ICAST 2009: Commentary and Wrap Up

In the days following ICAST 2009 I’ve come to the realization that my passion for bass fishing mainly lies in the quest for serenity from the minutiae of everyday life. However, much like the modern angler who craves information, I too am subject to spend too much time online searching for information on the latest and greatest products.  I’m not a photographer and by no means a full time professional media entity.  Nonetheless, it’s always fun to gather new information and share it with others. Being a non fishing industry related professional by trade I couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed by all of the exchange of money and information that occurs over the course of three days. It truly is amazing.

Perhaps what I found most amazing are those who continuously display passion for their product.  As an individual, I have the utmost respect for those who take their passion for fishing to the show floor and share it with others.  That passion is infectious and goes a long way in this angler’s book.  Yet, in spite of being at the greatest tackle “show” of the year, I was again surprised to find that there are some companies out that that lack the adequate representation to portray passion for their own product.  I found it quite dissapointing to see that too many companies employ individuals who lack basic product knowledge, history, and enthusiasm to “sell” their own product.  I seriously questioned why many even bothered being on the show floor.  Regardless, there certainly was a lot out there to be shared and I certainly enjoyed drooling over all the latest and greatest gear.

Thanks to all of you who shared your passion for fishing and your product with me and all others who were interested. I wish you the best of luck and look forward to hearing what’s in store for 2010.

G.C.