Plenty for kids at Expo's milestone

The Tampa Tribune Outdoor Expo and Boat Show turns old enough to have a drink this year, and its longevity is surely worth celebrating with a toast. For the past 21 years, it has been Florida's largest and most successful outdoors show, annually drawing more than 20,000 guests and 150 vendors to the Florida State Fairgrounds to see the latest and greatest in outdoors gear, meet old friends and make new ones. Show dates this year are March 2-4.

It's been my honor to be part of it from the beginning, when it was ably organized by the Trib's then marketing guru, Earl Emmons. This year's event will see kids who attended that first year bringing their own children to the show—and there's even more for the kids to do this year than there was then.

At the top of the list are the "Get Reel" fishing derbies on the lakes behind the Expo hall. These waters are never fished during the rest of the year, but for these two days it's open season on the bass, catfish, bluegills, tilapia and other critters grown fat on State Fair hotdogs and elephant ears.

For kids whose only contact with nature is through TV shows and video games, spending a 45-minute session on the lakeshore with dozens of other youngsters may be the beginning of a life-long interest in the outdoors and in conservation—all fish caught are promptly released after photos. And every child takes home a goody-bag of fishing odds and ends.

Kids up to 15 are eligible, and there are prizes for the largest fish caught. Volunteers from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and local bass clubs will be on hand to help with baiting hooks, casting, cranking in the fish and taking them off the hooks. It's a great opportunity for single-parent children to experience an activity they might otherwise miss out on completely in this age of thumbs callused by video games that rarely leave the hands.

For children with a bit more experience at fishing, a new event this year is the Kids Casting Challenge presented by Chaos Fishing on Sunday from 11 to 3. Kids 6 to 12 can show off their casting skills in accuracy and distance, and the top rods take home some neat prizes. (For kids just learning to cast, coaches will be there to offer advice.)

And what kid wouldn't like to shoot a real bow and arrow? The Archery Shop of Tampa will provide a demo booth with kid-sized bows and plenty of safety advice Saturday and Sunday, and a special bow-fishing experience on a lake behind the Expo hall from 11 to 4 on Saturday; the kids will shoot balloons, not fish, but the equipment is similar to what dad might use to harvest a bowfin or a gar.

The show also features all the attractions for grown-ups seen in past years, including the Bass Tub fishing aquarium where largemouths teach anglers real-time lessons about what works and what doesn't in fishing lures, and the traditional "Sportsman's University" with some 50 seminars on seven different stages around the Expo.

Many of Florida's best-known outdoorsmen will be there, including Mike Anderson and Billy Nobles of "Reel Animals", TV and web host Bill Miller, Glen Pla of "Average Angler" TV, Jason Prieto, Danny Guarino and Ric Liles of ESPN Radio, C.A. Richardson of "Flats Class", Ray Markham of Florida Sportsman, internationally famed fly-rod instructor Nick Curcione and the "Mad Snooker" himself, Captain Dave Pomerleau.

And noted dog trainer Phil DeVore brings back his Labs for instruction that can be useful whether you're teaching a house-pet to sit and stay, or a hunting dog to haul in a Canada goose.

Show hours are 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free for all on Friday, $8 on Saturday and Sunday for adults, free for kids under 12. A few vendor booths still remain according to Show Manager Jim Scilligo. For details, visit , or call (727) 894-3644.