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ICAST 2026: What Every Bass Angler Needs to Know About the New Products

ICAST 2026 wrapped last week in Orlando, and the 164-product new product showcase revealed something no bass angler who reads the fishing press should miss.

The urchin bait category did not just get validated at ICAST 2026. It took over the show floor.

At least fifteen new urchin-related products launched at ICAST, from brand-new bait shapes to purpose-built storage boxes to dedicated terminal tackle systems. G-Ratt Baits won Best Terminal Tackle for their Urchin Rig. Four separate manufacturers launched dedicated urchin bait storage products. Rapala's Best in Category-winning CrushCity CEO is itself a Coike-style urchin bait. Multiple new terminal hooks are engineered specifically for urchin bait rigging. This is the single biggest category expansion in bass fishing at any ICAST in recent memory.

Beyond the urchin wave, ICAST 2026 delivered meaningful new baits, jigs, topwaters, and terminal tackle worth adding to your radar. Bassmaster and Wired2Fish will publish comprehensive product coverage that includes crappie jigs, saltwater lures, apparel, and every category on the show floor. This article is the bass-only filter. Here is what actually matters for anglers who target largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass.

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The Urchin Bait Explosion: A Category-Defining Show

Last week's Bass Forecast article on urchin baits covered the tournament breakthrough that put the category on every serious angler's radar. Chris Johnston at Santee Cooper. Alex Davis at Lay Lake. Jason Christie at Pasquotank. Six Championship Sunday anglers with urchin baits on their front decks.

ICAST 2026 was the industry's response.

G-Ratt Baits Urchin Rig — Best Terminal Tackle Winner

The most tactically important award of ICAST 2026 for anglers who added urchin baits to their tackle in June. G-Ratt Baits won Best Terminal Tackle for the Urchin Rig, a purpose-built rigging system for the urchin bait category. It solves the exact problems Christie was improvising around when he built his Pasquotank-winning frog-hook and drop-shot-weight rig by hand. G-Ratt's Urchin Rig is now what serious anglers reach for instead of building it themselves.

Terminal tackle winning at ICAST signals category maturity. When rigs, weights, and hook systems exist as their own product tier, the category has moved from experimental to structural.

New Urchin Baits Worth Knowing

The urchin bait category expanded dramatically at ICAST 2026 with multiple new offerings across price tiers and design philosophies.

Rapala CrushCity "The CEO" won Best Freshwater Soft Lure and is itself a Coike-style urchin bait with multiple tapered legs, Super TPE material, and a weighted glass powder core. Built by the CrushCity R&D team with the Rapala Pro Staff. The category-winning bait of ICAST 2026 is an urchin bait. Full stop.

Skinny Bear Bass Jigs Urchin Bait uses a patent pending "skinny hole" TPE plastic laminate 2-color construction. Notable because it comes from a jig-focused brand entering the soft plastic urchin space.

G-Ratt Baits Pop-A-Web is described as "the father of the standard Webber," a larger version featuring a forked tentacle that imitates a fry ball. Made from TPE, riggable on G-Ratt's Dice Rig or any other method.

Yamamoto Uni Mas expands the original Uni with a larger 20mm body. Each bulbed appendage catches water and shimmies with the slightest movement. Made from durable TPE.

Bait Cave Customs Zora is US-made with a 1-inch body and 4.5-inch overall length, available in six colors. Built with Bait Cave's proprietary plastisol blend for scent and quality.

NetBait HexTek Virus takes a different approach with a compact 2.25-inch oval body surrounded by 31 finely tuned legs. Heavy salt content for weightless applications. This is the "smaller and finer" end of the urchin category.

Fish or Die Bait Company The Anomaly builds around a 13mm core with eight baitfish-style appendages and ultra-buoyant silicone strands extending the profile. Described as neither a single baitfish nor a specific creature, but a hybrid presentation.

Strike King Chuker offers 18mm and 24mm sizes with TPE construction, an offset rigging hole, and a slider insert for tackle storage. Twelve colors including high-visibility hot tip options.

