The Starting Spot: ICAST Winning Products, Stank Bug Craw Review, and Being the Classic Champ at ICAST

The Starting Spot Daily Bass Fishing Headlines are the perfect way to start your day with some of the top bass fishing articles on the internet. It’s the quick, informative, how, where, and who you need to know. So, rub the sleep from your eyes, pour that first cup of the day, and head to your Starting Spot.

The Starting Spot: -There were a lot of great products launched at ICAST 2025. Here’s a convenient list of the winners for every category. -Berkley has released several new soft plastic craw baits recently. How does the new PowerBait MaxScent Stank Bug Craw stack up? -This is only young bass pro Easton Fothergill’s second time going to ICAST. How does the experience as Bassmaster Classic champion compare to his first year? | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

In today’s 7-18–25 edition of The Starting Spot:

-There were a lot of great products launched at ICAST 2025. Here’s a convenient list of the winners for every category.

-Berkley has released several new soft plastic craw baits recently. How does the new PowerBait MaxScent Stank Bug Craw stack up?

-This is only young bass pro Easton Fothergill’s second time going to ICAST. How does the experience as Bassmaster Classic champion compare to his first year?

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Who Won the Best of Category Awards at ICAST?

by Game & Fish

Per an article on GameAndFishMag.com: Winners were named in dozens of categories, from rods and reels, to watercraft and electronics, to apparel and eyewear.

These new fishing products won Best of Category awards Wednesday night at ICAST 2025 in Orlando, based on voting by show attendees and media. Each product will be voted on again Thursday to determine the overall Best of Show winner…MORE.

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Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Stank Bug Craw Bait Review

by Shaye Baker

According to an article on Wired2Fish.com: Berkley has launched a variety of new craw-style baits in the last 8 months. There’s the pre-rigged Clatter Craw with rattles built into the claws, a bait with widespread claws called the Crud Craw, and finally, the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Stank Bug. The latter is the one we’ll talk about today.

When I first unpacked the Stank Bug and got a whiff of it, I felt confident they named it well. Berkley used their PowerBait MaxScent formula to make this one pungent craw. I also noticed the bait is pretty soft, with a spongy feel to it. The claws are similar to those on the Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw and some of the other baits that have a sharp cutout in the bend of the claw…MORE.

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My busiest ICAST yet

by Easton Fothergill

Per an article on Bassmaster.com: This is my second year attending ICAST, and while some things have changed dramatically, the reasons I’m so excited to attend this show are still the same.

I really enjoyed last year because I found representation of the entire fishing industry in one place. I got to speak with top-tier anglers from multiple organizations, I had my first business meetings and I really got an insider’s look at how the industry works.

Last year was a major learning experience. The best lesson I learned was you have be prepared…MORE.