If you’ve been living under a rock for the last few years and just surfaced, ICast is a mammoth annual Fishing Trade Show that originally was for wholesale buyers to purchase from fishing manufacturers in bulk for the upcoming fishing season. The show has become one of the most popular events for the fishing & boating industry where everything from apparel to boats are unveiled to not only professional buyers but also the general public. The industry also features numerous celebrities from the fishing & boating world like the Legendary Fly Fisherman Flip Pallot to Godwin of Duck Dynasty fame. The show currently features 580 exhibitors filling 1,980 booths with some of the most innovative inventions and product improvements you’ll find all year.
You must attend this event and enjoy it at least once in your career or just to have fun.
Most of the coverage by industry magazines is very one-sided and tends to focus solely on their advertisers (shocker). As such, a good segment of the really innovative new products do not receive the coverage they deserve. In keeping with Skiff Life‘s tradition of focusing on new products based on pure merit and innovation our top pick goes to Power Pole’s new VISION and CHARGE product offerings.
Power Pole’s VISION has revolutionized the fishing industry with an Android based marine quality tablet device that allows boat accessories to be connected and controlled by a single smart device. Using the powerful C-Monster wireless protocol to communicate, this tablet opens up marine devices to full web access while being NMEA capable. This allows you the ability to control all your connected accessories like lights, bilge, trim tabs, jack plate, radio, stereo etc. The tablet element allows you to also add in your favorite fishing, boating, navigation, weather and tide apps.
The marine tough quality screen solves a CRITICAL problem we’ve found when using smart devices and phones on the water…screen visibility in full sun AND when using polarized sunglasses. If you’ve ever tried to use these devices with the sun beating down it’s next to impossible. The VISION achieves high visibility from any angle with daylight and nighttime settings. The VISION features a Water Shade that locks the screen from water spray and errant activation or accidental setting changes since the screen is a touch screen. The tablet also features a built-in camera with an option for hands-free photos of you slaying that next monster fish. The web connect allows immediate posts to Facebook and Instagram and the 7″ screen rivals the most sophisticated of marine devices.
One of the coolest features is the Power-Pole CHARGE which manages all your boat power. This one simple device manages everything from cranking to auxiliary battery power found on your skiff. The VISION connection to the CHARGE allows actual battery level and power distribution visualation in real time.
Gone are the days of guesswork with power utilization on your boat as the CHARGE allows you to control these critical elements before a problem arises.
Stay tuned for more product reviews and choices based on innovation and originality at ICAST. If you have any suggestions or see anything we might have missed you feel free to drop Tony a line at [email protected] so we can take a closer look at what you find important in today’s fishing & boating world.
Here is Redfish Mafia‘s Capt. Jaime Hough with an interview at ICAST.
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