ICAST 2022 kicked off this morning with the 8th annual ICAST CUP out of Big Toho Marina in Kissimmee Florida. This year I was fortunate to be paired with Eric Conant and Michael Kirkland of Skinny Water Marine Lithium Battery Company. Due to the Summer Heat, it was decided by MLF officials to change up the format this year to a three fish Limit versus the usual five.
After morning formalities, we all hit the water. Action was fairly sporadic as Eric progressed through a milk run of various waypoints in his Phoenix 920 Pro Xp.
Eric and Michael both spend their days working hard with their respective privately owned businesses to put food on the table for their families. However, I could tell their combined passion for fishing was immense. Chatting with them regarding Skinny Water Lithium Battery Company. I had just one simple question. “Of the multitude of players currently in the Lithium battery game, why should someone in the market buy batteries from you?”
Their answer was simply “Their goal is to provide exceptional customer service, in line with what you’d expect from an industry leader such as PowerPole.” “Customer service is important, and we value angler’s that invest in our product”
Certainly, a high goal post and a worthy standard to set themselves to.
As far as the Cup was concerned, we had three fish in the well for around 6-7 pounds or so when Eric “Big Fish” Conant was able to hook into an 8lb 2oz post spawn Toho giant on a mid-lake shell bed mixed with offshore grass. We spent the next hour culling up to exactly 15lbs for a respectable 3 fish limit and a second-place finish.
Congrats to Jenko Fishing for capturing the cup this year with a solid 21lb 11 oz limit of 3 bass.
Big Thanks to Eric and Michael for all the fun and laughs. Thanks for having me aboard!
Here’s a few shots from this morning.
G.C.