The Top 10 Products That Transformed an American
Pastime
Survey results announced as ASA Celebrates 75 Years of Serving
the
Sportfishing Industry
July 16, 2008 - Las Vegas, NV—Ten
influential fishing products created over the past 75 years ― from rods to
reels to electronics ― have helped make fishing the great sport
it is today, according to a new survey from the American
Sportfishing Association (ASA).
ASA, the sportfishing industry’s trade association, today released
the country’s first top ten list of the items that have changed
the way people fish, as determined by a survey of the nation’s
most avid anglers. The Anglers’ Legacy Innovations Awards were
unveiled at the International
Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST), the world’s
largest annual sportfishing trade show. More than 7,000 members of the
sportfishing community are gathered in Las Vegas to see the latest innovations
in gear and accessories.
"We’re thrilled to be commemorating the way that fishing
has endured as one of America’s favorite pastimes," said
ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman. “The sport has touched the
lives of so many people, thanks to the number of great inventions that
have revolutionized angling over the past seven and a half decades.”
ASA partnered with the Recreational
Boating & Fishing Foundation to survey the foundation’s
thousands of Anglers’ Legacy
Ambassadors, the country’s most avid anglers,
who voted for the products they feel have been most instrumental
in shaping the sport over the past seven and a half decades.
The final top ten list spans six categories, including accessories,
electronics, lines, lures, reels and rods:
- Original Floater Minnow (1936) remains one of the
most successful and widely copied hard lures in sportfishing’s
history.
Original and current manufacturer: Rapala
- Spring loaded Bobber (1947) made suspending a baited
hook at a desired depth simpler and easier. Even today this item is
virtually in every angler’s tackle box.
Original manufacturer:
Nibble Nabber
Current: Various companies
- Mitchell 300 (1949) was the first commercially successful
spinning reel, and is still one of the most common reels used today.
Original
manufacturer: Mitchell
Current manufacturer: Pure Fishing
- Creme Plastic Worm (1949) changed the sport forever
as the first ― and still famous ― long-lasting artificial
worm that both looked and felt real.
Original and current manufacturer:
Creme Lure Company
- Closed Face Spincast Reel (1949) made fishing easy
and affordable to everyone regardless of age, size, gender and expertise.
Original manufacturer: Zero Hour Bomb Company
Current Manufacturer: ZEBCO Brands
- Lowrance Fish Lo-K-Tor (1957), the “Little
Green Box” introduced anglers to the use of sonar in locating
individual fish.
Original Manufacturer: Lowrance Electronics
Current: Lowrance/Navico
- Monofilament Line (1958) improved
the durability, affordability and casting ability of fishing line while
reducing its visibility to fish
Original manufacturer: DuPont Stren
Current manufacturer: Pure Fishing
- Minn Kota Trolling Motor (1958) was
the first electric gear-driven trolling motor gave anglers the ability
to quietly maneuver and position their boats.
Original manufacturer:
Minn Kota
Current manufacturer: Johnson Outdoors
- Fenwick High Modulus Graphite Rod (1972), with its
super-sensitive carbon (graphite) fibers, revolutionized the method
of making fishing rods and how anglers fished.
Original
Manufacturer: Fenwick
Current Manufacturer: Pure Fishing
- Shakespeare Ugly Stick (1976),
with its special construction, created an affordable,
unbreakable and dynamic fishing rod still in use today.
Original and
current manufacturer: Shakespeare
"We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate a milestone
anniversary than to pay tribute to the landmark innovations that have
helped shape fishing," said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. "What
makes this list so great is the fact that it was determined by anglers
themselves."
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The American Sportfishing
Association (ASA) is the sportfishing industry’s
trade association, committed to looking out for the interests of the
entire sportfishing community. We give the industry a unified voice,
speaking out on behalf of sportfishing and boating industries, state
and federal natural resource agencies, conservation organizations,
angler advocacy groups and outdoor journalists when emerging laws and
policies could significantly affect sportfishing business or sportfishing
itself. We invest in long-term ventures to ensure the industry will
remain strong and prosperous as well as safeguard and promote the enduring
economic and conservation values of sportfishing in America. ASA also
represents the interests of America’s 40 million anglers who
generate over $45 billion in retail sales with a $125 billion impact
on the nation’s economy creating employment for over one
million people.
The Recreational Boating & Fishing
Foundation (RBFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated
to growing participation in fishing, boating and aquatic stewardship.
In 1998, the U.S. Congress passed the Sportfishing and Boating Safety
Act requiring the Secretary of the Interior to implement a national
outreach and communication plan to address participation issues associated
with recreational fishing and boating, while ensuring public support
for aquatic resource conservation. Through the efforts of the Sportfishing
and Boating Partnership Council (SFBPC), the Recreational Boating & Fishing
Foundation (RBFF) was created as an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization to implement the plan. Funding for RBFF is provided
through the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund.
