 

When paired together, the Challenger 

Suit provides unmatched protection 

against the elements, long open water 

runs and choppy conditions. 

Simms’ director of product marketing, 

Patterson Leeth, explained: “When we 

initially launched the Challenger Suit 

back in 2016, it was a pivotal moment for 

Simms. 

“It was one of the first times we offered 

an accessible, performance driven product. 

Since then, the Challenger collection has 

not only become a staple in our product 

line, but also a standby for hardcore 

anglers that rely on performance, 

reliability, and durability day in and day 

out. 


“It’s really exciting to know that we 

are able to implement recycled fabrics 

into products that are as important as 

Challenger and still offer anglers the 

same level of confidence they demand 

and deserve.” 

While the new Challenger Suit 

isn’t Simms’ first foray into products 

using recycled materials, it’s certainly 

an important one because, to date, it is its 

most technical. 

Products such as the Fall Run have 

now been in the Simms line for multiple 

seasons and have even earned multiple 

environmentally conscious industry 

awards. 

These accolades have led to others 

such as the Tributary Hip Pack, the CX 

Hoody, the Guide Flannel, the Santee 

Flannel, the Henry’s Fork Crew and 

Hoody – all using recycled fabrics in 

some shape or form and do so without 

sacrificing the performance, comfort and 

durability consumers expect from Simms. 

STAYING TRUE TO THE CAUSE 

Innovation is the single most important 

strand of Simms’ DNA. It’s the 

cornerstone that the brand was built 

upon. 

For decades, Simms has never stopped 

looking for cutting-edge technologies, 

more performative fabrics, and new 

innovations. 

When you think about it, identifying 

and executing environmentally friendly 

solutions is just another form of 

innovation and that’s where Simms 

excels. 

In the case of the Challenger Suit, 

consumers can rest assured, Simms 

has sacrificed nothing in terms of 

performance and durability. Its new 

recycled fabric was held against the same 

longstanding set of demanding standards 

as all of its other technical outerwear – 

and that’s a promising sign for the future 

of such an important innovation. 

SIMMS 

www.simmsfishing.com

The Classic never 

goes out of fashion 

Carp Expert corns from 

800 grams to 5 kg packages! 

Besides the natural 

scents, also available 

in fermented and 

flavoured versions. 

Special bait 

corns in 

2 versions! 

(Dipped / in Liquid) 

Carp Expert 

Master Inox 

Buzzbar and 

Banksticks! 

Accessories for 

anglers who love high 

quality products! 

NEW Size! 

Mega Corn! 

Partners Wanted! 

Energofish Ltd. is looking for new Partners 

all over the World. Free delivery on orders 

over €300. Registration and other details: 

NETHERLANDS GERMANY SWEDEN POLAND FRANCE ITALY 

INFO@ENERGOFISH.COM 

WWW.ENERGOFISH.COM

2023 FISH TALES CUP 

THE LURE MASTER CHALLENGE 

Start registration, welcome to sponsor us 

Dates: 13-17 August 2023 

Location: Yunbing, Pahang, Malaysia 

VENUE:Kuala Rompin,Pahang,Malaysia 

consultation:robert.li365@gmail.com

2023 Global Fishing Classic held a press conference 

The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association 

(MITA) and Otelly Management Co., Ltd. 

jointly organize the 14th "Malaysia Fishing Cup 

Series-Global Chinese Fishing Classic 2023", which is 

expected to bring 500 to 600 Chinese tourists to Malaysia. 

Uzaidi, chairman of the Malaysian Inbound Tourism 

Association, held a press conference recently and said that China 

is a very important market for Malaysia's inbound tourism industry. In 2019 alone, it received nearly 3 million Chinese 

tourists. 

"The "Malaysian Fish News Cup" is held again after a 2-year absence, and MITA is very happy to hear the latest news, 

and believes that local tourism operators are preparing to receive Chinese tourists." 

"The "Malaysian Fish News Cup" is scheduled to be held in Kuala Yunpin, Pahang from August 13 to 17, 2023. 

This competition is expected to have 250 to 300 participants, and participants usually bring Family members will 

participate together, so about 500 to 600 Chinese tourists will be welcomed.” 

He said that the fishing tourism market in China is huge. According to statistics, there are an estimated 120 million 

fishing enthusiasts in China, of which 2% (2.4 million) go abroad for fishing activities at least once a year. 