That is eight new urchin bait products from ICAST 2026 alone. Add these to the products already in market from Hideup, Berkley, Hag's Prickly Pear, 6th Sense, and others, and the category now has more depth than most established bait categories had after five years of development.

Urchin Storage: A Category-Specific Solution Emerges

Four major manufacturers launched purpose-built urchin bait storage at ICAST 2026. When manufacturers build product-category-specific storage, the category is here for years, not months.

BUZBE Urchin Bait Box features custom wire-post organizers, lock-in dividers, and BUZBE's rugged waterproof construction.

SPRO Coike Keeper is a custom foam insert designed to fit standard 3700D tackle boxes and hold Coike baits in shape during storage.

DTF Lurchin' Urchin Vault uses custom-length stainless pins to force urchins to stay in assigned seats. Integrated with a Plano 3700 Deep Stowaway.

Evolution Fishing Creature Keeper Case uses divider panels with integrated MOLLE loops locking custom metal bait bars in place. Baits thread onto the bars through pre-made holes.

If you have already bought urchin baits, one of these storage solutions is probably worth adding to your tackle box in the next thirty days. Loose urchin baits do not survive well in standard tackle organization.

Terminal Tackle Built for Urchin Rigging

Beyond G-Ratt's Best Terminal Tackle-winning Urchin Rig, multiple manufacturers introduced hooks and weights specifically designed for urchin bait applications.

Gamakatsu Ball Rig Hook is purpose-built for urchin-style baits with a wide gap design, Tournament Grade Wire, and Nano Alpha coating. The innovative Weight Clip system lets you adjust weight sizes without retying. Available in a Weedless model with a premium titanium weedguard for grass, wood, and heavy cover.

Missile Baits Hangtime Clip Weights are engineered for urchin baits, free rigs, and drop shot applications. Custom wire form clips on any ring and removes for storage or size changes. Chemically dulled grey-black finish for natural appearance.

Owner Jungle Fixer features a mid-shank bait keeper and accessory loop that opens up urchin-specific rigging options. The integrated loop lets anglers attach drop weights or teaser baits directly.

Ike's Dice Jig is a jig-style approach to urchin baits with a 1/0 VMC jig hook, hand-tied rubber skirt from Grenfish Tackle, and a custom wire weight holder for fast weight changes. Perfect for anglers who want the urchin profile with a skirted jig alternative.

MONSTERBASS Mind Sweeper takes it in yet another direction with a spinnerbait pre-rigged with an urchin trailer. Combines two-blade spinnerbait vibration with the urchin profile as a factory rig.

The takeaway. Every terminal tackle brand at ICAST 2026 is engineering products with urchin bait applications in mind. If you fish tournament or pressured water, the urchin category is where the industry is investing.

The Best New Baits Beyond the Urchin Wave

The urchin category dominates the ICAST 2026 story, but several other new baits deserve attention.

Topwater and Frog Innovations

SPRO Prop Frog 65 combines a weedless hollow body frog with dual rotating propellers that create surface commotion, flash, and sound. Rigged on a Gamakatsu Double Frog Hook at 65mm length. Designed for pads, grass, reeds, and shoreline cover. This is the frog innovation of ICAST 2026 for anglers who want more surface commotion than a standard hollow body frog provides.

Scum Frog Click Clack Buzz pairs with the Scum Frog Scum Runner as a weedless buzzbait setup. Belly-weighted screw-lock hook keeps the bait balanced across cover. Blade-striking ball design creates constant clicking sound.

Snag Proof Zoo Wag combines classic topwater walking action with a hollow body weedless frog design. 2.75-inch profile with a clear cup bill that wags at slow speeds. Perfect for anglers who want the walking bait action but in heavier cover than a walking bait can handle.

Heddon Spook Stick downsizes the classic Zara Spook to a 3.5-inch, 1/4-ounce profile. Internal weighting maximizes casting distance. Fast-tapering walking action matches fleeing young-of-year baitfish. Opens the walking bait category to spinning and BFS gear. Legitimately useful for pressured water and clear conditions where standard-size walking baits get refused.

