Family-friendly fishing, travel expo returns to Schaumburg
The Chicagoland Fishing Travel & Outdoor Expo returns to the Schaumburg Convention Center Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 28-31, offering opportunities to improve your fishing knowledge through seminars with local and national fishing professionals, see and buy the newest equipment, book a trip, or buy a new fishing boat.
The show, from noon to 8 p.m. the first two days, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, features more than 100 travel-related exhibitors (including guides, lodges, resorts and regional promotion agencies), most of the major fishing tackle manufacturers, local fishing retailers and almost 100 fishing boats.
Admission is $12, $3 for children ages 5-11 and free for younger children. Tickets are for sale online at sportshows.com/chicago, or for cash only at the door. The convention center is at 1551 N. Thoreau Drive.
Among the features at the show are the Hawg Trough, a 5,000-gallon fish tank loaded with large mouth bass. Pro fishermen will be demonstrating new and tried-and-true lures.
The Northern Illinois Raptor Center, a charitable organization formed to bring together specialists in education, conservation, research, veterinary medicine and the cultural heritage of falconry, will have on display a live great horned owl, a barred owl, a male American kestrel and a red tail hawk. Staff will answer questions about the birds.
The realistic fishing simulator offers a chance to watch on a large-screen TV as the fish you've just hooked jumps and dives while the pull on the line simulates the action of the fish.
The Fisherman's Boatyard will show off new models from Lund, Crestliner, G3, Ranger, Skeeter, Prince Craft, Sea Ark, Bass Cat, Alumacraft, Bayliner, Avalon, Sun Tracker, Tahoe, Crest, Smokercraft and others.
The 50-foot casting pond offers a chance to try out new rods and reels, or to learn the quiet sport of fly fishing with daily introductory classes and seminars by experienced fly casters on varied techniques targeting both warm and cold water species.
Chauncey from Chauncey's Great Outdoors on ESPN AM 1000 will be at the show with a nature center area for kids and adults to experience live animals and reptiles, outdoor games and other activities.
DRiFT will again offer its Youth Fly Tying instruction program with all the materials and tools provided on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Friday is Musky Madness day with seminars by Musky anglers including Joe Bucher, Jim Saric and others. There will be an evening question and answer forum with the pros.
Sunday is Family Day with events including BASSMaster CastingKids "cast, pitch and flip" competition open to young people in two age groups, 7-10 and 11-14. During the last hour of the competition, the Illinois BASS Federation Nation will conduct the Illinois Casting Kids State Championship.
Other activities Sunday include a Kid Scavenger Hunt and a free tackle box for the first 100 children 11 and under accompanied by a paying adult.