It's Show Season!

Sigh.

Another weekend is gone and nothing to show for it. Sure, the house got cleaned and the laundry washed, but who cares about that??? I was fortunate to have Martin Luther King’s birthday off, but the weather was just too cold and raw for enjoying the outdoors. I spent enough time outside in cold rain in Alaska and on George’s Bank east of New England – it just is not enjoyable!

But I will tell you what looks enjoyable; the Richmond (VA) Fishing Expo from January 25-27! This is the first time for this event, but it looks promising. Several big name pro bass fishermen will be giving fishing seminars, as well as several local folks sharing their knowledge about saltwater species. GMC will be there as a major sponsor, so I expect to see some Jimmys for hauling. I plan to ask somebody from GMC why you can’t get a Yukon XL with a diesel!!! I love my Yukon, but I’d trade it today for one with diesel power!

Several boat manufacturers will be represented by the local dealers as well. I just hope it will not be a bass boat show. The bass boats of today are just too specialized for my taste, and many others, as well. Take a quick look at the used boat listings and see how many bass machines are up for sale after one or two years. Most folks want a boat that can do more than one thing well, and bass boats just don’t cut it on rough water, they are not comfortable with more that 2 aboard, and are not kid-friendly.

Don’t get me wrong, bass boats today are some fine machines for giving a bass angler every possible advantage; they just are not MY cup of tea. There are lots of boats out there that can do a fair job for bassers and can still be set up to pull an tube with the kids and won’t swamp if the waves get over a foot. Most folks find themselves wanting to do other things out on the water besides fan casting every point all day long.

Many bait and tackle makers will be there with lots of new stuff to try out. I remember a couple years back at the Ducks Unlimited Outdoors show at Petersburg…my teenaged son posed for pictures with a “Shimano Girl” model while I tried a spinning rod and reel combo that seemed to cast itself. I had a trouble hitting the target because I kept shooting way past it! I was all set to take it home right then until they told me how much it cost…OUCH! Looks like I’m sticking with my Quantum and Abu Garcias until I win the lottery.

I’ll be scoping out the soft plastic baits this year. I’ve had good results with Zoom baits in the past, but I’m going to be using a lot of three-way rigs this year. That should help me recover from snags as well as get the baits deep when I need them there while drifting or trolling. So I’ll be looking at a lot of jig heads in non-toxic metals and various minnow/shad presentations. The Berkeley Gulp! series of baits in a jar look very promising, but the cost is a little steep for us working guys. I think over time they will work out about the same or more cost-effective than live bait. Time will tell, and I’ll report on my success or lack of success here.

Go check out the show – if not this one, another one! Go to a gun show or boat show and support your local small business dealers!!