I spent last weekend in Yakima, at the 31st Annual Central Washington Sportsman’s Show. This show is always a lot of fun, with lots of things to see and do. It is often a preview of what people can expect to see at the Wenatchee Valley Sportsman’s Show, which is coming up this weekend at the Town Toyota Center.

There were many great exhibits and folks that are offering everything from fishing trips to big game hunting adventures. One of the things that I appreciate about the shows is that there are plenty of things focused on families. The new Nature Nick’s Exotic Animal Show will travel to Wenatchee and was a huge hit in Yakima. I like to hang out at Lunker Lake, where kids often catch the first fish of their lifetime, and they are thrilled with this experience. Be sure to visit Lunker Lake at the Wenatchee Show. The photo in this week’s column is of the action in Yakima.

Big news is that Merle and Bev Shuyler, who began doing outdoor shows in Yakima 31 years ago are retiring and the Tri-Cities, Yakima and Wenatchee shows are now in the capable hands of Amy Gustin, owner of ADG Media Group in Wenatchee, and her husband John. Amy is no stranger to the marketing, promotion and production of consumer shows. Her company has been around for over 10 years and she has been involved with the KPQ Home Show, the Building NCW Show, Tour of Homes and Leavenworth Oktoberfest. Amy and I go way back to my radio days. I look forward to working with her and John with this venture into these outdoor shows.

I want to send a big thank you to Merle and Bev for all the years of producing such high quality events in Tri-Cities, Yakima and Wenatchee. These shows have made it possible for vendors to sell millions of dollars of outdoor products over the years. The shows have contributed greatly to the communities where they were held. They help support the facilities and the people that staff them. The hotels, restaurants and other services available to those who have come to participate in the shows have also benefitted. I ran into Merle on Lake Roosevelt a couple of months ago and he was in an Alumaweld fishing boat that he just acquired. He and his long-time fishing and hunting buddy Rob Phillips were out chasing kokanee and rainbow. I know he is looking forward to having more time to spend in this boat and being on the water. I have encouraged him to wear the paint off of it by using it as much as possible.

The annual Trout Derby that the Quincy Chamber does each spring has been scheduled for this year. It will take place on Saturday, March 7th, and instead of being held at Burke Lake, it will be at Quincy Lake. This has always been the official kick off of the trout fishing season on the east side of the mountains and I am sure that the shores will be lined with eager anglers. Once again there will be cash and prizes handed out to the derby winners with a guided fishing trip as the grand prize in the adult division. Derby tickets are $30 for adults and everyone under 17 years old gets to enter for free. You will want to buy a raffle ticket, too. The lucky ticket holder will win a 12-foot Marlon aluminum boat and trailer and a 4 hp Yamaha four stroke motor. Derby tickets are just $5. It sure looks like the weather is going to cooperate this year and Quincy Lake should be ice free for the event. Burke Lake was rehabbed last fall and although there will be fish in it this spring, they won’t be large. The fishing will be much better for bigger fish in Quincy Lake this season.

I just got great news on the walleye fishing at Potholes Reservoir. Shelby Ross, who runs a guide service for walleye and the Duck Taxi hunting service in the fall and winter down there, told me the walleye bite is on at Potholes. He rattled off some reports he has received from friends and family who have fished there recently and have had success. One of the anglers he talked to just got three, but they were all 23 inches. Blade baits are the way to go on Potholes right now and there are a couple of different spots that are productive. The area about halfway between the State Park and the mouth of Crab Creek is suggested as a prime spot and the humps at the east end of Medicare Beach is the other. Shelby also mentioned that last year there were a lot of 10- to 11-inch walleye released. These fish will be keeper size this season. This is really good news for fans of walleye fishing. I could speculate that we could see a similar uptick in the action on Banks Lake this year. These two reservoirs, and Moses Lake for that matter, seem to follow the same patterns. We are due for a good walleye season this year.

An event that I would encourage everyone in the Wenatchee Valley to attend is the 55th Annual Wild Game Feed put on by the Wenatchee Sportsmen’s Association. This organization is dedicated to projects that benefit fish and wildlife right here in our local area and the number of volunteer hours spent doing just that is incredible. The fact that the group has continued without interruption for 55 years speaks to the quality of the membership that includes active fishers, hunters and those who simply want to assure that their grandkids have the opportunity to participate in outdoor pursuits. The men and women I have worked with over the years dedicate significant amounts of their personal time to the projects and events, many of which focus on introducing youth to the outdoors. The event will take place at the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Saturday, February 29th, with doors open at 4:30. You will want to be there at opening to get in on the silent auctions and to buy a bunch of raffle tickets. I suggest that you get to Hooked on Toys in Wenatchee or to Sportsmen’s Warehouse in East Wenatchee right away to get your tickets to the event. It often sells out.

Right after the Wenatchee show, my brother Rick and I have planned a two-day fishing trip to Lake Roosevelt and Banks Lake. Man, am I excited, even though it’s a ways off. You will hear all about it in my reports. Stay tuned!