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Posts: 859
Location: MN | I’m just starting Muskie fishing this year but have been fishing a long time. Here are my thoughts on the show as a first timer… And I would like to hear what other folks thought. I attended Friday and Saturday and took part in the lure swap.
1. Location and the facility: I liked it. I never at any time felt like it was too crowded and always found a place to park fairly close the show. Not sure how well attend the show was as I had no prior experience. Plenty of bathrooms, inexpensive food… Really nice job by the organizer.
2. Vendors: Everyone was very nice. Muskie guys are pretty lucky that you can talk to the guys making your lures and products. That doesn’t really happen any other area of fishing. I think some of the highlights for me were getting to chat with Fred Hirsch of Ghosttail and talking with Fudally tackle and having spinner bait worked up, and the Guys in the Tackle Industries both were amazing I stopped in 4-5 times to pick stuff up and then finally get a rod.
3. Speakers: were great sources of information like anything each person would find one speaker more helpful then the other. My top pick was Ben Olsen and the guide panel he did. For a first timer it was just so helpful in understanding what equipment and techniques there spending their time on. Helped me to reshape my budget and where I would spend my dollars.
4. Deals: Lot of good prices and deals to be had, major cost savings on lures, and also having easy access to stuff you don’t always see.
5. Reel Booths: PikeMaster was of great help, I look forward to sending in my reels. I stopped in to the Abu Booth to talk about an old reel I bought and left with the parts to fix it at no cost! Shimano looked to be taking care of folks as well.
6. Attendees: Folks were all really nice and it was great to see a good number of families.
7. Swap Meet: Amazingly fun and plenty of great deals, and a nice location. I had a great time.
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Posts: 1039
Location: North St. Paul, MN | Nathan, were you the guy just starting out that got me to go $10 for a 9" shallow raider and twin 8 black and silver bucktail? Just curious...what else did you get at the swap?
Show is always a great time. This year was new for me. I got the opportunity to work in the North Metro Muskies Inc. Booth. I was a little nervous at first, being the new guy, but by day two I felt like I fit right in. I also made some new acquaintances within the organization...hopefully guys I fish with in the future.
Also, had the most fun at the swap I think I've ever had since I started going about 6 years ago. Could it have been due to the fact that I wasn't driving and a few beers...probably?!? But I talked to a lot of guys, made some deals, and sold some of my stuff.
Friday night was great with my 6 year old daughter. Made a bucktail, painted crankbait, painted a shad body, got another crankbait from Tackle Industries (thanks James and crew!), serviced up an Abu reel, and Team Rhino hooked up my girl with a pink and purple Medussa.
Great show...can't wait for next year's!
Edited by muskyroller 4/13/2015 3:15 PM
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Posts: 859
Location: MN | Nope, I picked up 2 reef hawgs,2 spinnerbaits, 2 super shadraps, 2 big rattle trap type lures. Geez that's a lot of twos. I bought everything from one guy who had the biggest spread. I didn't negotiate since the prices tossed out were more then fair.
I also picked up another super shad rap and a drop belly slammer glider from two other folks.
Edited by NathanH 4/13/2015 3:28 PM
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Posts: 1039
Location: North St. Paul, MN | Sweet...I got his only Manta Hang 10 for CHEAP, plus a smaller bucktail from him. |
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Posts: 1901
Location: MN | Attendance was way down on Saturday, so I'm sure overall numbers were nothinbg to write home about. Almost to a person, all the vendors I spoke with said the same thing - it needs to be earlier in the year, because when you get a nice weekend in April it's difficult to get people to come. |
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Posts: 1150
Location: Minnesota. | Was a good show on opening Friday. My first musky expo and it won't be a last. It was "gently" busy, not packed.
I really didn't need a lot so it was a pleasure just to meet some very nice folk, pick up an unneeded bait and some trebles and have a look around at some baits and rods that were really nice deals if I were needy. In past years I surely would've picked them up.
My satisfaction came from meeting a bunch of good guys (and gals) and getting the blood flowing. Great for a springtime event.
