More women are fishing, according to research by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation, and dealers encouraging customers to attend a Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing Foundation event as a way to cement relationships and provide a unique avenue for women to learn and perfect angling skills.
The next LLGF event is “Keys University and Fishing Fever Tournament” on Oct. 7-9 in Islamorada/Tavernier, dubbed the “Sport Fishing Capital of the World.”
While encouraging participation from anywhere, dealers in the Southeast are in a particularly good position to do so. For Florida dealers that carry boat lines that cater to anglers, taking the opportunity to get to know your customer base could be a winner. Here’s how: Offer to provide customers with a “University Scholarship” by paying their VIP $180 fee. An offer like this isn’t likely to be quickly forgotten.
LLGF is known as the “No-Yelling School of Fishing.” It offers classroom presentations, networking opportunities, hands-on skill practice, and optional charter fishing. Classes will be held at the waterfront Elks Lodge in Tavernier, and no equipment or experience is necessary.
The optional inshore or offshore charters will run out of Islamorada on Friday and Sunday, with prizes awarded for the Fishing Fever Tournament. Participants may also fish from their own boats.
It’s a full weekend. Activities launch Friday evening with a networking social. Saturday morning indoor presentations begin at 9 a.m., covering the basics of offshore, inshore and bottom fishing, plus a look at current conservation issues.
Setting this program apart from typical fishing classes is the variety of hands-on activities. These are taught by guides and include handling and releasing techniques, knot tying, bait rigging, spin casting, cast netting and more. A second networking party follows, this one slated for the Seaside Glassworks.
For the record, 269 fish were caught at the 2021 Fishing Fever tourney, including mahi-mahi, tuna, wahoo, snook, redfish, trout and a first-ever sailfish release.
Click here for more information or email [email protected].
Daytona Show Expecting Big Crowds
The Marine Industry Association of Central Florida announced that the Daytona Boat Show will drop anchor at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center on Sept. 16-18.
“We’re anticipating a strong public response at Daytona based on the big success we had at our Orlando show earlier this month,” predicts David Ray, MIACF executive director. “That event demonstrated boat shows still remain big draws to boaters, and our dealers’ sales successes there were clear evidence people are still looking to buy boats.”
The show will include 15 dealers from the central Florida area. They’re expected to exhibit more than 250 boats, and there will be dozens of booths with accessories, electronics, service displays and more.
The models in this show typically include freshwater fishing boats, flats boats, saltwater center consoles, bowriders, deckboats, jetboats, pontoons and wakesurf boats.
Click here for exhibiting information.
