What can you learn at the Ultimate Sport Show in Grand Rapids this coming weekend? You might ask, what if I just like to fish for walleye? Or small mouth bass? Or lake trout? Or salmon? Or what if I just like to fly-fish?
You can learn quite a lot, actually… even the most seasoned fishermen go there to pick up some pointers from others in the same boat. (not usually literally, but sometimes they do fish from the same boat). There are charter fishing guides and professionals in every specialty, giving seminars and workshops, walking the floors and freely giving tips and advice to anyone asking questions and willing to listen.
Even if you don’t target walleye or bass, the pros all talk about the electronics, rods, reels, fishing lines, hooks and equipment that are universal to most fishing. You can pick up techniques that work for one specie and modify it to your own style of fishing, so it’s worthwhile to attend as many seminars as you can fit in.
Even if you feel like you know enough to catch your fill of fish, the fishing gear on display (with great sales) is enough to make a fisherman/woman salivate. By the way, there is a pro FEMALE walleye tournament pro giving a workshop or two… Marianne Huskey, from whom most fisherman can pick up some valuable pointers. See: http://www.showspan.com/USG/Seminars.aspx I listened to her in Novi last January and got a few tips on more effectively using my sonar, which can be used for any fishing… she’s a good speaker, a good fisher-woman and good looking, too. (I don’t think my wife would mind me saying that).
I like to attend this event every year and plan to go again this weekend. It’s been pretty tough to find fishing buddies that are serious enough to drive the distance (about 400+ miles each way), so I have to take my wife again. At least she’s always willing and able, even though she doesn’t fish.
Stan and Randy going to check out the boat and camp.
I stopped by my second love, the Fishin’ Mission, at Lac La Belle, and knocked off the snow, took a few pictures and grabbed a (missing) tackle box of gear that I need to go through before the trolling season. Recently, I had 4 of my 5 boxes on the kitchen table and noticed one was missing. Wish I thought of taking a photo inside, but I was taken over by nostalgia as I visualized being on the water again.
Back to the venue… There is entertainment for the whole family too, so you don’t have to leave your wife and kids home. See Lake Ultimate events, including water dogs doing demonstrations and kayakers showing their stuff.
Here is the daily schedule of events from Thursday through Sunday: http://www.showspan.com/USG/Schedule.aspx
Here are many of the Features and Attractions : http://www.showspan.com/USG/Attractions.aspx
Hope to see you there.
More Fishin’ Mission:
Poor thing, just sitting there patiently waiting.
See the old Torola Camp on the left.
Brian Helminen
