July 22, 2026
The doors may have closed on ICAST 2026, but the bass fishing industry is showing no signs of slowing down.
New tackle continues to dominate the conversation, two major professional tournament trails are preparing to compete in New York, and some of the best young anglers in the country are heading to Kentucky Lake.
Here is what bass fishing fans need to know today.
ICAST 2026 Products Move Into the Spotlight
The initial rush of ICAST is over, but the real evaluation has begun.
Hundreds of new rods, reels, lures, terminal tackle products, and electronics were introduced in Orlando. Over the next several weeks, anglers will begin separating legitimate fish-catching innovations from products that created attention on the show floor.
Some of the biggest themes coming out of ICAST include continued growth in finesse fishing, more specialized forward-facing sonar presentations, expanded urchin-style soft-plastic systems, and premium spinning equipment designed for lightweight techniques.
Bassmaster’s ICAST staff selections included products such as the new Daiwa Tatula MQ Elite Spinning Reel, the VMC Weedless Minnow Shaker, the Gamakatsu Ball Rig Hook Weedless, and several new swimbaits, vibrating jigs, and finesse plastics.
The message from the show was clear: manufacturers believe precision presentations, adaptable terminal tackle, and highly specialized equipment will remain major parts of competitive bass fishing.
The bigger question is which products will still be receiving attention six months from now.
The NPFL Heads to the St. Lawrence River
The National Professional Fishing League returns to action July 23-25 on the St. Lawrence River out of Massena, New York.
This could be one of the biggest smallmouth events of the entire 2026 tournament season.
When the NPFL visited the St. Lawrence in 2025, the fishery rewrote the League’s record book. The event established new NPFL marks for total tournament weight, average bass weight, and average daily catch. That performance made returning to the river an easy decision for the 2026 season.
The timing should once again create the potential for massive smallmouth limits.
Anglers will be able to target offshore rock, current breaks, shoals, isolated hard spots,s and roaming baitfish. Forward-facing sonar will almost certainly play a major role, but success on the St. Lawrence requires more than simply locating individual fish.
Boat positioning, current direction, bait movement,t and precise casting can determine whether an angler catches an average smallmouth or one of the five-pound-class fish needed to contend.
Drop shots, finesse swimbaits, Ned rigs, hair jigs, and minnow-style presentations should all receive serious playing time. The ability to quickly relocate schools and manage productive areas over three days could be just as important as the bait itself.
Why the NPFL Continues to Matter
The NPFL has steadily created its own identity in professional bass fishing.
Rather than attempting to copy the Bassmaster Elite Series or Major League Fishing, the League has built its product around traditional five-fish limits, multi-day competition, live coverage, and a field filled with established professionals, regional standouts, and anglers working to build national careers.
The NPFL also places value on professionalism and an angler’s commitment to the sport, not only on previous tournament victories. Its selection process considers tournament history, work ethic, professional presentation, and what an angler can contribute to the League.
The 2026 season includes six regular-season tournaments followed by the NPFL Championship. After starting in Florida, the League visited Wright Patman Lake, Lay Lake,e and Logan Martin Lake. Following this week’s St. Lawrence event, the regular season concludes September 17-19 at Lake George in New York.
That schedule forces competitors to prove themselves in Florida grass, Texas cover, Alabama river systems, and Northern smallmouth water.
There is nowhere to hide.
An angler hoping to win the NPFL Angler of the Year title must be capable of catching bass shallow, deep, offshore,e and around cover while adjusting to dramatically different fisheries.
MLF Pro Circuit Prepares for Lake Champlain
The St. Lawrence River will not be the only Northern smallmouth fishery receiving attention this week.
Major League Fishing’s Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit is preparing for its regular-season finale at Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, New York, July 24-26.
The event carries major championship and Angler of the Year implications. Anglers around the qualification cut will be fishing for more than a tournament paycheck, while the points leaders must balance the desire to win against the need to avoid a costly finish.
