Our Trip to the 2023 Richmond Fishing Expo
The Half Past First Cast team attended the Richmond Fishing Expo (and boat show) in Doswell, Virginia on Saturday, January 21, 2023. There was a little of this and that for sale, but the best part was seeing people we have not seen in quite some time. Just as Pete and I started our relationship through the internet and then later met, I had the opportunity to meet some of my social media fishing friends in person for the first time.
There were plenty of new boats, including the newest models from Caymas, Triton, Skeeter and Vexus. We, of course, are partial to Basscat but unfortunately didn’t see the at them show. It’s clear that Mercury Motors knows what they are doing and finally have inventory – it seemed like they were on the back of just about every boat at the show. There were some crafty fishing decoration booths, clothing, Virginia Bass Federation represented, food (ice cream, popcorn, sausage and cheese), rods, reels, maps (remember those?) and tons of tackle.
Pete continues to wonder how I love to fish but have no interest in tackle. Well, while at the Swimbait Universe Gathering I hemmed and hawed about purchasing a swimbait of some sort and left empty handed. Since then I decided I wasn’t going to be without a premium swimbait or three on our next trip to Mexico so I gave in. We visited the Bull Shad booth and met with our friends Mike Bucca and Chad Meenan. They had great suggestions and I broke out the credit card for my first major purchase. Check out some footage of that transaction plus the other show highlights on the video below:
I wasn’t able to catch up with one of my lady angler friends/mentors Christiana Bradley at the show, so we headed on over to Green Top to chat with her and check out the tackle specials. Of course I had to try on some clothing, too.
All this shopping and talking made us hungry. I have been told that all fishing -related outings should either start or end with the Waffle House, so Pete broke me in easy – but not smothered or scattered – on my first trip to this shrine for anglers.
