2008 Worcester Sportsman's Boating & Fishing Show.
This past Saturday My friend Tim and I went to the annual fishing show in our area. I went two years ago, missed last year, but when Tim invited me to go I did not need my arm twisted. Unfortunately Bob was unable to go with us.
There are a lot of things to see, I took photos of mostly boats and reels, as some folks wanted to see more fishing equipment, and while the boats are outrageously priced, they are beautiful to see. This review will be two part as I have more reel pictures to show than I can reasonably fit into one post.
The show was four days long, running from February 7th to 10th, admission was $11 US and was fairly crowded, but not to the point of uncomfortability. There were also many booths devoted to hunting and taxidermy, charter and guided tours, and new fishing related products like collapsible boats and specially outfitted kayaks for fishing in remote backwater.
There were even showmen handling Monocled Cobras, and a reptile zoo with American Alligators (juviniles), turtles and lizards for the many children that came with their parents. Also for the kids there was a trout pond set up and hourly fishing contests with junior rods and reels as prizes.
The biggest spectacle, and I do mean big, was a live 1,400 lb. Brown bear that was tame, and had been in movies and on the cover of National Geographic Magazine last year. I did
take pictures, but unless anyone wants to see them I will stick to the fishing aspects of the show for the visual reference.
Photo 5) These are some of the new Catalyst reels from Quantum, similar to the Energy series, they also boast many of the features listed above, including a hybrid polymer stainless steel bearing system that is distinctive to Quantum. This reel contains 8 bearings, magnetic anti-reverse, and sells for about $100 US.
These reels are some of the most popular among pros in the US. I see many using them on footage from B.A.S.S. tournaments around America, and while I only own two spinning reels, both Shimano's and less expensive,I could tell from handling these that they are performance oriented and worth every penny.
I do not own a Diawa as I have a love for Abu Garcias, but I can appreciate their quality. There are more photos and more reels to come, I will post more in the next installment of this post, The Worcester DCU Center is a medium sized sports venue located in Worcester Masachusetts, and during this show the arena center was filled with over a million dollars US in boats, motors and trailers. From my last post you may know that I just bought a new-to-me boat that I am overly joyful to have, and thank God for, but that does not stop me from appreciating the works of engineering art for fishing I saw Saturday!
There are a lot of things to see, I took photos of mostly boats and reels, as some folks wanted to see more fishing equipment, and while the boats are outrageously priced, they are beautiful to see. This review will be two part as I have more reel pictures to show than I can reasonably fit into one post.
Photo1) Saltwater reels for medium shark and Tuna fishing. These run $200 to $400 US. Shimano makes a good, durable reel. While I do not have any reels of this caliber, the Shimano Curado Bantam 201 baitcaster for Bass was my first baitcasting reel and I still use it regularly.
Photo 2) The long spread of handle mounted reels was massive! One could explore every make of reel Shimano makes form freshwater baitcasters, to saltwater spinning reels. The sales reps were helpful, though there was no negotiation on price unless you were to buy more than one reel.
Photo3) These are varieties of the Calcutta series, ranging from $200 to $220 US. They are a crossover size, suitable for medium salt to heavy freshwater fishing. I have seen them used on television for big Pike and Muskie in North America, to Peacock Bass in the Amazon. I have even seen them used in Egypt to fish for 100+ lb. Nile Perch!
The show was four days long, running from February 7th to 10th, admission was $11 US and was fairly crowded, but not to the point of uncomfortability. There were also many booths devoted to hunting and taxidermy, charter and guided tours, and new fishing related products like collapsible boats and specially outfitted kayaks for fishing in remote backwater.
There were even showmen handling Monocled Cobras, and a reptile zoo with American Alligators (juviniles), turtles and lizards for the many children that came with their parents. Also for the kids there was a trout pond set up and hourly fishing contests with junior rods and reels as prizes.
The biggest spectacle, and I do mean big, was a live 1,400 lb. Brown bear that was tame, and had been in movies and on the cover of National Geographic Magazine last year. I did
take pictures, but unless anyone wants to see them I will stick to the fishing aspects of the show for the visual reference.
Photo 4) These are some of the new freshwater spinning reels from Quantum, the Energy series. these are awesome reels, though I do not own one, they are smooth and strong with 10 bearings, machined aluminum frames and titanium bails. Each one comes with a spare aluminum spool and a supply of Hot Sauce, a specially formulated lubricant exclusive to Quantum products. They sell for $150 US.
