Similar to years past, glide baits were once again a trend at this year's ICAST show. There are several big bait options for the freshwater crowd, including a three-in-one mega glide bait from SPRO as well as a more affordable option from Strike King. There was also a good mix of hardbaits, soft plastics, topwater lures, and finesse-style baits. The saltwater side of things also saw the introduction of a few realistic soft-plastic shrimp and some topwater poppers. Here are our top picks for the new baits showcased at ICAST 2025.
New Freshwater Lures
SPRO K-Rig
There is no bait bigger than the new SPRO KGB K-Rig with its three conjoined full-size glide baits. Made to imitate a small school of giant baitfish, this thing is huge. Each of the three baits is jointed, and the middle bait features one treble hook, while the bottom bait has two trebles. It looks great in the water and has an incomparable imitation of giant baitfish that I haven't seen before. Just be careful when fishing with this bait, as a new one will cost you $129. —Shaye Baker
Rapala Clap Tail
The Rapala Clap Tail 110 puts a new spin on an old favorite. The River2Sea Whopper Plopper and other baits like it have been super effective over the last decade, but are all virtually the same. Not the Clap Tail. Rapala incorporated a metal tail and a small metal blade to create a clinking sound that adds to the buzzing sound as it churns through the water. A new Clap Tail 110 retails for $19. —S.B.
Strike King Hog Father Jr Glidebait
Made in partnership with longtime glidebait builder “Tater Hog” Matt McBee, this collaboration brings a custom glidebait design to the masses. From rotating hook holders to custom colors, this glidebait is built around a plastic body that’s more affordable to produce. It measures 7 inches, and anglers can pick one up for $45. —S.B.
Dirty Jigs Weekender Series Swim Jig
The Dirty Jigs Weekender Series Swim Jig offers a lot of bait for your buck. The Weekender Series Swim Jig costs nearly 30 percent less than most comparable swim jigs. I got my hands on a Weekender Swim Jig before ICAST and put a 4-½ pounder in the boat with it on my first trip. The bait looks great in the water and goes through grass well. The stout hook hauled that 4-pounder out of dense water willow and into the boat with ease. For $4.30, you can't ask for much more. —S.B.
Snagproof Zoo Prop
This elongated hollow body bait has a long-shaft, double frog hook near the rear of it, and a tiny Devil’s Horse looking prop at the tail. Devil’s Horses and other twin-prop baits are fantastic to fish in Florida. However, the small trebles often hang on vegetation and then straighten out or tear loose from fish. Not with the Snagproof Zoo Prop. Now you can throw this bait into the cover and create the same action, without concern of hanging up, pulling the hooks free, or straightening out while fighting the fish. The Zoo Prop retails for $14. —S.B.
FishLab Rattle Toad Pro Frog
For years, it's been a loosely kept secret that sliding rattles up into the belly of a frog makes it that much more appealing, especially over thick mats. The only problem is that the rattles can become misaligned and prevent the frog from compressing when a bite comes. Moving the rattles outside of the frog and placing them between the hooks at the rear is an innovative way to create a more effective bait. —S.B.
Yo-Zuri Pro Series Popper 70
Yo-Zuri’s new Pro Series Popper 70 looks eerily similar to their sister company’s popper—the Hardcore 70F. I was bummed when it recently appeared as though the Hardcore 70F was being discontinued. Whether it’s being completely reborn as the new Yo-Zuri Pro Series Popper 70, I don't know. But the paint jobs, 3D gills, weight transfer system, and other design elements all carry a familiarity that I love. The biggest differences are an upgraded set of hooks and a higher price tag. —S.B.
Z-Man Swag LT Swimbait
The new Swag LT (line through) swimbait from Z-Man looks promising. For starters, this line-through bait can be rigged either with a single top hook or a dual-prong belly hook. In either case, the line passes through the nose of the bait to the hook. Once a fish is on, the hook detaches from the bait, and the swimbait is then able to slide up and down the line freely. This eliminates any leverage the fish would otherwise have to throw the bait. Additionally, the Swag LT features a super stretchy and durable ElaZtech material, which Z-Man baits are renowned for. —S.B.
Evergreen JXJ Minnow
Bait finesse systems (BFS) focus on pairing small lures and ultra-finesse tactics with modified baitcasting gear. There are lots of little jigs, topwaters, jerkbaits, and minnows in this category. But I’ve yet to see a miniature wakebait—until now. The Evergreen JXJ Minnow is designed to rock and wake right along the surface, with its tiny bill, jointed body, and feathered tail. I’m typically a big bait, power fishing guy, but I'm excited to throw the JXJ Minnow in the coming months. —S.B.
Strike King Tumbleweed
ICAST 2025 was the year of fuzzy baits. Hideup, Z-Man, Yamamoto, and others brought their latest take on this new-fangled bait to the table, but I found Strike King’s Tumbleweed to be the most appealing. There’s a salted version that sinks, which will work well on wacky rigs and Neko rigs—and there’s a floating version that’s ideal for drop shots. They even incorporated notches into the strands that drag air bubbles with them to the bottom, which are then slowly released as the bait is worked. A four-pack of the tumbleweed retails for $11. —S.B.
Best New Saltwater Lures
Z-Man PrawnstarZ LB
The "LB" in the name of this new Z-Man lure stands for loose body, which is part of the design that helps the shrimp have a more realistic action in the water. The PrawnstarZ measures 3.5 inches and has a hook slot for weedless rigging. The segmentation in the tail of this bait makes for a natural swimming motion when retrieved, and I am confident it will be deadly for redfish, sea trout, snook, and other inshore species. The bait comes in 12 patterns to match various shrimp color phases. Anglers can pick up a three-pack this fall for $10. —Ryan Chelius
Yo-Zuri Mag Pencil
This giant pencil popper from Yo-Zuri features a sliding magnetic weight that ensures a tail-first cast every time. This helps anglers make accurate casts with consistent delivery. The Mag Pencil measures 8 inches long and weighs 3-1/3 ounces. It is a walk-the-dog style bait and should work great for surfcasters targeting striped bass in the Northeast. One Mag Pencil retails for $25. —R.C.
Yo-Zuri Mag Popper
This smaller size popper includes all the features of the larger Yo-Zuri lures, including through wire, sliding magnet weight, split rings, and treble hooks. The Mag Popper has a deep mouth to create commotion in the water. It can be thrown in the back bay, from the surf, or off a boat. It comes in 11 different color patterns and measures 4 inches long. —R.C.
