Legendary bass professional Shaw Grigsby jokes with an attendee Wednesday at ICAST 2021. Famous anglers have been seen all over the show floor this week. (Photo by Scott Bernarde)
July 21, 2021
By Scott Bernarde
American Sportfishing Association President Glenn Hughes gave a shout-out at Wednesday night’s Chairman's Industry Awards Reception at ICAST 2021.
Before handing out 30 trophies to the Best-of-Category award winners, Hughes took a moment to thank in advance the manufacturers for supporting the ASA’s Keep America Fishing advocacy campaign.
"We have asked all the folks who brought new products to the show — which was more than 650, by the way — to donate their products to Keep America Fishing" Hughes told the crowd, "so we can create an online auction with these products to raise money for Keep America Fishing and make sure we can continue to do what we do to advocate for fishing and the right to fish."
Click here to learn more about Keep America Fishing
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Voters at the ICAST 2021 New Products Showcase will be back again Thursday to determine which gear item will be Best of Show. (Photo by Scott Bernarde) Recruiting Comes to Bass Fishing Flyers seen around some common areas at ICAST 2021 referenced a new effort to help high-school bass anglers find their way to college bass-fishing teams.
The National Scouting Report, which has helped athletes move on to college in more traditional sports for more than 40 years, announced that it will be moving into the world of bass fishing.
"The timing is finally right. We have a strong passion for tournament fishing and have been patiently waiting for the last few years. With the explosion of high school and collegiate fishing, now is the time for NSR to help these fishing recruits," the company said in a news release.
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Since 1980, NSR has successfully worked with athletes in sports like baseball, football, volleyball, and softball. Now, the same technology and experience will be put to use for high-school anglers.
"This is a full marketing plan for the high-school fisherman," said Larry Perrin, former professional fisherman and current scout for NSR. "It’s not just marketing their abilities, it's about showing coaches you have the grades, character, and versatility to be a good teammate at the college level."
NSRfishing.com is live now and will allow anglers and their parents an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the company and the upcoming launch of the program. The program officially kicks off on Sept. 21.
Hobie’s A.J. McWhorter applies the 'Ike' shark graphics on the display model of the Hobie Mirage Pro Angler 14 360 Mike Iaconelli Edition fishing kayak, which was unveiled Wednesday at ICAST 2021 in Orlando. (Photo by Scott Bernarde) Coming Up at ICAST 2021 Day 2 of ICAST 2021 in Orlando will feature the show’s top prize — Best of Show — which will be awarded in the afternoon after voters choose from the 30 gear items that won Wednesday's Best of Category awards.
Also, Thursday is the last full day for the show (show runs 9 a.m.-6 p.m.). Friday's show hours are 9 a.m.-3 p.m.)
Check back with Game & Fish for additional coverage of ICAST 2021.