Jeremy. |
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Posts: 4343
Location: Smith Creek | I was in town and considered stopping but was under the impression that 94 was closed over the river.
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Posts: 32934
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | 94 was closed on Saturday, and that is the main reason Saturday's attendance was down. I bet attendance overall wasn't off form last year more than a couple hundred, because it was up Friday, and should have been up Sunday. We'll see. |
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Posts: 1084
Location: Aurora | 94 being closed didn't stop my smart phone, me or, any of the other heavily medicated groupies i'm down with from finding the show or the swap. |
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Posts: 1000
| Concordia was tough to park at last year, but the show makes it worth it. 94 was brutal. from crystal we went 100N to 694E to 35W to 35th. City streets from there. |
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Posts: 99
| I was surprised that it didn't start earlier in the day. It probably wouldn't have mattered to me this year as I worked all weekend and couldn't make it up there.  |
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | It's getting more bizzy every year. I would like to see it in a new bigger location . |
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Posts: 3157
| Some things to think about,,,if it's held earlier like it used to be in March expect 1 out 3 years to get pasted with a snow storm blizzard because that's what the history was. Not a big deal for metro guys but people from out state or other states might have to.miss comming. if people let 94 keep them away this past weekend imagine what a blizzard will do.
Also there are two big muskie expo s in Chicago in January and Milwaukee n Feb along with a couple others by having this one in April it gives the small bait dealers time to make more baits after their supplys have been worn down which means you will get a better selection.
Concordia only lets the show have the center during spring break otherwise it's used for the school sports.
A bigger venue would be nice but figure in a bigger admission fee too to pay for the extra rent.
People liked the old blaine sports center but after the remodel the rent got ridiculous and no boats on their new turf. The scwann center was suggested but that's not big enough you would have to also use the second building that's attached to it by walkway and if you know vendors??? All the vendors who would be in the second building would complain that people spend all their money in the first building they enter.
The expo has a facebook page if you want to leave your comments or suggestions. |
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Location: MN | If you don't like the crowds I'd suggest going Saturday afternoon. By about 3-4 pm on Saturday the place was practically empty.
I had a blast at my first show. It was really cool being able to chat with the guides and the lure/rod manufacturers. Next year I'll probably try to get there Friday for a couple hours to get some custom colors, then go Saturday afternoon to check everything else out and then make my way to the swap meet. |
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Posts: 859
Location: MN | Nershi - 4/14/2015 2:57 PM
If you don't like the crowds I'd suggest going Saturday afternoon. By about 3-4 pm on Saturday the place was practically empty.
I had a blast at my first show. It was really cool being able to chat with the guides and the lure/rod manufacturers. Next year I'll probably try to get there Friday for a couple hours to get some custom colors, then go Saturday afternoon to check everything else out and then make my way to the swap meet.
Your plan for next year is what I did this year and it worked out great. |
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Posts: 833
| Attendance definitely felt down from last year. Friday was about on part with the way it usually is. I did not attend Saturday this year. I was there on Sunday AM with my family and it wasn't very busy. I'm sure the weather was partially to blame as was the road closure. Last year the place was packed, but it was rainy, wet, and cold outside, plus the lakes still had ice on them. In 2012 when we had early ice out, the attendance was down also. It happens... |
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Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | Brad P - 4/14/2015 3:56 PM
Attendance definitely felt down from last year. Friday was about on part with the way it usually is. I did not attend Saturday this year. I was there on Sunday AM with my family and it wasn't very busy. I'm sure the weather was partially to blame as was the road closure. Last year the place was packed, but it was rainy, wet, and cold outside, plus the lakes still had ice on them. In 2012 when we had early ice out, the attendance was down also. It happens...
I thought for a Friday it was pretty packed to be honest, But I have only ever been there on Saturday before, so there is that
I was there from 2 on Friday till about 5pm. Your a hard man to miss brad, but it always felt like I was just steps behind you. Talked to big mama guy for a while said you had just left. Then I talked to someone else, mentioned you and they said you just left. I looked for ya, just never found ya.
p.s. I picked up my first headlock this year. I think I am going to hit Sugar on opener with it for some REDEMPTION!!!
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