“An angler spends an average of US$2,500 to US$3,000 per fishing trip in Malaysia, which will boost our economy.” 

He pointed out that this event has received strong support from the Pahang State Tourism Bureau and partners 

such as the Malaysia-China Friendship Association, Yunbing Fishing Association and Wailea Resort; transnational 

partners include the China Fishing Association, the China Recreational Fishing Association, and the Jiangsu Fishing 

Association. and media partners in China, Singapore, UK, US and Australia. 

Contact email: robert.li365@gmail.comv

Beijing Bihai Fishing Tackle Company signed a project 

cooperation agreement with the National Convention 

and Exhibition Center (Tianjin) 

On February 15, Wang Xiangfa, general manager 

of Beijing Bihai Fishing Tackle Co., Ltd., attended the 

project cooperation signing ceremony of the National 

Convention and Exhibition Center (Tianjin) and 

signed a cooperation agreement. 

The 2023 Spring Bihai Fishing Tackle Industry 

Expo will be held at the National Convention and 

Exhibition Center (Tianjin) from March 23 to 26. 

The move to the National Convention and 

Exhibition Center (Tianjin) is another major strategic 

turning point for Bihai Fishing Tackle Exhibition. The 

National Convention and Exhibition Center (Tianjin) is a national-level exhibition hall cooperated by the Ministry 

of Commerce and Tianjin City, and has intelligent and modern operating conditions. After three cold winters of the 

epidemic, the domestic fishing tackle market has recovered strongly. Bihai Fishing Tackle was exhibited in just one 

week, and the booth was scheduled to reach 100,000 square meters. 

Choosing the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Tianjin), whether it is software management or hardware 

equipment and facilities, will be improved to a higher level. Bihai Fishing Tackle Industry Expo will welcome the 

victory of the 2023 Spring Festival with new concepts, new experiences, high quality, and a new look of the whole 

industry Held! 

Many authoritative media such as China News Agency, Xinhua Net, Tianjin Daily, Tonight News, China Enterprise 

News, and Chinese and foreign exhibitions attended and reported on the signing site. Wang Xiangfa, general manager 

of Bihai Company, accepted interviews from Tianjin TV Station, Tianjin Radio Station, Jinnan Financial Media and 

other media on the spot.

Chinese fishing tackle industry watch Fishing 

Show SAKA 2023 

As the epidemic subsided, people from the Chinese 

fishing tackle industry returned to Japan after three 

years to visit Fishing Show OSAKA. 

It is the largest fishing show in Japan visited by more 

than 50,000 people every year, "Fishing Show OSAKA 

2023" was held at Intex Osaka in Nanko, Osaka from 

February 4th to 5th (the 3rd is a business meeting day). 

144 companies participated in offline physical 

exhibition activities for the first time in three years. 

The new products of various manufacturers will be 

displayed for fishing friends, and all well-known 

fishing tackle companies in Japan will participate in the exhibition. 

"Fishing Show OSAKA 2023" is celebrating its 60th anniversary this time. Normal events will be canceled in 

2021 and 2022 due to the novel coronavirus. Although it will be conducted through TV and video, it will be the 

first real event in 3 years after thorough measures to prevent infectious diseases such as masks and disinfection. 

"Due to the coronavirus, we've actually been unable to do it for the past two years, but there are a lot of people 

who say, 'I've been waiting for a regular event offline,'" said Tomoyuki Oi, secretary general of Osaka organizers. 

This time, 144 companies participated in the exhibition with the theme of "Dreams and Touches Encountered by 

the Water". The booths in Areas A and B of Hall 6 and Hall 3 will display hot-selling new products from domestic 

manufacturers and rare products that are rarely seen in the store, and you can actually touch them. As a personal 

experience before the official season Innovative fishing gear and opportunities for creative fishing gear attract the 

attention of all parties, including fishing enthusiasts. 

Not only new products, but also various activities, food, courses, etc. 

Building No. 4 has a special pool where you can catch real fish, and the trout 

you catch can be taken home. The "Fun Lottery" (500 yen) where fishing 

gear such as fishing rods and reels and electrical appliances are drawn is also 

popular every time. 

"Because of the pandemic, there aren't many events like this, and some say 

more than 60,000 people will visit, which is the highest number ever," Oi said. 

The total number of visitors for the last real event 2020 was 45,907 (3 days). 

