Saltwater Expo observations

[bassnblues]

On a side note. There was a bit of a buzzkill for me when I lost my phone.

Someone turned it in and I got it back. So a big thanks to the person who turned it into to the office.

[Reelron]

Yea, I was one of those guys that picked the wrong time to get there on Friday. Searched the lot and couldn't find a spot, even with the handicapped plaque. Oh well back to lot B. If it had been raining I would have gone home.

Glad I didn't as it is always great to see guys I haven't seen in a while. Walked around once or twice. Didn't really buy anything but I did pick up a special rod that Mark Berry had repaired & cleaned up for me. And, I sold a couple hoodies! Nice to go to a show and come home with more $ then you left with!

[Billy223]

Arrived at 10am yesterday, long line of cars just to turn onto Sunfield Ave.
I pulled into the lot next to that road and hoofed it.
The pre purchased tickets proved to be the best choice made.
Glad it wasn't raining with having to walk to the building and then walk 3/4 of the way around it to get to the entrance doors.

I loved the atmosphere. My wife and I really enjoyed talking with Dave and Paul from Wicked Tuna. Paul is funny as hell and Dave is a genuinely good guy, not like the character they made him on the show.

Prices were eh, you really had to look around and it isn't too easy when it's pretty mobbed and walking around is also a challenge when a few people would stop in the middle of the aisles to talk and keep people from moving forward. Requires patience.

I almost picked up a new trolling rod, I liked it but couldn't justify spending that kind of money at the time. I really did not find any good prices to make me say wow. I did grab some power pro on the cheaper end, hopefully it isn't a defected lot or something. Also, on my BoatUS tow insurance, the renewal is 149 but after talking with them online they advised me at the shows you get renewal discounts. Well, I got it renewed for the same price as I joined with at $99 so that was worth the trip right there.

It was a nice day out, It was a little scary because I kept grabbing my credit card but then put it back in it's place and kept walking. I could have spent a fortune. Almost made me want to buy a new boat too.

My take, know your prices, have restraint on spending foolishly, enjoy the day. It really makes you feel eager to get back to it.

[Jigman13]

Originally Posted by Ice Cream Bill

And of course those pickles from Peter Peppers. Almost got out easy but stopped by the Jigging World booth. Somehow a Ghost Hunter slow pitch jigging rod and Shimano Stradic ST4000 got charged to my credit card.

Funny how that happens! The 150g with that reel is a sweet, sweet set up.

[Billfish715]

One thing to remember (or maybe a couple) about the show, is that it's a show. It's not a flea market. Company representatives are there to show, promote, demonstrate and explain their products. They don't sell their wares. That's why the independent distributors are there. They do the selling. Some of them have special deals on certain products while their other products have been priced to reflect market prices. Some dealers, deal on certain products but not on others. It's retailing.

You, as a consumer, do get to see what's out there by perusing the manufacturer's inventory. You then decide if there's something in which you are interested. After that, it's up to you to look around for a price that you are comfortable to spend. You can see things online but you can't hold them or touch them or try them. At the show, you can. Where or how you purchase the products is strictly up to you. Online purchases are convenient but also come with the dreaded "on back order" notices.

Catalogues from the two major national outdoor shows, have pictures and descriptions of some of the products in their inventory; but they don't show all of the colors and models of what the manufacturers distribute. I saw things on some of the display boards and racks at the manufacturers' booths that I never saw in a catalogue or on online.

It's up to the consumers to request their local tackle dealers to carry what you saw and liked at the shows. Believe it or not, you and I do have a lot to say about pricing, and styles and colors and personal preferences that affect the buying habits of the retailers but also the product development by the manufacturers. The dealers and representatives, do listen and they do share your concerns with their bosses.

Markups are not very much on rods and reels and so the market is very competitive. Many consumers will only shop by price and not by quality. Others shop by their own methods and for their particular needs. Manufacturers want your business so they can keep theirs. Shop around and ask for what you see and want. That's the beauty of the "shows". It's good for business and it's good for the consumers.

Again, if you are looking for garage sale and flea market prices, go to a flea market or garage sale. If you have no interest in buying a new outfit, but want to see what's out there, go to the show. It's an event. You're out of the house and you're that much closer to wetting a line. Or, you can sit at home and listen to your wife or girlfriend talk about all of the things she would like you to do. Enjoy the Expo. You can still make it if you leave now.

[hammer4reel]

Show had great traffic all three days .
was very few lulls . was nice seeing lots of old faces as well as many new ones.
One thing everyone agrees on its time for winter to end, and spring to get here already.

.

[emcjim]

Walking the aisles was not the main attraction for me. On Friday, I attended 4 seminars. That's the real value of the show, IMHO. 1st: Probably the farewell seminar for Al Ristori. He said he plans to sell his house in NJ and move to the house he owns in Florida. Followed up up by Tady lure presentation. Get the free lure and work it slow to medium -- otherwise it might spin. 2nd: Roy Leya, a Shimano rep, talked about surf fishing. Mostly a Cape Cod Canal guy, but fishes many places. Picked up a few good tips. 3rd: Capt Frank Tenore, fishing Raritan Bay. Mostly the same info as last year's seminar. But I did add to my notes taken last year. 4th: Douglas Zemeckis, a young PhD at Rutgers, talked about fish tagging. very interesting -- small audience, so a lot of back-and-forth dialog. I tagged fish for the ALS for some time, but now have stopped. Doug's seminar was very informative, well worth staying to late in the day to hear it.

[CadiShackFishing]

Jeff, me and my wife went on Saturday around 9:30 and got a good parking spot, walked right in and into the maze until 10 when it opened. Ended up going to the Jigging World booth and spending an hour there checking out the rods (of course buying a few). Walked the rows and picked up some jigs, shirts and other miscellaneous items. Got Dave from Tuna.com to autograph a shirt and picture. Stopped by the RFA booth said hello to Dave and Gerry where they were running the fishing simulator. In general though the venue was good. Now just need the weather to break and get out on the water.

[TerriMc223]

I had the pleasure of attending Saturday and Sunday. Got there early both days so no parking problems but it looks like parking is more limited than in Somerset. Buying my ticket ahead of time proved to be the way to go.
I too enjoyed the seminars more than the shopping. Nice to see such a variety of vendors from all over. Nice to see some of my fishing friends there.
Can't wait to start fishing again!

[Bigdaddyhockey]

This was my first year going to the show. We bought advance tickets and got there about 9:45 on Sunday. Parking was tough, but we managed to find a spot.

Once we were in, my son (14) and I had a great day. We are thinking about doing some upgrades to our gear but were not ready to buy just yet (though we did pick up a few smaller items). The goal was to get educated and to actually see the difference in person so that if we decide to order on-line, we would know what were are getting. The reps and salesmen could not have been more helpful. As others said, the show was crowded so you needed to have some patience, but if you were, the people were very willing to help and make great recommendations.

Two side bonuses were 1) meeting Dave and Paul, we came across their booth at a slow moment and they could not have been nicer. Answered all our questions and took pictures with my son we also attended the Q&A with them and 2) we met a lot of great charter boat captains especially the crew from Rhode Island. My oldest son (not at the show) has URI on his short list for school next year, and the Captains gave us great restaurant recommendations and information about the area - bigger bonus is that their are docked 10 minutes from campus so I definitely foresee some extended weekend visit with some fishing mixed in if he ends up at URI.

Overall it was just a great day for me and my son just soaking up the atmosphere together.