ICAST 2014 Best of Show Recap

There is no denying it; big bass eat big baits. Some of the biggest bass gorge themselves on unsuspecting terrestrial animals that fall into the water including birds, mice and rats. Swim bait legend Bill Siemantel and the rest of the design team at SPRO applied this concept and created the incredible BBZ-1 Rat. Smaller companies have been producing rat imitations for years, but SPRO is the first brand to bring this style and quality of bait to a national market. Plus, there are a few things about the SPRO BBZ-1 Rat that make it unique. Bill Siemantel explains more about the BBZ-1 Rat to the Mystery Tackle Box team at ICAST 2014 in this video here:

One thing that stood out to us on the Mystery Tackle Box team was its versatility. This is a hybrid topwater bait, so you can use it in multiple ways including waking it and walking the dog with it. It is most effective near docks, rip-rap, standing and fallen timber, and weed lines. The BBZ-1 Rat measures in at 10 inches total length, with a 5¼ inch body and a 4 ¾ inch lifelike rubber tail. This tail can be easily swapped out for a different color or replaced if it is damaged and it features high-quality, sticky-sharp Gamakatsu treble hooks. Weighing in at a whopping 2.5 ounces, this bait can be flung a mile with the proper heavy action rod. SPRO offers the BBZ-1 Rat in five different colors ranging from the natural brown to the more head-turning morning dawn. Check out this awesome video from SPRO to see the BBZ-1 Rat in action!

Also taking top prize at ICAST 2014 was the Savage Gear 3D PVC Crab from Okuma Fishing Tackle Corporation in the soft lure category. The Mystery Tackle Box team had to look twice at Savage Gear’s 3D PVC Crab to make sure it wasn’t the real thing! The designers at Savage Gear employed 3D scanning technology to produce the most lifelike, realistic soft plastic imitation that anyone had seen.The 3D Crab features air pockets in each claw, which causes them to undulate even when the rest of the bait is sitting still. Savage Gear also specially-produced a stand-up jig head specifically for this bait. Available in both 4 inch and 2 inch models and in 5 different colors, it is easy to “match the hatch” wherever you are. This will be absolutely deadly for inshore saltwater anglers who target snook, redfish, tarpon, and other gamefish that eat crabs. Check out the incredible Savage Gear 3D PVC Crab in action in this video below:

To see the rest of the Best of Show winners from ICAST 2014, click here to see the entire gallery at Fishing Tackle Retailer!