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Show Reels In Fishing Enthusiasts

Tribune photo by MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER

Lee Hall of Lakeland helps his daughter Lauren Hall, 4, cast while Bruce Dickens looks on Saturday at the Florida Sportsman magazine Fishing and Boat Show.

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By VALERIE KALFRIN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 28, 2008

TAMPA - For Paul Calvert, fishing is more than just casting, using good bait and reeling in the biggest catch.

It's the lure of nature, seeing turtles, alligators, "all that goes along with it," said Calvert, 38, of Palm Harbor. "The eagles on Lake Tarpon come down and catch a bass - they do better at it than we do."

It's an appreciation for the outdoors that he wants to pass on to his 10-year-old son, Brock. The pair, who fish together, also attended the Florida Sportsman magazine Fishing and Boat Show at the Florida State Fairgrounds on Saturday. The show continues today.

It features hands-on exhibits, such as cast-net demonstrations, fly-casting instruction and Riggin' It Right, in which people practice tying knots for hooks and lures and rigging baits like ballyhoo and shrimp. Fishing experts, from stages such as a 10,000-gallon pond, provide tips on inshore fishing, offshore fishing and fishing from bridges and spillways.

The fishing and boat show started in 1993 and goes to eight cities in Florida, organizer Robin Smillie said. The show attracts about 5,000 to 6,000 people, he said.

Calvert said a big draw for him and friend Rodney Yavorsky, 36, of Largo was the Get Reel fishing tournament for children ages 15 and younger, also offered today. Get Reel, a nonprofit organization that offers practical fishing experiences for children, gave participants rods, reels and live bait worms to use for an hour at a time in the pond behind the Expo Hall.

Each child who snags a bass, bluegill, catfish or other fish of "memorable" size by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission standards receives a state certificate and window sticker from the "Big Catch" Angler Recognition Program.

Paul Thomas, director of Get Reel and a commission biologist, said about 60 children had fished in the pond by about 2 p.m. Saturday. Some returned for the next session after their hour was done.

"They don't give up easily," he said.

Calvert and Yavorsky said they have been fishing together since they were youngsters. "We had a bass boat before we had a driver's license," Calvert said. "It kept us out of trouble, I know that."

They take Brock and Yavorsky's 2-year-old son, Aaron, out on fishing trips on Lake Tarpon. Saturday, Aaron was fascinated with dragonflies and grass until his dad helped him reel in a 10-inch bass.

It was too small for a certificate, but Aaron didn't care. "I wanna hold it," he said.

"You've gotta hold it by its mouth," Yavorsky said. A Get Reel volunteer photographed the father and son with the catch before Aaron tossed the fish free with a plop.

A few moments later, Hunter Briggs, 10, of Brandon hooked a 9-inch bluegill for a certificate. He and his grandfather said Hunter has been fishing since he was 5.

"I always come here," he said of the pond. "I at least catch one fish."

The show runs until 5 p.m. today.

Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800 or vkalfrin@tampatrib.com.

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