BOOYAH Speedwalker is built for speed. A patent-pending chin blade fires off maximum flash at high retrieve speeds. Available in 3-inch, 4-inch, and 5-inch to match forage. Tournament-ready with super slick treble hooks.

Chatterbait and Skirted Jig Innovations

Z-Man ChatterBait Elite EVO HD won Best Wired and Skirted Lure. This is 40% stronger than the standard Chatterbait Elite with a welded ring line tie, reinforced head-to-blade connection, and a custom 5/0 super heavy-duty nano-coated hook. Built for horsing giants out of grass and boat-flipping kicker fish. Twenty proven colors.

Ike's Micro HD Football Jig from Missile Jigs is a small profile football jig for pressured water and finesse presentations. Sizes from 1/4 to 1/2 ounce on a 2X strong VMC hook. Super full fine-cut skirt with perfect thickness weed guard. Built for when big bass are feeding on small forage.

Buckeye Lures Dumpster Diver Jig is designed by Ken Mah for pulling giants out of the heaviest cover. Extra bulky hand-tied silicone skirt for oversized profile. Double V bait keeper, double fiber weedguard, and recessed line tie for punching through grass and timber.

VMC ACE Jig is a hand-tied skirted jig with a forged high carbon steel hook, needle point, and black nickel finish. Custom silicone blend patterns designed to match the most popular fisheries.

Wake Baits and Glide Baits

American Baitworks Co. Synch Fishing Artisan Wake and Crank 130 won Best Freshwater Hard Lure. Three-piece body design with an added bill for subsurface wake bait performance. BKK treble hooks, heavy-duty swiveling hook hangers, UV glow glass eyes, and soft plastic fins and tails. Handcrafted by artist Andrew Gardner. This is the premium bait release of ICAST 2026.

Rapala PXR STRYDA 180 introduces the first-ever screwdiver system with interchangeable tungsten weights. Segmented body with a segmented soft tail. Removable belly weights allow depth versatility while targeting giant fish. For serious glide bait anglers, this is the most tactically interesting new bait of the show.

Daiwa Mr. Fortune Wake Bait is a Nishine Lure Works collaboration featuring wing-like bill extensions that let it crawl over sticks and rocks while deflecting off cover. Mid-body blade adds flash. Aggressive wobble begins with the slightest retrieve.

Strike King Hustlin' Hog is a 5-inch, 7/8-ounce mini glide bait built with Tater Hog Custom Lures. Delivers a unique swimming action on steady retrieves or quick reel snaps.

Spinnerbaits

Strike King Two-Time Spinnerbait solves the short-strike problem with a free-swinging twin-arm design that collapses on the bite for higher hookup ratios. Long-shank 5/0 hook eliminates trailer hook. Twin arms act as built-in weedguard for grass and cover.

Buckeye Lures Propwash is a topwater spinnerbait with an oversized blade that churns water on every turn. Loud plopping and gurgling surface disturbance. Built to raise fish from depth and trigger reaction strikes.

Chris Johnston Signature Product

Worth flagging on its own because last week's urchin bait article featured Johnston prominently for his Santee Cooper win on a Hideup Coike Fullcast.

Gamakatsu Outsider Treble is designed with two-time Bassmaster AOY Chris Johnston. Features Nano Alpha Technology for 2x better hook penetration and 4x better corrosion resistance. Outward-angled point improves hookup ratios. Large barb enhances holding power.

Johnston's Santee Cooper rig used a No. 1 Gamakatsu treble on his Coike, so this signature product is a direct extension of his tournament-winning setup. If you added Coike baits to your tackle after last week's article, the Outsider Treble is the hook to pair with them.

Rods, Reels, and Line Worth Watching

Best Freshwater Reel: Shimano Curado DC 150

Shimano's Curado has been one of the most trusted names in bass fishing baitcasters for over two decades. The DC 150 adds updated IDC firmware for improved casting control. The Digital Control system monitors speed 1,000 times per second to reduce backlash and boost distance. Four IDC modes match line and conditions. Three gear ratios with Cross Carbon Drag.

