Last Wednesday the wife and I drove down to Long Beach and took in the Fred Hall Hunting and Fishing Show. It was smaller than the last time we went two years ago, but there were still lots of venders hyping or selling everything and anything connected with fishing, which was why we were there. We had a good time and weren’t disappointed in our afternoon shopping spree.
We’ve already booked a salmon fishing trip out of Canada on the MV Salmon Seeker for this year, but we wanted to check out other possible destinations for the following summer. There were lots of booths representing different places in Alaska and these were split about with about 60% for salt water and 40% for fresh water. Some great trips were available. Since we like to catch halibut along with our salmon, we stuck to gathering information only from those vendors. The limit for possession in Alaska on Kings this year was either 4 or 5 per fish per person for the year depending on the area you were fishing. The halibut limit was 2 and the take on Silver’s varied, but was more generous. That’s a lot of fish. There was only one booth touting salmon and halibut from Canada. That was a bit disappointing because their limits are usually slightly larger. Still, lots of good information was available and we’ll be following up the action online this year.
No problem finding California fishing trip information either. There were lots of booths from the larger salt water landings in San Diego and north up the coast to central California. You could get solid information or book an offshore or inshore fishing trip on site. There were a few fresh water destinations represented, too. Information about fishing Mammoth, the Kern River, and other rivers and lakes was available, although salt water fishing ruled the roost. The show is a very good place to learn what’s available if you aren’t already completely familiar with fishing California waters. California Department of Fish and Game also had a booth with plenty of handouts so you could check out local limits and marine closures.
There were numerous booths featuring all kinds of different tackle too, and the prices were very reasonable compared to most sporting goods stores. Shirts, sweats, and foul weather gear, some with “catchy” labels, were available. Along with fresh line and some other useful items we even bought a stove top grill, and we almost purchased a smoker, but it was too bulky to lug around. You could check out kayaks, boats, camper shells, and even SUV’s if you were so inclined.
Four hours well spent, and we plan on returning next year. It was a great place to get information on new gear to fill up the tackle box, or learn about other possible fishing adventures. The Long Beach show is over for this year, but the show moves to the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego County on March 22 through March 25, 2012. If you get the chance, you should go.