Today was On the Water at iCast 2026 in Orlando, the one day of the show where gear leaves the tables and goes in the water. Nine to one at the Orange County Convention Center's North Building ponds, five acres of docks and open water, sponsored by Garmin. It's the closest thing our shop gets to a research lab, and it's the best day of the show every year.

Bonafide, Native Watercraft, and Hobie all had kayaks lined up on the grass and in the water, pedal drives running the same way our customers run them on the Caney Fork River. The fishing models were rigged out with elite seats, rod holders, and storage, the stuff that actually matters three hours into a trip.

Newport and Garmin had trolling motors mounted and running off the docks, quiet and easy to control. Worth a longer look for anyone outfitting a fishing kayak. Daiwa had reels out for hands-on casting, smooth drag under a loaded rod. St. Croix paired rods up so you could feel the actual difference in action and weight.

Garmin ran their electronics on boats in the water, live sonar and mapping, the kind of tech that changes how someone fishes water they've never seen before. Yak Power had rigging and accessory mounts set up on kayaks, showing what a boat looks like after someone actually customizes it instead of running it stock.

Walking the docks while people cast, paddle, and run trolling motors in real time beats a spec sheet every time. Good gear either works when it's wet or it doesn't, and today was about finding out which is which. That's why we make the trip: to figure out what earns a spot in the shop for all y'all back home.

More to come as we sort through what we saw at iCast 2026. Follow along on our social to see what makes the cut.