One thing I always look forward to in January, besides some good cold-weather jigging, is heading to the boat & fishing show at the NC Fairgrounds the 1st couple of weeks of January - and how could "The Boathouse" blog NOT cover the largest boat show in the region targeting fisherman.
This year's show was held January 11 - 13 and seemed a bit stronger from overall representation of the past couple of years. There was a strong crowd in the exhibit halls early afternoon on Saturday the 12th, even with unseasonal January temperatures topping out around 70 degrees, which you would have thought would have had folks on the water or outdoors elsewhere. The crowds then increased as the afternoon wore on with a lot of very happy NC State fans trickling in after watching the Wolfpack basketball team beat (then) #1 Duke.
(Click "Read More" to the right for more of this article)
This year's show was held January 11 - 13 and seemed a bit stronger from overall representation of the past couple of years. There was a strong crowd in the exhibit halls early afternoon on Saturday the 12th, even with unseasonal January temperatures topping out around 70 degrees, which you would have thought would have had folks on the water or outdoors elsewhere. The crowds then increased as the afternoon wore on with a lot of very happy NC State fans trickling in after watching the Wolfpack basketball team beat (then) #1 Duke.
(Click "Read More" to the right for more of this article)
A view across the show floor in the boat building
The usual regional boat dealers were represented, with Chatlee Marine having their usual dominate space, while other dealer such as Boats Unlimited, Merritt Marine, Anglers Marine, Collins & others all had significant floor space with a good selection of fishing boats representing a number of manufacturers with off-shore center consoles, bay boats, flats boats, bass boats, jon boats, aluminum walk-throughs and even a few "unusual" watercraft options - almost 20 dealers in total were on-site.
This year's "headliner" attraction was a Meet & Greet with the stars of the Hilllybilly Handfishin' show on Animal Planet. The BASS Federation had a pitching contest for older children as well as an area for younger anglers to have their hand at pitching to buckets in a simulated pond. The Mountain Trout fishing tank was once again represented giving attendees the opportunity to try their hand at wetting a line to catch a trout or even a catfish. My son Matt & I could not let a chance to fish pass us by, so Matt fished twice and then I had to regain my honor after Matt out fishing me on New Year's eve by catching a nice little trout on a small fly tipped with a kernel of corn.
There was even the opportunity to test-drive a bass boat at the show - OK, it was not a "real" boat, but rather a bass boat simulator sponsored by Chevy, but it was a fun activity for my son to enjoy - though I do not want him to get TOO comfortable with a bass boat. Where's the center console simulator?
There was even the opportunity to test-drive a bass boat at the show - OK, it was not a "real" boat, but rather a bass boat simulator sponsored by Chevy, but it was a fun activity for my son to enjoy - though I do not want him to get TOO comfortable with a bass boat. Where's the center console simulator?
 Trout Fishing |  Test drive a bass boat in the simulator |
A view of Dave's Tournament Tackle's booth
In addition to drooling over all the boats with their "new fiberglass smell", there was a strong representation of tackle vendors at the show as well. Over 100 vendors, most of which were offering some type of fishing-related tackle, were presenting their wares at the show. Many are long-time participants such as Extreme Fishing Concepts which offers a variety of accessories used in striper fishing, HydroGlow, a manufacturer of LED bait lights and Dave's Tournament Tackle - a vendor offering a wide variety of lures, many made locally. There were also some new faces in the crowd such as Waters Edge Caddy which was unveiling a new product made to wheel down to the water's edge and then kick back and relax while holding a few fishing poles. There was also a vendor there which specializes in graphic shirts for charter captains & fishing clubs. I spoke with him a while about their options with thoughts of our own "Ship's Store" and when I went to provide him with some contact info to follow up, I found that Bob Rowe had beat me to the punch and already spoken with him earlier that day! Bob's always a step ahead of me it seems......
Now, it is a law that you cannot attend such a show and not purchase something while there. As my "BIG" purchase was made back in 2010 at this show, this year's purchase was much more conservative, totalling around $8 and consisted of some split-rings & swivels to rig up some jig-heads I had back at the house to make sure I was topped off for the rest of the winter jigging season.
All in all, it was a fun way to spend an afternoon with my son, and to check out what was new and exciting in the world of fishing boats and tackle. Can't wait till next year.... wait a minute - I don't have too - the Greensboro show is February 22-24 and the Richmond Show is January 25-27 (check out www.ncboatshows.com for more info). See you there!
Now, it is a law that you cannot attend such a show and not purchase something while there. As my "BIG" purchase was made back in 2010 at this show, this year's purchase was much more conservative, totalling around $8 and consisted of some split-rings & swivels to rig up some jig-heads I had back at the house to make sure I was topped off for the rest of the winter jigging season.
All in all, it was a fun way to spend an afternoon with my son, and to check out what was new and exciting in the world of fishing boats and tackle. Can't wait till next year.... wait a minute - I don't have too - the Greensboro show is February 22-24 and the Richmond Show is January 25-27 (check out www.ncboatshows.com for more info). See you there!
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