I look forward to January every year. Really. No lie.
No, I don’t look forward to fishing in January. It’s really, really cold. The bass are lethargic. Striper fishing is pretty good, but you’ve been doing it for two months.
For me, January is a good time, especially on a nasty weekend, to go to a boat show, tackle show or outdoors show. You pay $5 or $10 to get in, and you’ve got all of the boat dealers and tackle dealers in your area — maybe even in the state — in one place. It saves you money just in not having to drive all over to see what everybody is selling.
A lot of boat dealers and tackle dealers will be at shows. They’ll have their newest products out, and it’s a great opportunity to get to look at everything in one place, in one day.
This winter, shows should be especially interesting. Because of the economy, manufacturers are likely to have a lot of product they need to move. Dealers will be trying to give you the best deal for your money you can ever get.
Depending on what you’re in the market for, it’s best to go to a show with an open mind. It all depends on what you’re looking for, but whatever it is, you’re going to get to look at all the options.
One thing I think fishermen should do is go to a show with a list of things they need — especially in terms of baits and lures. You need to look through your tackle box and see what you need to replace in terms of certain lures, or maybe certain colors you’re missing. If you broke a rod or had a reel go bad, you need to recognize what you’re most looking for — what you want in a product. You’ll probably get the best deal on it you’ll get all year.
If you don’t go with a specific piece of tackle or bait in mind, you may just want to see what new products are out there. Boat companies will bring their newest models; you’ll get to see the newest outboards, the newest electronics, the most-advanced rods and reels.
Just among my sponsors, there are a handful of new products coming out. Gary Yamamoto has changed his Hula Grub, and he’s come out with a big worm to go with the Senko. Pfleuger has brought out the Patriarch, its highest-grade baitcasting reel. Owner has a new hook for its swim baits, up to size 11/0. And Triton has a new 21-foot model bass boat out.
One thing that fishermen need to keep up with is electronics. There has been so much done technologically over the past four or five years. Every year, it seems like companies come out with a new product. It’s unbelievable how good they are.
I’ve got a Humminbird 1197 with “Sideview” on my boat. It’s absolutely incredible. When I come across a point, I can see everything on all sides of it the first time I make a pass. A couple of years ago, it would have taken me four or five passes to see the same thing. There’s no way I could be competitive on the Bassmaster Elite Series without top-drawer electronics. And I can remember the day when all I thought I’d ever need was a flasher unit.
One of the things that should really appeal to a fisherman is that so many boat and tackle dealers will have local or national pros working shows for them. A fisherman who is looking at a product can talk to a pro who has had experience with it, who has fished it or run it for a year — before it was put on the market. You can get tips on how to use it better, how to take full advantage of it. You can get all kinds of good advice about different products.
If you’re looking for a bass boat, and you fish a certain style, you can go to the Triton booth and talk to me, and maybe you can walk across the arena and talk to a pro in the Ranger booth, or maybe talk to a pro who runs a Skeeter, and get an idea about how the boats stack up — what options are standard on some packages, what options guys who fish those boats 200 days a year think would help a weekend fisherman.
And a show is a great place to take your kids, to spend time with them and maybe get them interested in fishing.
Davy Hite is a 43-year-old native of Saluda who lives in Ninety Six. He has fished professionally since 1993. He was the BASS Angler of the Year in 1997 and 2002, and he won the 1999 Bassmasters Classic and the 1998 FLW Tour Championship. He is sponsored by Triton boats, Evinrude outboards, All-Star rods, Pfleuger reels, Berkley Trilene, Yamamoto Baits, Owner hooks, Humminbird depthfinders and Solar Bat sunglasses.
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