In 2012, anglers will see a wide assortment of new freshwater fishing things that can be added to their fishing arsenal. One new item that is taking the freshwater fishing market by storm is the Alabama rig and similar rigs being introduced by other companies.

I wrote about this new rig in last week’s article, and I finally received a similar rig that had been back ordered. Only time will tell if these new rigs that accommodate multiple lures will forever change the angling scene.

There are many other new products that are being introduced in 2012 to catch the attention of anglers and also help anglers catch more freshwater fish. New products cover the entire freshwater fishing world including rods, reels, depth finders, lures, line, accessories and terminal tackle.

Many of the new products were introduced back in July 2011 at the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) Show and are now appearing in bait and tackle stores and catalogues. The show gives awards for 21 individual categories and gives one coveted award for the “Best of Show”.

The “Best of Show” for 2011 show went to Pure Fishing Inc. for its Berkley NanoFil fishing line. NanoFil is a new superline. The line consists of hundreds of Dyneema nanofibers that are molecularly linked into a unified line.

The line is touted to have exceptional casting distance, zero stretch, zero memory and very high strength/diameter ratio. The line will sell for about $40 for a 300 yard spool. Pure Fishing Inc. also announced a modification to its popular Trilene XL fishing line. The modified line is now sold as Trilene XL Armor, which is coated with an abrasion resistant coating making the line 40 percent more resistant than regular XL.

The new Abu Garcia REVO MGX baitcasting reel from Pure Fishing Inc. won the Best of Show for freshwater reels. The reel is considered to be a new generation of extremely lightweight design reels. The reel has nine stainless steel bearings and only weighs 5.4 ounces. The reel is very adjustable and can be used for lures from light to heavy. The REVO MGX is not cheap as it sells for around $350.

Another excellent baitcasting reel introduced was the Quantum EXO which was designed by eliminating 40 percent of the weight of a traditional baitcasting reel. The reel weighs 5.9 ounces and comes in several cranking ratios but it will lighten your billfold at $250.

The Best of Show for freshwater rods went to G. Loomis, Inc. for their new generation of rods named GL2. These light rods which are offered in baitcasting and spinning versions sell for around $200.

Pure Fishing Inc. announced their new series of Abu Garcia rods which are dubbed Villain. These lightweight rods that weigh only 3.7 ounces in both baitcasting and spinning versions are just arriving in stores now and no prices are yet available.

The Best of Show for best hard lure went to Pure Fishing Inc. and their Sebile D & S Crank. This lure has a gravity snagless hook system that allows the hook to pivot creating a snagless crankbait. The crankbait is said to run up to 20 feet deep. New hard crankbaits also include Rapala’s X-Rap Prop and X-Rap Pop lures, Bomber’s Deep Fat Free Shad, Berkley’s Havoc Bottom Hopper, and Lucky Craft’s Fat Smasher.

The Best of Show for soft lures was the LIVE TARGET Hollow Body Mouse introduced by Koppers Fishing & Tackle Corporation. Numerous soft frog baits were introduced including the Strike King, KVD Sexy Frog; Evolve’s, Pulso Frog and Snag Proofs, Guntersville Frog.

The Spinshot from VMC won Best of Show for terminal tackle. It is touted as the most simple and effective drop-shot hook on the market. The hook provides for complete free hook rotation and zero line twist which is a common problem for drop-shot fishing.

These are just a few of the new freshwater fishing items that will be available in 2012. Visit your local bait and tackle store or online store and check out all the new fishing gear for 2012. Happy New Year and see you next week.