With a record 59,636 visitors in 2019, it was the 10th year in a row that more 

than 50,000 people flocked to the show.

Classifieds 

SPLIT RING PLIERS 

4 Sizes 

CLASSIFIEDS 

UNIQUELY DIFFERENT (NEW-PATENTED) 

The EASIEST... The FASTEST... The BESTEST... 

for changing hooks or spinner blades 

visit www.TexasTackle.com for demo video 

WHOLESALE ONLY 

www.TexasTackle.com 

RIGS !!!! 

TO BOOK THIS SPACE CONTACT: 

NORTH AMERICA 

BART MANGANIELLO 

T: +1 914 722 7601 

E: bartalm@optonline.net 

REST of WORLD 

GUIDO KNEGT 

T: +39 347 503 6436 

E: guido.knegt@dhpub.co.uk 

COMING UP… 

JUNE 2023 – EFTTEX PREVIEW 

Ad Copy: April 21st, 2023 

Mailed: May 11th, 2023 

Special issue: Fishing Technology 

Spotlight: Bait 

Doing Business With: Australia 

& New Zealand 

JULY 2023 – ICAST PREVEW 

Ad Copy: May 19th, 2023 

Mailed: June 7th, 2023 

Special issue: ICAST 

Spotlight: Tackle Storage 

Doing Business With: Florida 

AUGUST 2023 

Ad Copy: June 23rd, 2023 

Mailed: July 12th, 2023 

Special issue: Predator Fishing 

Spotlight: Hooks 

Doing Business With: Hungary 

To submit news or editorial for 

any of these issues, contact: 

To advertise or discuss a marketing campaign in any of these editions, 

contact our business development team: 

EDITOR 

JOHN HUNTER 

T: + 44 (0)7990 542958 

E: john.hunter@dhpub.co.uk 

NORTH AMERICA 

BART MANGANIELLO 

T: +1 914 722 7601 

E: bartalm@optonline.net 

REST of WORLD 

GUIDO KNEGT 

T: +39 347 503 6436 

E: guido.knegt@dhpub.co.uk

WWW.NOMURALURES.COM 

TOURNAMENT IN 4 ROUNDS 

SERIES OF 3 RACES 

A SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL PARTNERS AND PARTICIPANTS. 

FOLLOW US TO FIND OUT ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS!

April 


WAVEARMY / FORUM 

Wave Army News and Updates 

HIGHLIGHTS 

Fitzgerald Fishing Wins Again 

WAVE ARMY Wins Again!! 

Fitzgerald Fishing Angler Kennie Steverson took the win at the opening MLF Toyota Series event on the 

Harris Chain of Lakes. Kennie used his Fitzgerald Fishing rods with Microwave Line Control System to 

catch 20 lbs on the last day to jump to 1st place. This is Steverson’s first win in the MLF Toyota Series 

and adds another win to anglers using the Microwave Line Control System! 

visit Fitzgerald Fishing at 

www.fitzgeraldrods.com 

YakRods Black Line 

Wave Army Product 

The YakRods ‘Black Line’ is an industry 

first with a retention system 

designed for kayak anglers. Built 

with Kayak anglers in mind Yak- 

Rods looked at performance over 

everything and added the Micro- 

Wave Line Control System to add 

to all these rods. “We undertand 

the demands of Kayak anglers and 

wanted to make sure we build 

rods specific for them and thier 

needs.” 

Visit YakRods at 

www.yakrods.com 

The “Wave Army” is comprised of users and enthusiasts of the MicroWave Line Control System, the world’s only award-winning guide system. 

SCAN HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WAVE ARMY AND THE MICROWAVE LINE CONTROL SYSTEM!

ONE-OF-A-KIND, DURABLE REFRACTIVE EYE 

MEZASHI CASTING JIG 

DEFINING 

FISHING GEAR 

SINCE 1877 

The Mustad Mezashi Casting Jig presents an enticing erratic action with irresistible reflective patterns. The 

translucent colored eye refracts light to create an attractive natural shine sure to produce a bite. For an intense 

wobbling action on retreival, this jig has been built with an asymmetrical body. The 45:55 weight distribution 

enhances the fierce action and unmatched presentation. Concept and design by Mustad Japan. Coming soon. 

/MustadFishing 

@mustadfishing 

www.mustad-fishing.com

Tackle Trade World - April 2023

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