Make sure you ‘show’ up

Capt. Jimmy Price of Southport is a popular seminar speaker at shows across the state.

There’s plenty to learn at shows around N.C.

Hopefully everyone enjoyed the Christmas holidays and was able to spend some time with family, friends and loved ones. Now, it’s time to accept that winter has settled in, and the weather may not be the most conducive to spending time boating and fishing for a while. Sure, there will be those occasional days when the water beckons, but for most, winter is a time primarily spent indoors, pining for your favorite outdoor pursuit.

Some of the activities you can do to keep your fishing and hunting Jones in check are to clean and service your rods and reels, replace rusting or bent hooks on lures, clean and service your guns, repair and paint portable stands and blinds, touch up decoys and tie flies and/or rigs. However, these things don’t always take all the edge off. There are only so many times you can clean and check drag washers on your reel before it gets boring.

What you may need is a day (or two or three) at some of the boat, fishing, hunting or outdoor shows held each winter. All will have displays and sales booths featuring the latest in boating, fishing and outdoor gear, and that certainly helps. However, there are several that offer seminars in addition to the displays and sales. Some things can be learned by talking with the exhibitors and looking at all the goodies, but when local experts take the stage and start sharing secrets, there usually are opportunities for major shortcuts along the learning curve.

Opportunities to learn come in many shapes and sizes at winter shows. Many shows have finance companies offering special rates or other incentives to help dealers generate sales. If you’re in the market for a boat, 4-wheelers, camper, RV or other large purchase, this is an opportunity to shop rates and see what is available.

Many insurance companies also have booths at shows, especially boat and outdoor shows. Insurance companies rarely offer incentives, but there are differences in their rates, and this is a good time to check them out. Some offer extras, like towing, and others don’t. I saved a third on my boat insurance last year comparing rates and coverage.

With boat insurance, be sure you’re comparing apples to apples. Rates for inland only and with higher deductions during named storms are usually less. This isn’t meant to be negative, as it is ideal for some folks. If you will never use your boat at the coast, why pay for coastal and ocean coverage. Similarly, if you keep your boat on a trailer and always tow it inland when a hurricane or tropical storm approaches, maybe the lower rate for higher deductions in a named storm can save some money for a tank or two of gas next summer.

While some shows combine several outdoor activities, most are divided into general types. At each, vendor booths may have a wide variety of accessories, options and more. Boat shows feature boats, accessories and related services, but many also include some fishing. Fishing shows feature fishing tackle and accessories and will usually have some boats on display. Hunting shows are primarily about hunting, but will usually have at least a few ATV and boat or kayak/canoe booths. Outdoor shows typically have a little of all of this under one roof, with the boats trending more to personal boats like canoes and kayaks.

In addition to hearing the spiel of the dealers, designers, manufacturers and pro-staffers manning displays and booths, some shows offer seminars or presentations. These may feature fishermen, hunters, and personalities with national recognition and/or local experts with reputations built within the region served by the show.

Several shows across North Carolina offer a good mix of products, accessories and seminars. Two fishing shows immediately come to mind, and a third is progressing by adding seminars. The Raleigh Bass and Saltwater Expo at the state fairgrounds (Jan. 10-12) and the Central Carolina Boat and Fishing Expo at Greensboro Coliseum (Jan. 24-26) have been offering boats, accessories, tackle and fishing seminars for many years. The Mid-Atlantic Boat Show in the Charlotte Convention Center (Feb.  6-9) has added a few fishing seminars a couple of years ago and has been gradually expanding them. For more information on any of these shows visit www.ncboatshows.com.

The Dixie Deer Classic (Feb. 28-March 2) is the premiere hunting show in North Carolina, and in addition to several buildings on the state fairgrounds in Raleigh full of the latest in hunting gear and accessories, it offers a seminar series featuring national experts and television personalities. In addition, there’s an indoor 3-D archery tournament, and hunters can bring their deer mounts to the show to be scored, with multiple prizes awarded to the outstanding deer in several categories. For more information visit www.dixiedeerclassic.com.

The Cape Fear Wildlife Expo at the Wilmington Civic Center (March 14-16) combines boating, fishing and hunting, especially as it relates to the Cape Fear region. In addition to the displays and sales booths, the Expo offers a variety of fishing and hunting seminars featuring national, regional and local authorities. For more information visit www.capefearwildlifeexpo.com.

A couple of all-day seminars and fishing schools are already scheduled, and probably more will be. The Saltwater Sportsman National Seminar Series (www.nationalseminarseries.com) is the oldest; the local stop will be Jan. 11 in New Bern. The Oak Island Fishing School (www.oakislandnc.com/Departments/Parks-Recreation.aspx) is a handful of years old and has been growing steadily; the date is Feb. 1 at the Oak Island Recreation Center. Oak Island also offers a Kayak Fishing School in May, but the 2014 date has not been confirmed.

In Fayetteville, the John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center offers numerous fishing programs this winter and spring. There are evening and Saturday rod and lure building sessions, and the two most-popular programs are their Basic Flyfishing Schools (Jan. 4 and 18 and Feb. 1 and 15) and the Kayak Fish and Float Day on April 5. For more information visit www.ncwildlife.org/Learning.

A few events are held each year just for ladies. Through its Conservation Education Division, the N.C. Wildlife Resources offers Becoming an Outdoor Woman (BOW) Events (www.ncwildlife.org/Learning). The Beyond BOW Fly-Fishing Weekend will be April 4-6 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and Davidson River Campground in Transylvania County and the big BOW Event will be April 11-13 at the Eastern 4H Environmental Education Conference Center near Columbia. The Oak Island Parks and Recreation Department will offer their Women Anglers in Training (WAIT) weekend (www.oakislandnc.com/Departments/Parks-Recreation.aspx) on April 26- 27 at the Oak Island Recreation Center in Oak Island. The BOW and WAIT events combine classroom and hands-on outside experience.

There are more events: The Down East Sportsman’s Expo will be held Jan. 31-Feb.2 at the Greenville Convention Center. The Greenville Recreation Department is planning a fishing seminar and a kayak and kayak fishing event at their River Park North facility, but the dates had not been set at deadline. For more information visit www.greenvillenc.gov/riverparknorth.

Several other shows worth a mention include:

The Flyfishing Show, Feb. 7-8, Winston-Salem, www.flyfishingshow.com.

The International Custom Rod Building Exposition, Winston-Salem, www.icrbe.com.

About Jerry Dilsaver 1168 Articles
Jerry Dilsaver of Oak Island, N.C., a full-time freelance writer, is a columnist for Carolina Sportsman. He is a former SKA National Champion and USAA Angler of the Year.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply