Opening day: Chicagoland Fishing, Travel & Outdoor Expo

Throwback Thursday came on opening day at the Chicagoland Fishing, Travel & Outdoor Expo at the Schaumburg Convention Center.

For a change, a major fishing manufacturer held a significant new product release at a Chicago outdoor show, just like the old days.

Shimano released its new SKIXX muskie rods at its booth. Jim Saric, one of Chicago’s best multispecies anglers and the host of Musky Hunter TV, worked on the development of the rods for the last year and a half.

‘‘It is the most technologically advanced rod I have ever used,’’ he said.

Shimano’s Spiral X and Hi-Power X technology reduces rod twist and eliminates lateral vibration during the cast.

Saric said he increased the distance on his casts by 20 percent during testing and said much less energy is expended when doing an ordinary cast. He also found he had better control of the fish.

There are seven casting models, ranging from 8 feet to 9½ feet in length. A few of the rods feature a two-piece handle, construction that was honed with saltwater rods.

Saric recommended the 9½-foot rod for things such as Cowgirls; the 9-foot extra-heavy rod for giant soft plastics, such as Bull Dawgs; the 9-foot medium-heavy rod for topwaters; and the 8-foot extra-heavy rod for things such as Suicks and Phantoms.

Shimano’s John Mazurkiewicz said the last big release at a Chicago outdoor show was of the Tranx reel at the old Chicago Muskie Show. That was eight years ago. (I looked it up.)

Though the Tranx reel debuted at the Chicago Muskie Show, it wasn’t available for sale for another few weeks. The SKIXX rods are available at the Schaumburg Show. Shimano’s Kyle Danhausen said the new SKIXX rods are on sale at Fish Tech (Booth 524), The Anglers Outlet (Booth 410) and Presleys Outdoors (Booth 320). The suggested retail price is $399.99.

At The Anglers Outlet booth, Glen Gajewski showed some other things they were doing besides the release of the SKIXX rods. They have a Fenwick Techna rod priced at $199.99, but there is a show discount of 10 percent.

The coolest guys in the room were probably around the Cast Crew (Booth 420). My favorite booth, as usual, was Lee’s Global Tackle (Booth 220). I’m always drawn to the birds-of-prey exhibit. Wings and Talons is in Booth 720.

Dale Bowman

I think kids of all ages will enjoy the Great Lakes Fishery Commission booth (Booth 908), with its focus on sea-lamprey control. I also enjoyed talking with Mike Ryan about early coho fishing around Michigan City and Portage in Indiana. It’s good on a butterworm on a jig under a bobber.

Speaking of kids, Chauncey’s Great Outdoors (Booths 24-27) is in its usual corner and includes the Chicago Herpetological Society and Dan Basore’s historical fishing exhibit. A casting contest for high schoolers is on Sunday.

Commemorative Creations & Customs (Booth 105), which preserves memories through things such as ashes used on or with fishing lures, is back. Maybe you have to be of a certain age to appreciate this booth.

The quip of the day came during Mark O’Neill’s (structure-fishing.com) presentation. He asked, ‘‘How many fish Lake Geneva?’’ to a good show of hands. He followed that with, ‘‘How many do any good?’’

I caught YouTuber Oliver Ngy’s ‘‘The Secrets to Trophy Fishing’’ at the Hawg Trough. I wanted to see what he was like doing a seminar. While he dropped a ‘‘That’s what makes fishing dope,’’ he also went nuts-and-bolts on his line usage and knots.

Dale Bowman

Women draw special notice this year with a Women in Fishing meet-and-greet at 9 a.m. Sunday. At 10 a.m., Heather Hodson, Geri Meyer, Jen Ripple, Cheryl Smith and Linda Leary will do a panel discussion. Women are more noticeable at booths this year.

Considering I look at thousands of fish photos every year, I had to do Hodson’s ‘‘Fishing Photography: Think Outside of the Box of Classic Grip and Grin’’ seminar.

She said she was a rodeo photographer ‘‘back in the day, and my brothers and dad were ropers.’’

She has 24,436 photos on her iPhone.

‘‘I use my iPhone 85 percent of the time,’’ she said.

She showed different looks of the same experience from different perspectives and angles. Her coolest photos come from an AquaTech innovation for underwater shooting. She uses Snapseed as an editing program.

She offered a few tidbits that stuck:

• ‘‘I like to focus on eyeballs’’ makes a lot of sense to anglers.

• ‘‘Don’t zoom in, move closer. Or buy a ginormous lens.’’

• ‘‘I’m a sucker for a bent-rod photo.’’

The show runs through Sunday. More information is available at chicagoland.sportshows.com.