Get advice from the pros at Chicagoland Fishing, Travel & Outdoor Expo
The Progressive Insurance Chicagoland Fishing, Travel & Outdoor Expo returns to Schaumburg this week with more than 100 travel-related exhibitors and a seminar lineup featuring elite anglers.
Show hours are noon to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24-27, at Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg.
Admission is $13 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-11, and free for ages 5 and younger. For details, visit www.sportshows.com/chicago/index.html.
The show welcomes guests, old and new, to learn, see, shop and enjoy. Billed as a one-stop outdoors experience, the show offers opportunities to stock up on the latest gear from major tackle manufacturers, buy a new fishing boat or even book a trip.
This show's features include:
• Lure Like the Pros at The Hawg Trough: The Hawg Trough is a massive, 5,000-gallon fish tank that houses monster large mouth bass. Guests will have the chance to learn from the pros as they demonstrate the latest lures and how they behave in the water.
• Family Fun at the Fishing Simulator: Grab a rod and go fishing. This realistic fishing simulator allows the user to experience all the excitement of catching a fish through a large screen TV. The pull on the line even simulates the action of the fish.
• Musky Madness Friday: After a day of seminars featuring tips and tricks from some of the most notable musky anglers, angler Jim Saric will host a Q&A forum, giving guests the chance to win the ultimate Musky Tackle Package. The package will include a St. Croix rod, Daiwa reel and Stormr Strkyr jacket.
• Birds of prey: Get up close and personal with the birds of prey with the assistance of trained raptor handlers from Wings and Talons: Raptor Education, Stewardship and Conservation. Guests will have the opportunity to see and learn about animals such as the great horned owl, barred owl, Eastern screech owl, Western screech owl, American kestrel and two red-tailed hawks, as well as learn about preservation and conservation.
Seminars
In addition to hearing from pro favorites like Seth Feider and John Crews, guests should expect a weekend full of informative seminars, including:
• Thursday, Jan. 24: Bass Fishing with Brandon Palaniuk. One of the most popular pros and 2017 Angler of the Year, Palaniuk is known for his success on the bass fishing tournament circuit. He will be sharing his secrets at the show in two seminars: “Winter Bass Tactics” at 1:30 p.m. and “Tips for More Bass Fishing Success” at 5:30 p.m.
• Friday, Jan. 25: Fish Like Hall-of-Famer Joe Bucher, National Freshwater Fish Hall of Fame Inductee Bucher is one of the most highly regarded multispecies authorities in the outdoor trade. Having founded Musky Hunter Magazine and pioneered many of the musky hunting techniques that have since been adopted by many, Bucher will share “Overlooked Tricks That Trigger Bigger Fish Strikes!” at 4 p.m.
• Saturday, Jan, 26: Enjoy the love of the sport with “Z.” One of the most recognizable faces in outdoor television, Mark Zona is the current host of “Zona's Awesome Fishing Show” on the Outdoor Channel, which encourages outdoorsmen and women to have fun with fishing. Zona will be sharing his passion and approach to the sport in his seminar “In Pursuit of Monster Smallies” at 1:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Jan, 27: Bassmaster Junior National Champion Carter Wijangco. Naperville native Wijangco has been fishing since he was in kindergarten. Four years into the tournament circuit, he earned 1st place in the Bassmaster Junior National Championships in 2017. Speaking to novice and aspiring anglers, he will host “Angling for All Ages” at 1 p.m. during the show's “family day.”