The 2012 Musky
show season is upon us…But this year there are growing concerns
over just how useful these Musky shows are to the avid Musky
angler.
For the past few years, I have gone to all of the
major Musky shows and I have to say that, as an avid Musky
angler, I was not impressed. The shows in Chicago, Milwaukee and
Minneapolis all have the same offerings…none of which bring
anything new to be considered by those attending the shows…This
is not a criticism of the shows but rather an observation.
With the
maturity of the Internet and the online availability of Musky
products from well known Musky outlets, it makes little sense to
truck your way through bad weather and bad traffic so you can
surrender your $10.00 - $20.00 just to get in the door. Once you
are through the door, you are herded into skinny isles that are
overstuffed with booth barkers hawking their wares. It reminds
me of the street barkers of Mexico trying to entice tourist
dollars out of people’s wallets.
This year there is
also a heretofore unknown wrinkle to vendor attendance that
raises a question as to your ability to shop for a good deal at
these shows. It is no secret that major tackle outlets represent
a significant revenue stream to the show organizers as evidenced
by the multiple booth spaces taken up by the major tackle
outlets. As recognition of the dollar impact, show organizers
provide booth placement preferences. Location at the show is one
thing, but this year major tackle outlets have flexed their
money muscle causing small manufacturers to be denied from show
participation. The reason for this is competition...specifically
related to Musky rods. Large tackle outlets, aided by
advertising articles in MHM, have been able to inflate
the retail price of the fabricated trend to longer rods.
Quite a few
startup rod manufacturers are offering Musky rods, of all
lengths, at prices that are $50.00 to $100.00 less expensive
than the standard rod assortment that haunt the booths of the
major tackle outlets. Fearing that lower rod prices will affect
the show profits of major tackle outlets at the show, the major
tackle outlets indicated that they would pull out of the shows
if these smaller rod manufacturers were allowed to have a booth
presence at the shows. As you might suspect, the show organizers
were quick to "kiss the butt" of major revenue stream
contributors. They justify this action by pointing to the fact
that many of these rods are being made in China and, because of
that, product quality is suspect.
Where a product
is made, has never been a bona fide of whether a
product manufacturer will have booth space made available to
them. Many manufacturer's have their products made in China...Just
look at the lure package!!! It is a well known fact that Joe
Bucher's line of lures are made in China as are all of the LeLure products. These products are not banned from the
show...so it is obvious that MONEY
and cronyism are the prime
motivation for these show organizer's decision to exclude
startup rod manufacturers.
So what does this mean? It certainly gets in the way
of the concept of Musky Show Deals on rods. The bigger picture
is one of systemic dysfunction. How many other small and startup
manufacturers have been banned from the shows because of
competitive pricing? How much have you overpaid for products in
past Musky Shows?
Bottom Line: If you
are an established Musky angler with a lure arsenal that has
more lures than you will ever use, you will not find a damn
thing at the Musky show to give you an edge on the water...On
the other hand, if you have Musky fever and you need to get out
of the house, have a good time at the show...Just don't expect
to find anything to make you a better Musky angler.
New to the sport? Your
wallet would be better served if you stay at home and do your
shopping online. Go up to Google or Bing or Yahoo or Ask and
search for 'Musky Lures'. You will gain the ability to
compare prices and read product reviews.
