ICAST is officially wrapping up today, and amid an avalanche of new urchin-style baits that are currently dominating the bass fishing industry, there is certainly a lot more to get excited about.
If you’re not familiar, ICAST (International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades) is an annual sportfishing convention where pro anglers, fishing brands, buyers, media, and other industry folks get together to rub shoulders about the hot new gear in the fishing world. Tons of brands launch new products at ICAST, although most of them aren’t actually available until the fall… which for me, living in Wisconsin, means that I can’t use them until next spring… right about the time they start teasing next year’s new stuff. Honestly, the release calendar in bass fishing is pretty frustrating to me as a northern angler. But it is what it is…
While I did not attend this year (had some other stuff going on in the country music world) a whole mess of new bass products have either already hit the market or will be hitting the market very soon. I’ve checked out just about every single announcement, video, promo clip and interview from all the brands, and as an admitted gear head, I’m already dying to get my hands on some of these innovative (or not so innovative) new products.
I’ll have a few different blogs out in the next week or so, but today, we’re talking rods… so without further ado, here are the bass rods from ICAST 2026 that I’m most excited about. Note: Most of them won’t be available for purchase immediately and are either waiting for a release date, or available for preorder.
Rods
St. Croix Triumph
As a Wisconsin angler, I’m pretty partial to St. Croix, which for the most part, are made right here in the Cheese state. Whether you’re brand new to fishing or a longtime veteran, and no matter what your budget is, they have something for everybody. And their actions feel pretty consistent no matter which rod line you’re looking at. A 7′ medium heavy fast at 100 bucks feels just like a 7′ medium heavy at their top of the line price point… it’s one of the reasons I really love the brand.
The Triumph, which is their entry level rod at $135, just got a complete overhaul and I have to say, it looks CLEAN. Full cork handles, redesigned graphic on the blank, budget-friendly price… I would love to try out one of these. They also offer some 2 and 3-piece travel models if you’re in that market.
Shop the new Triumph Casting Rod at Tackle Warehouse – $135
Shop the new Triumph Spinning Rods at Tackle Warehouse – $135
13 Fishing Enzo
I admittedly do not have all that much experience with 13 Fishing, although a number of pro anglers use and endorse it. However, this new Enzo line has caught my attention. Designed by MLF Bass Pro Tour angler Dustin Connell, these rods also come in at a pretty budget-friendly price, and are specifically dialed in by DC himself to work for a ton of different techniques. Need a minnow shaking rod? They got one. Need a jig rod? Got one. Need a Chatterbait rod? Got one too… I like when you have options and the Enzo has nearly 20 different models to cover all the bases. They look pretty clean too… and that’s important to me. Look good, feel good, fish good, you know what I mean?
Shop the new Enzo Casting Rod at Tackle Warehouse – $149.99
Shop the new Enzo Spinning Rods at Tackle Warehouse – $149.99
Shop the new Enzo Cranking Rods at Tackle Warehouse – $149.99
G. Loomis IMX Pro
If you know bass fishing, you know G. Loomis is a gold standard. Consistently making some of the most high-quality fishing rods in the world, the new IMX Pro rods look GOOD. I was hoping to get my hands on one of these early, but still waiting… nevertheless, I’m confident it’ll be worth the wait.
G. Loomis also individually labels their rods based on technique so whatever you’re looking to do with it, they make it super easy to find the right rod. And while most rod manufacturers make a rod that is pretty versatile… for example, your Chatterbait rod can probably double as a spinnerbait rod, a lipless rod, maybe certain cranks can even work on there… but not G. Loomis. The IMX PRO has a Chatterbait model, a Spinnerbait model, a lipless model… every single detail is fine tuned for optimum performance. If you want to take it to the next level, look no further.
Shop the new IMX Pro Bladed Jig Casting Rod at Tackle Warehouse – $450
Shop the new IMX Pro Crankbait Casting Rod at Tackle Warehouse – $450
Shop the new IMX Pro Frog Casting Rod at Tackle Warehouse – $470
Shop the new IMX Pro Spinnerbait Casting Rod at Tackle Warehouse – $450
Shop the new IMX Pro Minnow Spinning Rod at Tackle Warehouse – $450
Shop the new IMX Pro Drop Shot Spinning Rod at Tackle Warehouse – $450
Daiwa Tatula 60th Anniversary
I’m a sucker for anything Daiwa Tatula. Anything at all. Their Tatula Elite rods are some of my favorite rods ever, the Tatula SV TW is probably my favorite reel ever, and even the Tatula XT is a fantastic budget-friendly model. So naturally I got pretty excited about this limited edition, 60th Anniversary beauty. It’s only available in a 7’3″ medium heavy fast… arguably my favorite rod setup, which can be used for a number of different applications. They also have 60th Anniversary Tatula reels to match.
Shop the new Tatula 60th Anniversary Casting Rod at Tackle Warehouse – $229.99
Shop the new Tatula 60th Anniversary Spinning Rod at Tackle Warehouse – $229.99
Look at this thing:
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