Sarley: My dream destination is a convention

Outdoors people usually have a dream destination or experience that haunts their minds. A hunter may fantasize about tracking monstrous elk in the rugged country found in Colorado.

Maybe a hunter craves a once-in-a-lifetime hunt for caribou in Western Canada’s frozen tundra. Fishermen may dream of hauling in 50-inch northern pike on a river along the Alaska/Canada border. Maybe the angler moons about spending hours trying to reel in a giant billfish off of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula.

I’m a different bird, I guess. Sure, I have a lot of wishes to go to exotic and faraway places to catch big fish and species I have never hooked before. Yes, I’d like to hunt in places that are far off and mysterious, looking for trophies I can only just barely imagine.

If I had to pick just one place I’d like to visit before my days are done, it would be making a return visit to the annual ICAST Convention. What? This guy must be out of his mind. Sarley’s gone goofy. Alert the authorities.

I know it sounds strange, but ICAST is an event I always wanted to attend and have been able to make the trip the past few years. My attendance streak is halted for health reasons, but I hope to attend again in 2026. ICAST is happening right now and I miss being there.

ICAST is the world’s largest sport fishing trade show. The show is produced by the American Sportfishing Association. The convention covers over 400,000 square feet and is attended by just under 10,000 people from the fishing business to see the latest innovations in gear, accessories and apparel.

Where else but ICAST can a guy spend days walking the aisles and engaging in conversation with the likes of Kevin VanDam, Jimmy Houston, Bill Dance and Jacob Wheeler? The big names are all out in force to support their sponsors.

What can I say? 400,000 square feet of rods, reels, boat accessories, lures, gear, clothing and much, much more is to me similar to what a toddler would feel like anticipating a trip to Orlando to get a glimpse of Disney’s famous mouse.

I’ll be getting all of the industry press releases from the show but it isn’t the same as actually being there in the flesh.

I will miss being a participant in the ICAST Cup which is a tournament held on Lake Toho. My first Cup was the first time I ever cruised past an alligator sunning in the morning warmth as my boat glided past him. Only in Florida.

I never won the Cup but always finished high and felt proud to be able to compete with such esteemed company.

The highlight of ICAST is the competition between the manufacturers in the New Product Showcase. The companies, big and small, enter their best new products into the Showcase, where tackle buyers, pros and media members get to vote on what they believe to be are the best new products in various diverse categories. The best of the winners in the categories compete for the best overall new product. Seeing the winners celebrate at the awards presentation proves how important this victory really is.

I sure wish I was in Orlando this week, especially since our weather is just as abnormally oppressive as theirs is this summer.

I’ll be getting the reports on the convention and look forward to reporting to you on the newest and most revolutionary products that are coming out for us to fool our favorite swimming critters. I still wish I was there instead.

• Daily Herald Outdoors columnist Steve Sarley can be reached at sarfishing@yahoo.com.