Sampling opening day at the Chicagoland Fishing Expo: Muskie rod reveal to tiny tungsten jigs
Three muskie rods towered, at 9 feet, 6 inches long, over the corner of the Daiwa USA booth Thursday on opening day at the Chicagoland Fishing Expo. The Chicago area's big fishing show, in the tradition of old shows, was where Daiwa debuted the Prorex Stein muskie rods at their first public show.
The Expo runs through Sunday at the Schaumburg Convention Center.
The Prorex Steins are premium rods, listing for $499.99, with Seek Your Monster emblazoned on the rod butt. You can feel the heavy, extra heavy or XX heavy sizes at the Expo. If one is ordered at the show, it will be delivered to a Chicago-area dealer and earn the buyer two Bessie muskie lures.
Beside catching up with people, here are notes from opening day.
Leading off atop the Hawg Trough, Homewood native Mark Zona showed why he is a bass-fishing star. He opened with a tale of former Bears defensive end/linebacker Willie Young, noted for his fishing sack dance, visiting around Christmas while injured and winter bass fishing with Zona.
It was a perfect way to lead into adjusting drop-shot fishing in cold water. Key point being to shorten the fluorocarbon leader in cold water to give the drop-shot worm less movement.
Asked secrets to fishing from the back of the boat, Zona said, "Know your fastball," meaning know what you are good at and comfortable with. For him, it is jig fishing.s
During Q&A, Zona gave his pick to win the Super Bowl, "Anybody but Kansas City." He favors the Bills because of their close but no Super Bowl wins.
On forward-facing sonar, he said, "Forward-facing sonar is like Fantasy Football." Mull that.
He concluded, "There has to be a cap [on it]."
Long-time show manager Tod Alberto was busting his buttons when he saw the lines before opening the doors, "This is the first time I ever opened the show as an owner."
I stopped by the Widow Maker Lures booth (420) because Arden Katz, who gives reports for the Midwest Fishing Report, raves about their tungsten jigs. Owner Brian Oberfoell went through some of their latest. First was Lucky Lady, a jig that sits at a 45-degree angle. Then Shrimp, a take on a ageless classic, the teardrop vertical jig, modernized into tungsten jigs. Then came the Dragonfly, a weight-forward jig, so it darts and is particularly good for perch and crappie. Finally he proudly showed the Deluxe Jig Box with compression foam technology. It floats and keeps tiny jigs in order.
Chatted with Daniel Sala and owner Joe Weingart at the Madd Science Print Lab (booth 419), which does unique screen paintings of Chicago and fishing scenes in its hoodies, such as "Fishin' Is NOT a Crime." They make hoodies and such for many anglers, including having a bass champion fish in one of their hoodies.
Chicago No Limits Fishing (522), which takes people with handicaps fishing on the lakefront, made its show debut, largely to bolster volunteers so more trips may be done.
I chatted with Evelyn Adams, who founded FlyGirls of the Midwest (537) with Megan Berns four years ago. The fly fishing and fly tying adventure group for women holds fly fishing events around the Chicago area, beginning with a tuneup day in the spring. Stay up with the group through their Facebook page.
Another show favorite, Wings and Talons, is in its usual spot (720) with education on raptors and general coolness. Chatted with Sandi Huckeby while a male barred owl clutched her gloved left hand and kept his head on a swivel.
After missing a year, Peter Pipers PA Pickles (17), a show favorite, was back. They had 160 buckets of pickles for the show. Usually all those buckets will be gone by the show's end.
I sat in on Capt. Jake Nalley talking catfishing and caught this: "Winter time is my favorite time to fish the Mississippi. That is when you start to get the 100-pound [blue catfish]."
Those are the dreams you should have at a show.
New is a bargain corner with Sportsman's Dollar (23).
The Expo features include a casting pond, trout pond, Casting Kids, a fishing simulator and the Fisherman's Boatyard. Sunday is family day, 11 and younger are free. Daiwa, a major show sponsor, will give rod and reel combos to the first 100 kids 11 and younger on Sunday.
Presenters and speakers the last three days include: Brandon Palaniuk, Capt. Matt Firestein, Capt. Chris Taurisano, Rob Manthei, Pat Renwick, JJoe Henry, Unlimited Guide Service, Jim Saric, Musky Madness Forum, Spence Petrose, Capt. Anthony Zimmer, Oliver Ngy, Steve Welch, Ryan Whitacre, Mark O'Neill, Louis Monetti,, Nalley, Violett Talley and Matt Madlener.