ISE

Took the kids Sunday to the show, for the last time. I hate to say it, but the show was 1/10th of the show of last year, which was decreased form the year before. It was great chatting with Allen, and grubbin on fair food. There were not many exhibits, and the ones that were there were scaled back. I did enjoy Fisherman's Warehouse's, it always rocks, and I dumped about $30 there. Other than that, not a lot to write about. Glad I had an exhibitor's pass and free parking, or I would have called the cops and reported a robbery.

Glad I had other plans at the last min. Thanks

I used to always make the show, but the same old thing every year, no real great deals on gear, and raising prices have kept me away for the past two years.  Doesn't sound like I missed anything.  I went fishing instead...it was much more enjoyable!

I was in the car driving there last Thurs. eve. for a much anticipated 3 hrs of ISE.
But, when I passed Big 5 sporting goods, I couldn't resist and blew the show off.
Thanks for making me feel good about my Big 5 detour

My buddy from Oregon has had a booth there for a few years, but not this year. It got slow over the last couple years do to the economy of course. Now he lost his succesful salmon resort in Canada because they couldn't get the clientel back there to bring in the $. Fewer $ means less business, means fewer vendors at these shows. I know because I made my living at other types of shows and now I don't do them either. These shows cost a bundle to just be there with your store or product. By the last day you hope to be making a profit.

Nice to see I didn't miss much. Went out fishing on Saturday instead of spending money here.  Am looking forward to our swap meet at Shelter Cove where all the vendors are willing to deal!

Yeah, glad we didn't make the trek with all the reports saying it sucked...  We instead went to a couple local tackle shops and blew 40$ on some new lures and scents    Sounds like it was the right idea 

too bad.......internet companies have taken all the *NEW & just released* dollar grabbing alure from these types of shows,,,,and the lack of cash in the pockets of the general public......it sure used to be fun to attend.

That show used to be huge when I was a kid, and it wasn't just tackle....always boats you can climb in and out of, off road vehicles and atv's, camping equipment, RV's, all the hunting stuff.  Better than disneyland as far as I was concerned.   The mounts at the alaskan lodges used to exhibit would blow me away....rockfish as big as I was, 60lb kings, 300lb halibut, insane.  I used to dig picking up all the promo brochures and free stickers/hats/shirts....whatever I could get my grubby hands on.  Sales were HUGE, all the shops used to clear out their old stock at the show and the best deals to be had were on sunday afternoon, everybody was lookin to unload so they wouldn't have to repack and drag the stuff back with em, being a kid I think I got quite a few hookups tossed in with my purchases.

Last show I went too was about 5 or 6 years ago, only thing I really recall was paying out the nose for parking and entrance.....getting charged for the privelege of spending my money was a crazy concept and probably not the best business model??? 

It'd be nice to see a Day at the Docks Style Event with a big parking lot sale in HMB or even in Moss Landing (that street out to the south jetty would be perfect to block off and have a block party type sale)
 

Two of my boys thought we support the local economy and drive to Sac for the ISE. Went to Squeeze In for a deluxe cheese burger (The bomb!), went to the show and then tried to get into Tex Wasabi (no luck maybe next time) ... Great time with my boys. Did end up buying two tiger stiks and two 6501 from Sportsman Warehouse. Those folks were great to do business with. I saved money on no shipping and no tax for the show. They gave us two jackets and line. Overall, good day with my boys... ISE was a bit light.

I did run into an old friend and excellent fishing guide, Kevin Brook. He had a booth there and did some speaking. I do not think I have seen Kevin in years. Kevin and I go back a few years. That guy is truly a fish whisper! We have great stories of catching limits of salmon in the Feather in an hour when nobody else could hook their own lip. One day Kevin and I were fly fishing Lake Davis. He caught one fish after another all over 18 inches, me none, while we were using the same line, leader, tippet and flys. At one point I snipped off his fly put it on my line. He still out fished me. lol

If I hadn't been given two free passes I wouldn't have gone. $55 bucks just for my brother, his wife and me to park and walk in the door. On top of it the vendors don't see a dime of that. Cal Expo makes the real money. I've been going for a number of years now, but the quality of the show keeps going down. Vendor have told me just how much it costs just to have a booth there. Way too much if you ask me. I still had a decent time, but I wouldn't have paid full price. I would have just stayed home.

I can't believe you guys whine so much. You all are going to get your wish. NO MORE SPORT SHOWS. And with the liberals running the "State of Confusion", it won't be long before fishing and hunting is outlawed.


