News and notes from the Chicagoland Fishing, Travel & Outdoor Expo

A hulking muskie reproduction most caught my eye Thursday on opening day at the Chicagoland Fishing, Travel & Outdoor Expo. The show runs through Sunday.

When I looked closer, the reproduction was of Nolan Sprengeler’s Minnesota-record muskie, caught Nov. 22, 2021, from Mille Lacs. His record weighed 55 pounds, 14 ounces. The reproduction included the bait the fish was caught on a 15-inch paddle tail.

Then I looked at the guy behind the muskie in the booth and realized it was Sprengeler. It was his Avid Fishing Adventures booth (708). He was advertising his guiding services on Green Bay and in Minnesota, as he plans to guide full time this year.

In other show notes:

• I am drawn to e-bikes, so I had to stop at the Pedego booth (left to the wall as you come in and down toward the hawg trough). They are being sold at several suburban franchises around Chicago. An e-bike is going to be my next major outdoors-related purchase, for personal, fishing and hunting uses. On a practical level, in terms of solid advice, very glad I stopped. More another day.

Dale Bowman

• Jim Grandt was celebrating 40 years in the business (a local one) with a 40th anniversary rod, which is $150 off at the show. Grandt Industries, Inc. is at booth 230.
• I had to stop at Mike Mladenik Outdoors (418) and ask Mladenik how long he has been doing his work writing and guiding. At 68, he said it’s 45 years. He has no plans to retire and said he will keep going until he physically can’t.
• Good to see Capt. Ralph Steiger Charters booth (424) with Steiger again booking trips beginning in the spring. Good chance to swap some tall tales, too.
• Good to see a national figure like Ish Monroe working the Daiwa booth (337).
• Good, too, to meet and chat with Louis Monetti at the Bizz Baits booth (638). I picked up a few tips on Knoxville, Tennessee, in case I hit the Bassmaster Classic in March. In less than an hour, I plan to sit in on Monetti’s first seminar up on the fish tank, since I did a column on him yesterday.
• Dan Basore pulled me into his historical fishing display and showed me a find of Larry Ramsell’s book, “Mostly Antique Just Muskellunge (and related) Post Cards.” I loved it and forgot to tell Basore that my unfinished master’s thesis was half on postcards. He also tipped me to an upcoming event.
• And yes, the beloved Buffalo Valley Spice & Peter Pipers Pickles booth (17) is back.
• Most of all, good just to see people you or I know by first names and sometimes other names: Arden, The Lip, Chauncey, Ryan, JayPee, Larry, Jim, Johnny, Quags, Violet and all the club guys. Even better to connect Quags and his son Mike with Larry on fishing electronics.
• But most of all, just to be back for the big fishing show for the first time in the last three years.