Boat Show

Anyone else going? I usually go every year for a couple hours and last year it was cancelled.

Starts today at 2pm.

I enjoy going and so did the wife, but it’s not in the cards this year. The last 2 times I went I had the title to the current boat and some pictures of it in the truck…just incase we got the itch.

Now with the supply stuff and absurd prices I’m not dealing with swapping fishing boats. It’d still have been fun to go take a peak if it wasn’t for all the side weekend work piling up.

I was planning to go before the mandate was put in place. Not now. Hopefully it will be done with before the Sportshow.

I assume you’re talking about Minneapolis, the Milwaukee show is also this weekend and next.

The Chicagoland (Schaumburg) Fishing and Outdoor Expo at the end of the month has been cancelled. I hope the Madison WI show next month happens.

HRG

Will skip. Lots of reasons to stay away from DT MPLS.

-J.

Opie wrote:

I was planning to go before the mandate was put in place.

The vaccine or negative test mandate does not start until Jan 25 in Mpls.

There is a mask mandate though. I am not sure which one you are referring to…or all of them.

I’m staying here. It was -28 this morning and cozy.

For those of you going, swing over to the Red Wing Marina booth, #1325 and ask for Cindy.

Mention my name and she will give you something. (I’m not sure what, but she will give you something!)

Brian Klawitter wrote:

For those of you going, swing over to the Red Wing Marina booth, #1325 and ask for Cindy.

Mention my name and she will give you something. (I’m not sure what, but she will give you something!)

You mean like a stop at a clinic on the way home type of “gift”?

HRG

Jon Jordan wrote:

Will skip. Lots of reasons to stay away from DT MPLS.

-J.

Same. Not my year to buy a new boat. Pricess are way to crazy.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

For those of you going, swing over to the Red Wing Marina booth, #1325 and ask for Cindy.

Mention my name and she will give you something. (I’m not sure what, but she will give you something!)

A hard time, and 10% surcharge on any booking?!? No thanks! (cue rim shot) Thank you, thank you, don’t forget to tip the wait staff!

Guess you’ll just have to ask!

Go down there to buy what? All 2022 boats are sold already.

bigcrappie wrote:

Go down there to buy what? All 2022 boats are sold already.

Never too early to put down $50,000 to hold a 2027!

Maybe a free can of spam

Mask mandate is just a better reason to have a beer in your hand the whole time.

Fun seeing the new rigs. Kids enjoy it as do I. Not many things I go to look at with no intention of buying but boats are something else.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Guess you’ll just have to ask!

Great now I have to go cuz curiosity killed the…

Deuces wrote:

Not many things I go to look at with no intention of buying but boats are something else.

I really have no interest in buying a new boat at this time either. I just like looking at them in person though.

We just got home from the show. Lots of pontoons, wake boats and jet skis, or whatever they’re called now.
Fishing boats were represented by alumacraft, the starcraft/smokercraft/ starwelds.
Lot of nice fiberglass bass and walleye boats, but no lunds to speak of.

gim wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Opie wrote:</div>
I was planning to go before the mandate was put in place.

The vaccine or negative test mandate does not start until Jan 25 in Mpls.

There is a mask mandate though. I am not sure which one you are referring to…or all of them.

Mask mandate. I am done wearing them.

Tom schmitt wrote:

Lot of nice fiberglass bass and walleye boats, but no lunds to speak of.

No Lund boats? Wow they must really be short on inventory.

gim wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Tom schmitt wrote:</div>
Lot of nice fiberglass <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>bass and <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye boats, but no lunds to speak of.

No Lund boats? Wow they must really be short on inventory.

Rapid Marine sent me an email a week or two ago saying that they were not attending the boat show. They seemed to be the largest vendor at the show for Lund so that would likely be why the lack of Lund boats.

Good to know, I was going to call Rapid to see if they still had some in store.

Makes no sense for Lund & Rapid to spend on floor space at the show. They can’t hardly process the orders they have. Be interesting to see what vendors / manufactures attend the NW Sport Show this year.

BigWerm wrote:

Good to know, I was going to call Rapid to see if they still had some in store.

Just got back from it. Very different than years past. Only 1 ranger in the whole place. Pretty much the whole line of skeeters was there. Saw a 600 merc on a massive pontoon. There was even a caymas deep v there. Overall the feel was odd… Dealers all had the same story about low stock, increasing prices, supply chain issues. Rapid had a massive space and only 4 boats present. I was told they had already paid for the space and just didn’t have any stock to put out…

There were a couple lund boats there including the new 1875 fisherman which is a sweet looking bug water tub boat.

They were not enforcing masks or checking vaccine cards or asking for negative tests. Unlike everywhere else in the city.

I was also disappointed by the amount of fishing boats present. I really have no interest in looking at the recreational watercraft so it was a bit of a buzz kill this time around.

gim wrote:

I was also disappointed by the amount of fishing boats present. I really have no interest in looking at the recreational watercraft so it was a bit of a buzz kill this time around.

Agreed. I just really needed to get out of the house for a bit so wandering around and having a beer was much needed therapy.

Chicagoland (Schaumburg) show canceled for 2022. Even if I am not looking to buy, attending is still a lot of fun: see my fishing buddies, look at new gear and have a couple of beers. Will this pandemic ever end?

luttes wrote:

Just got back from it. Very different than years past. Only 1 ranger in the whole place. Pretty much the whole line of skeeters was there. Saw a 600 merc on a massive pontoon. There was even a caymas deep v there. Overall the feel was odd… Dealers all had the same story about low stock, increasing prices, supply chain issues. Rapid had a massive space and only 4 boats present. I was told they had already paid for the space and just didn’t have any stock to put out…

There were a couple lund boats there including the new 1875 fisherman which is a sweet looking bug water tub boat.

They were not enforcing masks or checking vaccine cards or asking for negative tests. Unlike everywhere else in the city.

I saw that Frankie’s pulled out of the show too. With Rapid out, that was two of the biggest Ranger dealers and the largest Lund dealer out. That leaves a lot of open floor space.