I don't know if you've noticed, but the "there is less at the show this year than last year, it sucked" attitude has eliminated all of the bay area sport shows:

• SF Sport and Boat Show ( 2 week show)- GONE
• Fred Hall Show(10 day show)- GONE
• Pleasanton Sport, Boat and RV show (2 week show) -GONE
• Santa Rosa Sport and Boat Show (5 day show)- GONE 
• Pleasanton ISE Show ( 4 day show, cut to 3 days) then- GONE 
• San Mateo ISE Show (5 days cut to 4 days) -GONE 
• Bakersfield ISE show - GONE 
• I could GO ON AND ON with gun shows and fly fishing shows

You ALL have no one to blame it on but yourselves. You don't HAVE TO BUY SOMETHING at the show to have value. But you DO have to show up. It is entertainment. You WILL NEVER get a GREAT deal at the sport shows. You may be able to find a deal from a vendor, but for the most part, that is NOT why those vendors are there ( to close a sale that day- some are admittedly). Most are doing advertising to get a future purchase/business from you, whether it is a lodge, guide, product manufacturer, or beef jerky vendor. If you are going to a sport show to by $40 worth of hooks, STAY HOME OR TAKE UP GOLF! I could understand the whining if you are unemployed, ( BUT 90% of this country STILL HAS A JOB) but why are you going to a sport show if you are unemployed anyway (unless you are looking for a job)? The whole IDEA of a sport show is to be entertained, and it is CHEAP entertainment at that. 15% of the booths at the sport shows are non-profit groups to provide you with outdoor activities, whether it is Caltrout, RMEF or RFA and that is where they get out most of their information to new faces. It is a place to bring the unsupportive  spouse or family member and introduce them to the fishing and hunting world without getting dirty.


You complain about entry fee and parking, 10 days ago I drove down from Oregon to entertain my niece on her 16th birthday. I took her to dinner on Fisherman's Wharf at  Alioto's ( $125 with tip, $24 parking for 2 hours), shopping in Union Square to pick out her own present ( $425  PLUS $16 parking), and then we went to a movie (Gulliver's Travels) ( $11 x2, $8 parking and $22 soda, popcorn, candy),  $6 bridge Golden Gate Bridge toll, plus other junk I didn't keep track of... I spent $48 to park my van and I was in that city less than 6 hours. Nobody ever complains about that. I consider that a CHEAP birthday present. At least I didn't have to buy her a car. That isn't counting the $120 roundtrip fuel from Salem to Windsor, to SF and back.

We hunters and anglers are our own worst enemy. If we don't go to the sport shows, the vendors see no value in showing up either, which continues the downward spiral.

Most of us vendors go home sick form the shows, exhausted, I personally have gotten the flu 7 times,  Strep throat twice and pneumonia once  in 15 years,( because the public never washes their hands and coughs all over everyone), while the entire time putting on a smiley face to entertain the unwashed masses. Mooch made fun of me a couple years ago when I fell asleep in the head at San Mateo from exhaustion. The shows are right in the middle of the BEST PART of duck season, the BEST part of Steelhead season, which we vendors all get to miss for your pleasure. I lose my voice by the end of every show, and I have listened to all of the greenhorns destroy duck, goose and elk calls to the point my EARS BLEED.

Guess what, WE vendors never break even on sport shows. But in this industry, you have to go or you will be out of business soon. It is more about developing a relationship with your current and future customer than "selling the store". By the time you add in the labor to bring product to the show, staff the booth, pay for the booth, hotels, food, pilferage and shrink, packing it all up and restocking the store, PLUS all the loss revenue at the store while you were away... YOU NEVER break even. But a tackle store can't afford TV advertising and where else can you get your name and storefront in front of YOUR TARGET MARKET.

 MontanaN8V- did you take your kids to the youth fair? There is over $80,000 of "donated" labor, booth space, FREE products, PRIZES just to entertain your kids, AND THEY GET IN FREE! Just at the fishing pond there is more than 500 hours of labor.

You soon may get your wish, Sport, Boat, Fishing, Hunting and RV shows will soon be a thing of the past. I'll still go to the SHOT show and the AMFTA shows, thank GOD  retail customers are prohibited from those shows. It is a completely different atmosphere there.

You will NEVER get a $$$ value from entertainment money. If you think you can, please justify spending $3400 for 3 day trip to Disneyland for 4 people ( done on "the cheap").

ouch......i guess no one has ever broke it down like that.......i regret not spending more money whan i had the chance to.

I can see your point TN.  As a kayak angler, I guess my expectation was to see more new products introduction at the show to "entertain" me but I was disappointed.  I've been going to the ISE in the last 5 years and if there's little change next year then I'd rather be fishing.

SF Sport and Boat Show ( 2 week show)- GONE
Fred Hall Show(10 day show)- GONE
Pleasanton Sport, Boat and RV show (2 week show) -GONE
Santa Rosa Sport and Boat Show (5 day show)- GONE
Pleasanton ISE Show ( 4 day show, cut to 3 days) then- GONE
San Mateo ISE Show (5 days cut to 4 days) -GONE
Bakersfield ISE show - GONE
I could GO ON AND ON with gun shows and fly fishing shows

Markets change, things evolve. If people don't go, there is a reason. Maybe everyone's (facilities, vendors, customers) motivations are irreconcilable.

Ben