For bass anglers who cast frequently in tight quarters, into wind, or skip under docks, the Curado DC 150 is the most talked-about baitcaster of ICAST 2026.

Best Freshwater Rod: St. Croix Triumph Freshwater

Not the highest-end rod at the show, but the best combination of premium rod feel and accessible pricing. St. Croix has built its reputation on rod-building quality, and the Triumph Freshwater brings that reputation down to a price point serious anglers can justify.

Line Innovations

Daiwa J-Braid Grand X8 Ocean Splash won Best Braided Line with updated line construction and improved knot strength. Worth considering for frog fishing, punching, and heavy cover applications.

Seaguar BRWLR High-Performance Monofilament won Best Non-Braided Line. Monofilament has quietly regained ground in bass fishing for topwater applications where stretch and controlled sink outperform fluorocarbon. Worth considering for walking baits, buzzbaits, and hollow body frog applications.

Sunline Kantan Cast Braid X8 is an 8-strand braid designed for high-repetition casting techniques. Delivers fluorocarbon handling with braid strength. Built for pitching, flipping, and frogging.

Storage and Accessories Worth Knowing

Beyond the urchin-specific storage covered above, several other organization products deserve mention.

Rapala Rap-Vault 3700 Hybrid Box organizes terminal and plastics together in a single box. XPLE slotted foam for hooks and jigs, 5 fixed compartments, 10 adjustable pre-cut dividers, watertight O-Ring seal, and Zerust rust prevention.

Rapala High Capacity Line Remover won Best Fishing Accessory. Solves the line management problem for anglers with multiple bass rods. Handles high-volume line replacement in a fraction of the standard time.

BUZBE Lure Sleeves protect lures, keep hooks sharp, and eliminate tangled chaos. Clear, durable sleeves for jigs, cranks, jerkbaits, swimbaits, and topwaters.

BUBBA Pro Series Gen 2 Electric Filet Knife won Best Cutlery. Improved battery life, blade retention, and handling for extended cleaning sessions.

What ICAST 2026 Tells Us About Where Bass Fishing Is Going

Three big signals worth understanding.

The urchin category is a multi-year commitment from the industry. Fifteen-plus new products, four storage systems, multiple new terminal tackle offerings, and a Best in Category winner all in one show. Manufacturers do not invest at this scale in a category expected to fade within twelve months. Anglers who bought their first urchin baits in June are not late. The category will continue expanding through 2027 at minimum.

Refinement is beating reinvention. Most of the ICAST 2026 winners outside the urchin category are refinements of proven products. The Chatterbait Elite EVO HD builds on decades of Chatterbait success. The Curado DC 150 brings existing technology to a more accessible price tier. This is a mature industry with real depth, and anglers should not feel pressure to replace everything in their tackle boxes.

Signature products from tournament winners are becoming the norm. Chris Johnston has the Gamakatsu Outsider Treble. Luke Clausen has the VMC Level Head. Skeet Reese has the KastKing Icon Combo. Austin Felix has his Tin Dream Stroller. Bass Forecast tracks the conditions that win tournaments, and tournament-winning gear increasingly comes with the winner's name attached. That is a signal about how the sport is professionalizing.

Which Products to Actually Buy

Twelve or more new products in one article can feel like a shopping list. Here is the honest breakdown of which ones earn a spot in most bass anglers' tackle right now.

Buy this week if you have already added urchin baits: G-Ratt Baits Urchin Rig for terminal tackle. One of the urchin storage boxes (BUZBE, SPRO, DTF, or Evolution). Gamakatsu Ball Rig Hook and Missile Baits Hangtime Clip Weights for rigging.

Buy this week if you are just entering the urchin category: Rapala CrushCity CEO for the Best in Category-winning bait. NetBait HexTek Virus or Bait Cave Zora as more accessible alternatives to premium imports.

