By Steve Weisman
Yes, we’ve had warmer than normal temperatures, but hard water anglers are getting the itch and praying for that first real cold snap that puts a good coating of ice on the bays and kick starts the ice fishing season.
Want to get even more fired up? Then mark Saturday, November 14 on your calendar for the fourth annual “Shop with the Pros 2015” at Kabele’s Trading Post in Spirit Lake. Thane and Tanya Johnson, owners, are excited to offer this special day for all those interested in ice fishing.
What better way to kick off the ice fishing season than with a day set aside just for ice fishing, a day to meet the pros, to listen to a morning or afternoon seminar, to browse and look at all the latest ice fishing equipment under one roof!
“This will be our fourth annual Shop with the Pros event,” said Tanya. “The day has grown each year with over 400 people in attendance last year. We hope for that and even more this year.”
Thane agreed. “It is a busy, fun day for us. We like to think that this day also benefits the community. Ice fishing continues to grow and the fishing here on the Iowa Great Lakes has been exceptional. We expect this to continue through the ice fishing season.
Hours for the day are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Seminars
Brad Hawthorne from Otter Outdoors and Ice Force will present a 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. seminar entitled “Understanding winter walleye and insider tactics for winter success.”
Ultimate Fishing Gear will put on demonstrations using the SKINZIT electric fish skinner. Kabele’s provides fish cleaning services throughout the year, and they all swear by the SKINZIT. See what the excitement is all about!
Pros from Otter Outdoors, Ice Force, 13 Fishing, Cold Snap Outdoors as well as manufacturer reps will be on the floor to show anglers the newest and best products in the ice industry.
A Chance to visit
Tanya also noted, “We have people come from 4-5 hours away to be part of this day, and we know how important it is for them to be able to spend time looking at products and learning more about these products.” The event is free to the public. Thul’s West River Meats will be back again this year to offer a $5.00 brisket, beans, chips & a drink meal for those staying throughout the day. “
Kabele’s promotions
“We are excited to be able to offer a wide range of instant rebates and discounts on a lot of our ice fishing products,” said Thane. “In addition, we will also have promos, drawings, giveaways and hot buys that day.” For those that purchase an ice shack, Kabele’s will be offering free shack assembly. Stop in at Kabele’s to see the entire list or find Kabele’s (www.kabeles.com) on the Internet or Facebook to see the list of all the deals.
Sponsors for the 2015 Shop with the Pros day include Otter Outdoors, Ice Force, Clam, 13 Fishing, No. 8 Tackle, Berkley, Custom Jigs & Spins, Ultimate Fishing Gear (Skinzit), Northland Tackle and Striker Ice.
(photo by Steve Weisman)
All set and ready to go. Surrounded by all kinds of ice fishing products, Tanya and Thane Johnson test out a couple of single-person portable shelters.
