05-02-2008, 08:21 PM
A new sport show is coming to Oconomowoc from March 7 to March 9 at the Olympia Resort and Conference Center.
Chuck Smalley, a Milwaukee resident who is one of the show's promoters, said it will be a grassroots show.
"This will be a show that is balanced between hunting and fishing," he said. "We understand that most people who hunt also fish, so we are keeping it as a broad range of exhibitors and seminar speakers for everyone to enjoy."
Smalley was a firefighter for years until an on-the-job accident sent him into early retirement. That's when he began guiding full-time on Waukesha County lakes and he expanded his muskie lure business.
"Lloyd Findling and I both own muskie lure companies and have exhibited for years at other shows," he said. "There are a lot of good events out there but often times they are too narrow of a focus to draw large crowds. We love doing the muskie shows, but it is hard to get the numbers in the door to be very successful."
All the time spent at shows has helped them gain credibility among other exhibitors, so they had an edge when starting this show.
"We know a lot of people," he said. "And they trust us to run a good show."
Smalley says a 50-50 mix of hunting and fishing for the event is the goal.
"In fact, we are full right now for fishing exhibitors," he said. "We have had to turn some away because we need to add some more hunting businesses to our mix. We hope this will please everyone."
Smalley wants the new show to be a combined effort between promoters and exhibitors.
"We are taking what our clients and friends say seriously," he said. "For instance, we wanted to solve the problem that all shows have those last few hours of the show in the evening when it tends to slow down. To do this, we are having (former Mukwonago resident) Joe Bucher as a speaker, but he will also have a show with his band later after the show. We hope this will keep people in the show until the end, and keep people spending money with our vendors."
They are also addressing the hunting/fishing combo by having speakers who are from both ends of the game. There will be speakers for duck hunting, several species of angling, turkey calling, blood trailing, GPS and trophy buck hunting.
"We plan on having an exhibition on the lake behind the show," Smalley said. "People can see how these tactics really work. We even are going to have an archery lane so people can try out a bow before they buy it."
Local fishing expert and guide Eric Haataja will talk Sunday about spring brown trout angling.
"We have about the best brown trout fishing in the world right out our back door," Haataja said. "This seminar will come at the perfect time because people can learn from me unconventional tactics right when the fishing is getting good on Lake Michigan. They can learn how to catch the fish and go out the next day and try out the tactics."
(Dan Durbin writes a weekly outdoors column for The Freeman. Call Durbin at 644-7940, or e-mail him at ddurbin@bastdurbin.com if you have a story idea.)
SHOW HOURS
The show runs from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. March 7, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. March 8 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 9
For more Information: Go to www.sewifishandhunt.com
Chuck Smalley, a Milwaukee resident who is one of the show's promoters, said it will be a grassroots show.
"This will be a show that is balanced between hunting and fishing," he said. "We understand that most people who hunt also fish, so we are keeping it as a broad range of exhibitors and seminar speakers for everyone to enjoy."
Smalley was a firefighter for years until an on-the-job accident sent him into early retirement. That's when he began guiding full-time on Waukesha County lakes and he expanded his muskie lure business.
"Lloyd Findling and I both own muskie lure companies and have exhibited for years at other shows," he said. "There are a lot of good events out there but often times they are too narrow of a focus to draw large crowds. We love doing the muskie shows, but it is hard to get the numbers in the door to be very successful."
All the time spent at shows has helped them gain credibility among other exhibitors, so they had an edge when starting this show.
"We know a lot of people," he said. "And they trust us to run a good show."
Smalley says a 50-50 mix of hunting and fishing for the event is the goal.
"In fact, we are full right now for fishing exhibitors," he said. "We have had to turn some away because we need to add some more hunting businesses to our mix. We hope this will please everyone."
Smalley wants the new show to be a combined effort between promoters and exhibitors.
"We are taking what our clients and friends say seriously," he said. "For instance, we wanted to solve the problem that all shows have those last few hours of the show in the evening when it tends to slow down. To do this, we are having (former Mukwonago resident) Joe Bucher as a speaker, but he will also have a show with his band later after the show. We hope this will keep people in the show until the end, and keep people spending money with our vendors."
They are also addressing the hunting/fishing combo by having speakers who are from both ends of the game. There will be speakers for duck hunting, several species of angling, turkey calling, blood trailing, GPS and trophy buck hunting.
"We plan on having an exhibition on the lake behind the show," Smalley said. "People can see how these tactics really work. We even are going to have an archery lane so people can try out a bow before they buy it."
Local fishing expert and guide Eric Haataja will talk Sunday about spring brown trout angling.
"We have about the best brown trout fishing in the world right out our back door," Haataja said. "This seminar will come at the perfect time because people can learn from me unconventional tactics right when the fishing is getting good on Lake Michigan. They can learn how to catch the fish and go out the next day and try out the tactics."
(Dan Durbin writes a weekly outdoors column for The Freeman. Call Durbin at 644-7940, or e-mail him at ddurbin@bastdurbin.com if you have a story idea.)
SHOW HOURS
The show runs from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. March 7, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. March 8 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 9
For more Information: Go to www.sewifishandhunt.com