The International Sportsmen’s Exposition has something for everyone.Photo by William Heinselman
My fishing buddy Dominic Donofrio told me he was headed to the International Sportsmen’s Exposition in Sacramento. I could not resist.
Our trip was better than being at an amusement park. Don’t get me wrong, folks, parks are fun, but the ISE was informative with an opportunity, and it was so vast in size that we didn’t cover more than half the exposition.
The 2016 International Sports-men’s Exposition was held at Cal Expo. The show rotates from state to state giving hunters, fishermen, boaters and outdoor lovers a little piece of paradise once a year; paradise as in so many activities and products at nicely reduced prices that it’s hard to see it all in a single day.
We gathered at Bill Heger’s place and soon, Bill’s neighbor, Jack Herion, arrived and we all loaded into Dominic’s car. I hadn’t met Jack before but found him to be a brother-in-fishing just like the rest of us. Bill, Dominic and Jack are real bass guys, so the day was sure to make an interesting story for me.
Blake Penrod offers Radical Glow fishing tackle at the event.
We got to Cal Expo at 11:15 a.m. Our arrival marked the opening hour of the four-day event and we got right in. Parking was $10 and entry was another $15, but that was still a bargain for such an event. People were everywhere, buildings were full of adventures and there were outdoor exhibits, and smoke rose from the variety of places where food was sold. I was alive with expectations at this point.
Dominic, Bill, Jack and I entered the Pavilion building that was dedicated to fishing. The place was full of representatives showing off products and crowds shopped. Audiences listened to live bass seminars and rows and rows of boats of all makes and designs were seen. The action was nonstop as masses of people moved about.
While looking through the hundreds of tackle displays, I noticed everything from sonar units with global positioning system links to plastic lures, pontoon boats and downriggers. Everything was on special. I even noticed a smart looking boat of my dreams.
Kayaks might get you close to the bite at area reservoirs.Photos by William Heinselman
Dominic and Bill spent some time looking at Dobyns Rods, known for landing bass. As with all the other booths, this one allowed us to handle any rod of our choice to get the feel of weight, speed and balance. It wasn’t long before Bill purchased two fast-action rods, one spinning and one bait-caster, while Dominic purchased a fast-action spinning rod. Bill mentioned they saved over $100 on the three rods combined.
Through our journey we bought fishing lures, signed up for outdoors magazines, met several fishing guides and marveled at the many products offered up. I bought three wiggle Hootchies for kokanee and trout, a spinnerbait for bass and a nice set of planer boards, all for the total price of only $51.
We ended our day with a meal at the food court. There was plenty of action on the day, even if we didn’t hit the local lake. A big thanks to my buddies for a day well spent.
Tip of the Week – The Inter-national Sportsmen’s Exposition is 38 years old and is a remarkable event for all outdoors enthusiasts. It offers meet-and-greet moments with Department of Fish and Wildlife staff and celebrities, and the chance to purchase the latest products in sports. You can talk with professionals about products, learn about guided hunting and fishing trips and more.
Stanley Van Muyden lands sweet 8- and 9-pound rainbow trout at Lake Amador with a Rapala lure.Courtesy photo
On the water:
Don Pedro – The water level is rising nicely to levels that have reopened the Highway 49 launch ramp at Moccasin in addition to the Fleming Meadows launch. Trout action is slow with most action coming from bank anglers in the Fleming area. The bass bite is on hold while the fish are in winter mode. The lake is stained from all the recent storms.
New Melones – The trout bite is slow, although the winter months are usually the best. Action from the banks should improve quickly as the lake receives trout plants. The bass are fair fishing, with several 2- to 4-pound spots coming to the net. Try drop-shots, jigs and spoons.
New Hogan – The lake has risen 11 percent since summer. The water is stained with debris in the river arm and the fishing is slow. It’s probably best to try the river arm for catfish.
Camanche – Trout plants are conducted weekly. The South Shore Trout Pond is rated best at Camanche. Trout to 8 pounds are reported. The North and South Shore day-use areas are also good bets with PowerBaits. The bass action is fair for drop-shot fishing deep with good sized fish reported weekly.
Amador – This small lake is rising; it’s less than 20-feet from full. Weekly plants keep the trout biting everywhere. From the shore, try PowerBaits, worms, spoons and crappie jigs. Trolling broken-back Rapalas is another proven method for landing large trout. It’s not uncommon to catch trout larger than 5 pounds.
Reach William Heinselman at solidgoldfishing.com.
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