Fish-Filled Sturgeon Bay Weekend

I got behind on blogs this weekend. At the ends of long days on the water and late nights around dinner tables, the call for sleep won the battle for my time.

It sure wasn't a matter of nothing to tell. The weekend included a stupidly good day of smallmouth fishing, my first ever king salmon, a morning and an afternoon of doing types of fishing I'd never done before, plentiful great photo opportunities and the chance to give a seriously good test to Shakespeare's new Ugly Stik Elite rods.

It also included a pretty good sample of Wisconsin's famous fried cheese curds, some incredible smoked string cheese and a few really good steaks, but I suppose that's straying from fishing.

Today I'm traveling home. In fact, I'm riding to the Green Bay airport right now. I'll try to do some writing along the way because I only get two days at home before I repack a bag with lighter clothes and bigger lures and point the truck toward the airport once again. This time Mexico bound. Word has it there is wifi at the lodge now, so hopefully I'll do better keeping up with blogs!

Classic Fun for the Whole Family

Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo photo courtesy of B.A.S.S.

If you've been pondering whether Tulsa and the Bassmaster Classic might be within range for a day trip or weekend excursion, it's probably time to get more serious about those thoughts. The competition begins a week from today, and the pros are actually on the water right now for their first official practice day!

Only you know your schedule and how travel costs work, but the cost of the actual events are pretty tough to beat (Classic Outdoors Expo and Weigh-ins are free), and if you're even somewhat of a fan of fishing, the Bassmaster Classic is a mighty cool place to be. Cool enough from my experience that I'm hopping in my truck and driving about 700 miles to Tulsa next week!

Looking past the grand championship event itself and the chance to watch anglers compete for half a million dollars and the sport's biggest title, the Classic Outdoors Expo offers big-time fun for the whole family. One hundred eighty exhibitors will be showing all that's cool and new in fishing inside the Tulsa Convention Center, with everything from the newest lures to bass boats to big trucks on display. Lots of stuff is interactive, and many companies feature give-aways.

There's also no better place in the world to meet bass pros, including many of the biggest names in the sport, than on the expo floor. You'll find pros in virtually every booth and see others just walking the floor. Virtually without exception, from my observation, pros on the Classic floor are eager to talk with fans, sign autographs and join fans in photos. Of course, there are 53 guys who hope you won't get to meet them on Sunday, after the field gets cut for the final day of competition.

This year's expo will also feature the Outdoor Games Village, which will include the Shakespeare Kids Outdoors Challenge. The challenge, which is aimed at youngsters, offers a series of hands-on activities like casting games and a fishing skills course that combine learning and fun.

For details on the Bassmaster Classic and Classic Outdoors Expo, visit the attend page at Bassmaster.com.