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Maritimo 2023 S-Series LEADERBOARD

PENN puts a fishing reel back on top at ICAST 2024

by American Sportfishing Association 26 Jul 2024 12:46 PDT
 

PENN Puts a Fishing Reel Back on Top at ICAST 2024

Most prestigious award in the sportfishing industry goes to a legendary brand

One of sportfishings most storied brands added an emphatic bookmark to its historic books on Thursday, as PENN claimed the Overall Best of Show award at ICAST 2024 with the PENN Fathom Electric. What PENN says is the worlds first and only reel with an integrated battery took home Best Saltwater Reel at Wednesdays Best of Category awards and carried the momentum over on Thursday to topple 40 other category winners for Overall Best of Show.

The Fathom Electric became the first fishing reel to win Overall Best of Show at ICAST since the Shimano Curado E in 2008when Katy Perrys I Kissed a Girl was topping the Billboard Hot 100, the original iPhone was still on sale and George W. Bush was finishing his second term in the White House. 

There have been a lot of innovations in other categories in the past few years, said Penn Brand Manager Ben Joyce. For the winner to actually be a reel means a lot to us.

Joyce said the Fathom Electric was under development for four years before finally making its public debut at ICAST 2024. We started from the ground up, he added. Battery technology finally improved to the point where we could put something portable on the market, but PENN didnt really have a history with battery stuff. We had to learn about how much power we could put through it, how much torque it could take. 


Click the button below to read the full list of this year's Best of Category winners. 
 
2024 ICAST Best In Category Winners
PENN is no stranger to ICAST. The Pure Fishing-owned brand traces its lineage back to the early 1930s, when reel machinist Otto Hence immigrated to America from Germany and started the company in Philadelphia. And the Fathom Electric traces its roots to the same city that birthed the company. According to Joyce, Philadelphia native and PENN engineer Rolly Disante was the driving force behind its creation. 

This year, 983 products competed for the award won by PENN. The New Product Showcase sponsored by Fishing Tackle Retailer is a signature highlight of our show, said Blake Swango, ASA Vice President for Trade Show and Membership. In recent years, weve seen everyone from startup companies to legacy brands take home the title of Best of Category winner. Its truly a competitive playing field for every participant, and its one that makes history each year. 

ICAST is where the entire sportfishing industry reunites, added ASA President, Glenn Hughes. New products debut here and new connections are also made. Often, those connections result in new business opportunities and strengthened relationships that help us continue to grow our industry and the entire recreational fishing community. 

ICAST 2024 came to a close at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, but not before 300 local youth anglers got to walk the floor and meet their favorite companies. High school fishing clubs connected to both Major League Fishing and B.A.S.S. joined us for the Youth Angler Development Day. Its a chance for the next generation of anglers to get to know the industry beyond the water, said Swango. There are hundreds of jobs in our industry that go beyond becoming a professional angler, and ICAST is full of fantastic manufacturers willing to share some of their knowledge with them.

Booth Applications Live for ICAST 2025


Exhibitors are encouraged to apply for booths at ICAST 2025, when the worlds largest sportfishing trade show returns to Orlando and the Orange County Convention Center. 

In order to exhibit at ICAST, you must be a member of the American Sportfishing Association (ASA). To apply to become a member, please submit a membership application. Once you have been accepted and paid for your ASA membership then you can submit your booth space application for the show.

Booth Space Pricing
Booth space is priced at $16.00 per square foot and start at a 10x10 size. An additional $200 fee applies to each booth corner on two aisles. After February 1, booth space increase to $18 a square foot plus the corner fee.

In your booth application, please include your booth size and up to 6 spaces that you are interested in.  Here is the current floor plan.

Booth Assignments
Please note that all booth space on the floor plan will be highlighted in blue and show available until booth assignments start on October 1. Space will be assigned first to ICAST 2024 renewing exhibitors who have submitted an application and a 50% deposit by October 1 in priority point order. All other exhibitors will be assigned in order of booth application and ASA membership.

Show Sponsorships
Become an official sponsor of ICAST 2025 by visiting our sponsorship website here or by contacting Caley Smith at csmith@asafishing.org.
 
Keeping Up with ICAST 
ICAST can be found on social media at: Facebook - @icastfishing - Instagram - @icastshow and Twitter - @ICASTshow. When posting, use hashtags: #ICAST2024 #ICASTshow #ICAST.

Thank You ICAST 2024 Sponsors! 
ASA extends our sincere thanks and appreciation to our members for their generous support of ICAST 2024:

Platinum: Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, Wired2Fish, Quantum, LiTime, Shimano

Gold: Coastal Conservation Association, Crocodile Bay Sport Fishing & Expeditions, East Cape, Engel, Firecrown, Fishing Tackle Retailer, Garmin, Major League Fishing, Pure Fishing, Under Armour, Visit Orlando. 

Silver: AFTCO, ANYTHINGpossible Brands, KastKing, Flex Fit, Marsh Wear, Realtree Fish, Waypoint TV. 

Bronze: Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, Dude Wipes, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gotcha Covered, f3t, Hobie, Inspire Sportfishing, Smiths, Hook & Tackle, Johnny Jigs, Realtree. 
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Copyright © 2024 American Sportfishing Association, All rights reserved.

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