The ICAST new product showcase is always full of exciting salt and freshwater lures. All of the new baits are broken down into four subgroups: freshwater hard lures, freshwater soft lures, saltwater hard lures, and saltwater soft lures. This year, there was a wide range of bait styles, designs, and applications across the four categories, and we rounded up our favorites below.
Now, we didn’t just cover every bait in the showroom. We were methodical about our selections, looking for lures that showcased innovation, uniqueness, and the potential to crush fish. That criteria led to some good debates about what lures will work best in what situations. And after a week of thinking about it, we landed on these 10 baits to look for this coming year.
New Freshwater Baits
Strike King Final Copy Swimbait
Strike King has finally joined the harnessed swimbait category of the bass fishing world with the release of their Final Copy soft plastic. The new bait will be available in the standard 6-inch version, and unlike most other harnessed swimbaits, there will also be a smaller, 4.75-inch version. The shorter length adds versatility to this lure and should expand its ability to mimic different kinds of baitfish. Each swimbait can be had for $6.99—an excellent value for a lure that is supposed to run true, even when reeled at high speeds. —Shaye Baker
Z-Man Shadtron Swimbait
I'm a sucker for soft plastic swimbaits, and the new Shadtron from Z-Man is going to net a lot of bass. Now, I know this is marketed as a freshwater lure and designed for freshwater bass, but I am confident it will work extremely well for saltwater stripers. It features a big paddle tail, comes in two sizes (4.5 inches and 6 inches), and two models that feature different sink rates. On the freshwater side of things, I have no doubt that this will draw strikes from giant bucketmouths. —Ryan Chelius
Missile Baits Micro D Bomb
The Missile Baits D Bomb and Baby D Bombs are beloved by bass anglers worldwide. Now, a new little nugget with this same profile has arrived on the scene in the form of the Micro D Bomb. At just 2.3 inches, this Micro D Bomb is the perfect bait for Ned rigging, but it can also be used as a finesse jig trailer or on a light Texas rig, finesse Tokyo rig, or dropshot. It is a must-have soft plastic going into the fall. —SB
Evergreen Combat Rat
Who doesn't love a new topwater rat lure? The Evergreen Combat Rat will be the next great, affordable option for anglers wanting to test the waters of big bait fishing. The body of this wakebait comes in just under 6 inches, while the entirety of it (tail included) measures 10.75 inches. With two massive trebles hanging beneath it, the Combat Rat is set up well to rock and wobble over cover and draw explosive strikes from giant bass. —SB
Heddon Spit N Image
Heddon paired the classic Spit N Image shad profile with the spinning tail of a more modern topwater. The company added a small hole in the tail of this bait to create a different sound and add a bubble trail behind the bait. Though, the taller profile is what really makes the difference between this bait and other, more cylindrical-bodied lures. —SB
Z-Man Tungsten Chatterbait
The name of this lure gives away its secret—a tungsten head. This makes all the difference because tungsten is denser than lead, which means that a tungsten head of the same weight can fall faster than a lead head due to less resistance. Even better, the noise created by the blade hammering against the tungsten head will offer a new sound signature previously unavailable to chatterbait anglers. But all you really need to know is that the Z-Man line of already effective chatterbaits just got even better. An individual tungsten chatterbait can be purchased for $16. —SB
Strike King Hard Liner
Years ago, Strike King offered a flat-sided balsa crankbait with a microchip bill that was a dynamite fish catcher. The bait had a small but dedicated following until it suddenly disappeared from the shelves one day. Now, the company has introduced a very similar bait in the Hard Liner. They brought back the microchip bill and the profile of this niche bait they had before, but made it a production bait instead of a handmade balsa one. This 5- to 7-foot diver will catch fish in the fall through the winter, so start stocking up now.
New Saltwater Baits
Okuma BBZ Hard Mullet Swimbait
You're looking at my favorite lure from ICAST 2024. This thing will be a redfish, snook, and tarpon killer. I suspect the segmented body gives it terrific action underwater, and the hard body materials make it more durable than mullet-like soft plastics. It is a do-it-all inshore saltwater lure, and it earned my vote for the winner of Best Saltwater Baits. —RC
Shimano Ocea Bomb Dip Popper
I've never fished for topwater tuna before, but I can only imagine it is a chaotic adrenaline rush. This new topwater from Shimano is built to do just that—get aggressive tuna to strike on the surface. It has a huge concave nose that produces big splashes and the bait also creates a long bubble trail so fish can easily locate it. The Ocea popper should work just as well on big striped bass and other aggressive inshore game species. —RC
Dark Matter Feeder Minnow
Recently, I've gotten into chasing redfish and snook on topwater. It's the best way to catch inshore species and my new obsession has led me down a road of finding cool topwater baits. Enter the Feeder Minnow. This hardbait should move similarly to a spook and produce an excellent action. It has a through-wire construction for increased durability, and it comes ready with two single BKK inline hooks that will do much less harm to fish. As a catch and release angler, this topwater bait is right up my alley.