Lake Champlain gives competitors several choices. They can pursue smallmouth on offshore rock and baitfish, target largemouth in grass and backwater,s or attempt to combine both species over the course of the tournament.
MLF’s current coverage has focused heavily on the championship bubble, the Lake Champlain preview,w and the remaining points races.
With the NPFL on the St. Lawrence and the Pro Circuit on Champlain, Northern smallmouth fishing will control the professional tournament conversation this weekend.
Banks Shaw Remains One of the Hottest Anglers in Fishing
Banks Shaw continues to be one of the biggest stories in professional bass fishing.
Shaw has already put together a remarkable run during the 2026 season, including his first Bass Pro Tour victory at Grand Lake and multiple victories on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit.
His Grand Lake win came after a dramatic final-period comeback and immediately pushed his name into the conversation surrounding the fastest-rising anglers in the sport.
Now Shaw enters the Lake Champlain event with another opportunity to add to a season that has already established him as one of the most dangerous competitors on tour.
Bassmaster Junior Championship Begins Friday
The next generation of tournament anglers will also take center stage this week.
The Bassmaster Junior Championship begins Friday, July 24, on Kentucky Lake. The event allows young anglers to compete on a national platform while representing their schools, clubs, and families.
Kentucky Lake can demand a wide range of skills. Competitors may encounter offshore structure, shallow cover, current-related fish,h and bass using schools of baitfish.
For many participants, this tournament represents more than another weekend on the water. It is an opportunity to gain national exposure, compete against other talented young anglers, and take another step toward a future in professional fishing.
Youth and high school fishing are increasingly important pathways into the sport. Many of today’s young competitors already understand electronics, mapping, sponsorship responsibilities, and media production at a level that previous generations did not encounter until much later in their careers.
The Urchin Craze Is Not Slowing Down
The urchin-style soft-plastic trend remains one of the biggest bait stories in bass fishing.
Once viewed as a niche Japanese presentation, these unusual soft plastics have become a legitimate part of tournament fishing. Their subtle movement and compact profile can be especially effective on pressured bass, suspended fish,h and bass being targeted with forward-facing sonar.
ICAST 2026 brought even more attention to the category through new hooks, weights, rigging systems,s and soft-plastic variations.
The market is no longer focused on one bait. It is quickly becoming an entire lure category.
Anglers are experimenting with weedless and weighted hooks, drop-shot and free rigs, and customized versions made from existing soft plastics. Manufacturers are responding by developing accessories that allow anglers to adjust fall rate, hook position, and overall presentation.
The original craze may have started with one unusual-looking bait, but the industry now appears committed to developing the concept much further.
Technology Continues to Change Tournament Coverage
Major League Fishing recently announced that Starlink will become its primary connectivity solution for more than 150 live events.
The move is designed to improve live broadcasts, SCORETRACKER updates,s and real-time data transmission from fisheries where traditional cellular service is unreliable.
That may not sound as exciting as a new lure or a giant tournament limit, but dependable connectivity has become a major part of professional fishing.
Fans now expect live video, immediate scoring, on-the-water updates,s and social-media content throughout an event. Better connectivity could allow tournament organizations to provide more consistent coverage from remote lakes, rivers, and reservoirs.
It is another example of how professional bass fishing continues to evolve both on the water and behind the scenes.
What Bass Fishing Fans Should Watch
The biggest immediate storyline is the battle for Northern smallmouth.
The NPFL field begins competition on Thursday on the St. Lawrence River. One day later, the MLF Pro Circuit starts its regular-season finale on Lake Champlain.
Both fisheries can produce enormous smallmouth, but they present different challenges. The St. Lawrence is heavily influenced by current, expansive structure, and roaming fish. Champlain gives anglers the added decision of whether to commit to smallmouth, target largemouth, or attempt to build a mixed bag.
At the same time, new ICAST products will continue reaching consumers, the urchin category will continue growing, and some of the best young anglers in America will begin competing at Kentucky Lake.
ICAST may be over, but the summer bass fishing season is entering one of its busiest stretches.