Buy this month if you fish grass or shoreline cover: Z-Man Chatterbait Elite EVO HD.

Buy this month if you fish topwater in cover: SPRO Prop Frog 65 or Snag Proof Zoo Wag.

Buy when you replace your baitcaster next: Shimano Curado DC 150.

Buy if you are throwing big glide baits: Rapala PXR STRYDA 180 with interchangeable weight system.

Buy for finesse and pressured water: Ike's Micro HD Football Jig or Heddon Spook Stick downsized walking bait.

Buy if you have a Chris Johnston Coike setup: Gamakatsu Outsider Treble to pair with your existing rigging.

Consider adding when ready for an upgrade: American Baitworks Artisan Wake and Crank 130 as the premium bait purchase of ICAST 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the biggest story from ICAST 2026 for bass anglers?
The urchin bait category exploded. Fifteen-plus new urchin-related products launched at ICAST 2026 including new baits from Rapala, Yamamoto, Skinny Bear, G-Ratt, Bait Cave, NetBait, Fish or Die, and Strike King. Four dedicated urchin storage systems launched from BUZBE, SPRO, DTF, and Evolution Fishing. Multiple terminal tackle products specifically engineered for urchin bait rigging appeared including the G-Ratt Baits Urchin Rig that won Best Terminal Tackle. This is the biggest category expansion at any recent ICAST.

Is the Rapala CrushCity CEO an urchin bait?
Yes. The CrushCity CEO is described as a Coike-style urchin bait with multiple tapered legs and a weighted glass powder core. It won Best Freshwater Soft Lure at ICAST 2026, meaning the industry's category-defining new soft plastic bait of the year is itself an urchin bait.

Should I buy urchin bait storage?
If you have already added urchin baits to your tackle, yes. The compact profile and radial appendages of urchin baits do not survive well in standard soft plastic organization. Four purpose-built solutions launched at ICAST 2026 from BUZBE, SPRO, DTF, and Evolution Fishing. Any of them would protect the investment you have already made in the bait category.

What is the Chris Johnston Gamakatsu Outsider Treble?
A treble hook designed with two-time Bassmaster AOY Chris Johnston, featuring Nano Alpha Technology for improved hook penetration and corrosion resistance. Johnston fished a No. 1 Gamakatsu treble on his Hideup Coike Fullcast at Santee Cooper in May. The Outsider Treble is the signature evolution of that setup.

What is the best new frog from ICAST 2026?
The SPRO Prop Frog 65 combines a weedless hollow body frog with dual rotating propellers for surface commotion, flash, and sound. Perfect for anglers who want more disturbance than a standard hollow body frog. The Scum Frog Click Clack Buzz and Snag Proof Zoo Wag also expand the topwater cover category in different directions.

What is the most important terminal tackle from ICAST 2026?
The G-Ratt Baits Urchin Rig won Best Terminal Tackle. Beyond that, the Gamakatsu Ball Rig Hook (both standard and Weedless models) is engineered specifically for urchin bait rigging with an innovative Weight Clip system for changing weights without retying. Missile Baits Hangtime Clip Weights offer the same flexibility for weights across urchin, free rig, and drop shot applications.

Which ICAST 2026 products should I buy first?
For most bass anglers, the priority order is: urchin bait storage if you have already bought urchin baits, then the G-Ratt Urchin Rig for terminal tackle, then either the Rapala CrushCity CEO or the Z-Man Chatterbait Elite EVO HD depending on which category you are most likely to fish. Rod and reel upgrades should be driven by specific replacement needs rather than by ICAST award recognition alone.

Use the Bass Forecast App or Web App to catch the biggest bass of your life.

Bass Forecast tracks the conditions that determine which new bait or presentation is worth trying on any given day. Barometric trends, water temperature, and solunar timing tell you whether tomorrow morning is a Chatterbait day, a topwater day, or a slow finesse day before you spend money on new tackle you may not need this trip.

Download Bass Forecast or use the Web App to plan smarter trips with the tackle you already own.