I will be working a booth at the Fredericksburg Outdoor Show 8th, 9th, 10th and was wondering if anyone else was going to the show too.  I am hoping it will be a fun weekend and with any luck I will pick up lots of new stuff for my tacklebox. ;D

Mrs. Matstone,

                    I am planning on attending the Fredericksburg Outdoor Show next Saturday.  I will probably take one or both of my boys.  My oldest is now old enough to compete in the casting contest.  What booth are you working?  I went to last years show but didn't buy much.  I picked up some senko knockoffs from Case Plastics and that was about it.  I need to buy a Mattlures male bluegill and a baby bass.  They were gone by the time I got to the Richmond Fishing Expo last Sunday.  We will keep an eye out for you.

I'll be there with the Orange County High School kids booth. I guess we wlll be setting up about mid week.

Tpayneful - I will be working at the Case Plastics booth on Saturday. The senko knock-offs that you got last year were probably the Magics Stiks. They are one of my favorites. I did very well with them last year.

Wayne P. - I will look for that booth and hope to get the chance to pop by and say hello.

Looking forward to seeing you both at the show.  

aww, man. I would love to be able to go to a show with a Case plastics booth. I love their Sinkin' Salty Shads. Probably caught 90% of my smallmouth on them last summer.

Dan I have heard that from so many people about the Sinkin' Salty Shads. I have not used them yet. I plan to try them real soon.

It's true, just rig them weightless, cast, walk them across the top then let em sink. They sink much better than any other fluke style bait.

You've got me interested in these Sinkin Salty Shads now.  What colors and areas produced best for you?

I have done especially well on the green pumpkin and purple colors. I usually fish them for smallmouth in rivers. They work in lots of places but the best place I find is anywhere depth changes. I usually cast them out in the shallow area and let them drift or jerk them down into the deep area, letting them sink once they get into the deep area. Try fishing them in lots of ways, they are awesome. Use them anywhere you would a fluke. As I said before, they just sink a little better than flukes, and that's what I like, especially when you need that extra sink to get down deep in a current.

Sorry to miss the show but wife has plans for this weekend and I have to attempt to install a sliding screen on our new Anderson sliding door.

I met Mrs. Matstone at the Fredericksburg Outdoor Expo. She was extremely nice and was working the Case Plastics booth. It was really nice of her to spend more than a few moments talking to my son and showing him all kinds of different plastic baits. She gave him quite a few freebies.

Last year my son Andrew couldn't compete in the kids casting contest because the youngest age was 7 and he was 6. He spent the whole year looking forward to competing this year. When we got there they wouldn't let him compete because they CHANGED the rules. Now you have to be 8! Everyone talks the talk about getting young people interested in fishing but they don't seem to back it up with actions. If you are the person that changed the rule and you are reading this....I want you to know that YOU STINK!

Tpayneful, FYI, in case you did not know----there are two different casting kids groups. One is the FLW affiliated one like at the Fredericksburg show and the other one is the original one affiliated with B.A.S.S.

Wayne P,

           I understand that completely but it is THE SAME FLW group as last year!  Should be the same rules!  GRRRRRR.....

I let that group know about their letdown of your son. I heard from another person at the show about it too,

Thanks Wayne!  I noticed that the OCHS show next month is going to have a BASS afiliated casting contest.  What is their minimum age?

According to the Federation Nation website, there are two age groups, 7-10 and 11-14. I left a message with someone involved with it and will confirm it when I hear back.

I just talked to the Va. B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Casting Kids director. Not only is 7 the minumum age, the kids just needs to be 7 by March 31 of 2009. As a preface to that statement, he added that kids with birthdays between April 1, 1998 and March 31, 2002 are eligable to participate in the qualifiing events. Hopefully I'll see you there.

Thanks for stopping by at the show. It was great to meet you both and Tpayneful your son is adorable.  ;D

It was nice to meet you too, Mrs.M. Not only are you a sucessful domentic engineer, you are a successful fisherperson too.

Wayne,

         Thank you for the information on the casting contest ages!  We will be there on the 1st or 2nd.  

Mrs. Matstone,

                    It was great meeting you and your husband!  I really appreciated all of the attetion that you paid to my son!  I have a five year old that melts all the girls hearts too.  Maybe you will get to meet him next year.  He caught his first largemouth last fall but isn't hooked quite yet.  He might catch the full bug this year.