Photo 5) These are some of the new Catalyst reels from Quantum, similar to the Energy series, they also boast many of the features listed above, including a hybrid polymer stainless steel bearing system that is distinctive to Quantum. This reel contains 8 bearings, magnetic anti-reverse, and sells for about $100 US.
These reels are some of the most popular among pros in the US. I see many using them on footage from B.A.S.S. tournaments around America, and while I only own two spinning reels, both Shimano's and less expensive,I could tell from handling these that they are performance oriented and worth every penny.
Photo 6) These are some of the new the new Diawa reels, Viento, (blue body) Zillions, (silver bodies) Millionair-S, ( Top, left row) and Lunas, (right row, all). These are middle level reels from Diawa, (the Steez is the highest at $450 US) and are very good quality. All are milled aluminum frames, and free-floating spools with a wide range of bearing numbers. The prices range from $200 to $300 US, and their quality reflects the price. These are incredibly tight reels, the drags are smooth and all operational parts are made to a high tolerance, these are reels you buy once, keep for life and then hand down to your children!
I do not own a Diawa as I have a love for Abu Garcias, but I can appreciate their quality. There are more photos and more reels to come, I will post more in the next installment of this post, The Worcester DCU Center is a medium sized sports venue located in Worcester Masachusetts, and during this show the arena center was filled with over a million dollars US in boats, motors and trailers. From my last post you may know that I just bought a new-to-me boat that I am overly joyful to have, and thank God for, but that does not stop me from appreciating the works of engineering art for fishing I saw Saturday!
Photo 7) While my jaw is still dragging on the ground from this boat, an 18ft. Skeeter with a 225 hp 4stroke Yamaha with an incredible paint job that looks like it belongs on a race car rather than a bass boat, the price of $32,999 US kept me from any dreams. As beautiful as it is, I told Tim I feared the bright color would scare the fish, even if the 4 stroke was super quiet!
Photo 8) this nice Champion bass boat is very understated with its simple paint scheme. I like it the instant I saw it, it is 18ft. X 6ft. with a 150 hp. Evinrude 2 stroke e-tec motor. Evinrude e-tec motors are to date the most fuel efficient, powerful, and quiet 2 stroke motors made. They have the added advantage of needing no dealer maintenance for 3 years, and no break in period!!!
Photo 9) After a few hours Tim and I got some sandwiches and sat up in the upper level of the arena to eat and watch all the people walk about and look over all the awesome toys. This is the right side view of the arena and as you can see the spread of boats is extensive, something for every taste, and as far as new boats go, most price ranges. A basic package aluminum hull Bass Tracker starts at about $10,999 US, and the most expensive boat we saw was a 21ft ranger at over $54,000 US! No, I did not take a picture of it, my camera is not that good!
Photo 10) The picture below is the left side of the arena and the rest of the array of fishing machines that we perused.
I hope I am able to bring the enjoyment of the show to you in this post. It was a good show shared with a good friend. The next post will be the second half of this show, focusing on more reels, and a nice custom rod I bought, not that I was looking for a new rod, but it impressed me so I took the leap. Enjoy the post, and for those still locked in winter, be patient spring is only four to six weeks away!
God bless, Mike.
Photo 10) The picture below is the left side of the arena and the rest of the array of fishing machines that we perused.
I hope I am able to bring the enjoyment of the show to you in this post. It was a good show shared with a good friend. The next post will be the second half of this show, focusing on more reels, and a nice custom rod I bought, not that I was looking for a new rod, but it impressed me so I took the leap. Enjoy the post, and for those still locked in winter, be patient spring is only four to six weeks away!
God bless, Mike.
Labels:
Bass fishing,
Boats.,
fishing tackle.
2 comments:
mkz,
thanks for sharing with us this review..hope to see more of those pictures..and the reels!
The show was fun, and the new reels are great, although some are very expensive! I have to question the wisdom of spending too much money on a reel or rod, just as with a boat. If you fish professionally it may be necessary to have a $400 dollar reel and a $35,000 dollar boat, but then again if you fish professionally in the US sponsors provide these things, to sell their product. As for me I buy the best I can reasonably afford, and the fish don't seem to mind! Still it is nice here in the winter to get together with friends and strangers to look at new stuff and talk excitedly about the season to come.
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