Every July, the fishing industry turns its attention to ICAST, where manufacturers unveil the products that will shape tackle boxes for the next season. While plenty of companies arrive with new colors and minor updates, GSM Outdoors is preparing to showcase an extensive lineup of genuinely new products built around innovation, proven concepts, and feedback from some of the best anglers in the sport.
During a recent discussion ahead of ICAST, GSM Outdoors Product Development Manager Jack Dice offered a behind-the-scenes look at the philosophy driving this year's launches. Rather than chasing every passing trend, the team has focused on identifying overlooked concepts, refining them with modern materials and engineering, and putting them through extensive on-the-water testing.
Fishermen Building Products for Fishermen
According to Dice, one of GSM's biggest strengths is having experienced anglers directly involved in product development.
Instead of relying solely on marketing trends, the company's fishing brands—including Yamamoto, Bill Lewis, Big Bite Baits, Buckeye Lures and others—lean heavily on tournament anglers and experienced fishermen to determine which ideas deserve a second look and which new concepts have staying power.
Many of this year's products trace their roots back to older lure concepts that never reached their full potential. By combining those ideas with modern materials and manufacturing techniques, GSM believes they can bring forgotten designs back to life.
The Uni Continues to Evolve
One of the hottest lure categories over the past year has been the "urchin-style" soft bait, and GSM believes that trend is only getting started.
The Yamamoto Uni helped position the company ahead of the surge in popularity, and the lineup is expanding once again with the introduction of the new Uni Moss.
The bait features a compact 20mm center body paired with the company's HD Formula plastic, a higher-density material designed to help the bait sink naturally while allowing the numerous appendages to maintain their shape during the fall. Rather than collapsing against the body, the tentacles stay extended, creating a more lifelike profile that appeals to suspended and forward-facing sonar fish.
Bill Lewis Introduces the Brush Crank
Another product generating significant buzz is the new Brush Crank from Bill Lewis.
Designed specifically to navigate heavy cover, the lure has already been extensively tested using forward-facing sonar, allowing the development team to watch exactly how it behaves around brush and submerged cover.
According to the team, anglers will be able to see underwater footage released through Bill Lewis social channels demonstrating how the bait deflects through cover while maintaining its action.
With anglers constantly searching for crankbaits capable of reaching fish buried in wood without constant hang-ups, the Brush Crank could become one of the more talked-about hard baits introduced at this year's show.
Big Bite's Flat Tube Offers a Different Look
Big Bite Baits is also expanding its finesse lineup with the Flat Tube.
Unlike traditional tubes, the flattened body creates a unique gliding action during the initial fall—an action that developers say triggered the overwhelming majority of bites during testing.
As forward-facing sonar continues influencing lure design, subtle changes in profile and fall rate have become increasingly important, and the Flat Tube appears designed specifically to capitalize on those details.
Celebrating 30 Years of the Senko
This year also marks the 30th anniversary of one of bass fishing's most iconic soft plastics—the Yamamoto Senko.
Few baits have had a greater impact on modern bass fishing, and its milestone serves as a reminder that truly revolutionary lure designs continue producing fish decades after their introduction.
Buckeye Keeps One Surprise Under Wraps
Not every announcement was revealed ahead of ICAST.
One of Buckeye Lures' upcoming introductions remains under embargo, but developers hinted that the bait produces a sound unlike anything currently available.
For now, anglers will have to wait until the official ICAST unveiling to learn exactly what Buckeye has been working on.
Innovation Still Drives ICAST
While some years are remembered for cosmetic changes and expanded color selections, GSM Outdoors appears focused on bringing legitimate innovation to multiple categories.
From high-density finesse plastics and cover-specific crankbaits to reimagined classic concepts and entirely new designs, the company looks poised to have one of the busiest booths at ICAST 2026.
If these early previews are any indication, anglers can expect several products that won't simply follow trends—they may help create the next ones.
