Wisconsin Fishing Expo with Dan Durbin

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Eight forty four thirteen ten wy BA Madison in the Morning,
joined this morning by Dan Durban. Dan Durban comes to
us from the Wisconsin Fishing Expo. Dan, how are you
doing this morning?

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Good? How are you Ben?

Speaker 1 (00:14):
I'm doing great. You know this song that we were
just playing there, I'm gonna miss her? I do believe
it's she asked the guy to make it choose between
fishing or her, and you just point out and I'm
gonna miss her. Oh it's always fun, man, Yes, pretty are.
But I know there are a lot of folks, a

(00:35):
lot of folks that love fishing, and I know you've
got the expo kicking off this Friday running through the
weekend at the Alliant Energy Center, and of course folks
get more information Wi Fishingexpo dot com. That's Wi Fishingexpo
dot com and Dan. Every year, you guys bring back
some popular favorites and of course you bring some new

(00:56):
stuff to each each expo as well. What's new this year?
What are what are some of the things that you're
really looking forward to with this year's event.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Well, we definitely added some more booths, so we probably
have another twenty booths, so we're up we're over three
hundred and seventy five booths and that's you know, that's
just all the gear and stuff like that and not
you know, I mean you add all the boats and
you know, eighty some different boats with the twelve different
manufacturers and the introt the rates are going down a

(01:28):
little bit if you're doing if you're going to finance
about it. It's the deals right now and the rebates
and the financing is getting much more attractive than it
was in the last couple of years.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
All that is going to be set so cool to hear,
and it should be should be a lot of fun
this weekend. And speaking of other things that are wildly popular,
I know, this is a great family event and getting
the young ones started on fishing and enjoying the outdoors
is always always a good thing to hear. And you
guys make it easy. I know, kids under twelve are free.
And then when they arrive at the Fishing Expo, well

(02:00):
you got a couple of really big highlights like fishing bingo,
don't you.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
Oh yeah, that's super popular and it's uh, you know,
the kids all go around to various vendors and get
their their fishing hole punched and then they end up
at the last booth with Slinger Outdoors, which is one
of the many nonprofits that we that we that we
sponsor and help out. And yeah, and they get a
nice prize package and it's not like the little mini

(02:27):
snickers that you're disappointed when you get in Halloween. It's
the full vagabates and and candy and all that other stuff.
So it's it's a great it's a great thing and
the kids love it and the vendors like it because
it helps people, you know, it helps traffic flow, it
keeps things rolling, you know, and.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
Get to get to talk with some of the kiddos
about about the rewards and all the great, great activities.
And speaking of great activities for the kiddos, I've got
to guess that's trout Pond is going to be back
this year.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
Oh yeah, we got to have the trout Pond. But
you know, it's always ours is a little different than
most shows, and that we tag a bunch of different
trout in the in the punt itself. So not only
do they get to take the fish home and enjoy that,
but if you catch one that's tagged, there's another additional
price that they get as well. So it's uh, it's

(03:17):
pretty cool.

Speaker 1 (03:18):
That is very very cool. Again, and get more information
on the website Wi Phishingexpo dot com. That's Wi Pishingexpo
dot com. Starts on Friday, runs the weekend at the
Alliant Energy Center. All the details available online. You can
also purchase tickets from the website, and that really helps
expedite things. I know, you really want to get in

(03:38):
there and you want to start taking everything in. Buy
tickets online, doing yourself a really big favor to kind
of get in and get get right in and start
taking stuff in. As we go through, you know, talk
about some of the new, some of the some of
the traditional stuff. Let's get real quick an overview Dan
of kind of what started the Wisconsin Fishing Expo and
I know it's become for a lot of folks this

(03:59):
is a date that at a week and that they
mark on their calendars. Let's talk a little bit about
the background of the Wisconsin Fishing Expo and how you
got involved with it.

Speaker 2 (04:08):
Sure, well, we were blessed. I mean it's technically it's
going to be the fortieth year. Wow, we've only been
involved and we've been involved for almost all of it
in terms of various things we do. But you know,
the original Madison Fishing Espel Crew, I mean heck Man
that started up in you know, a cafeteria and it

(04:28):
just kept building and building and building, and it's alliance
to various nonprofit fishing clubs and and when we took
it over, it just kept getting bigger and better. And
we're thankful so much for the original crew that got
the thing going and and we agreed to kind of
keep their legacy rolling in terms of helping all the

(04:49):
nonprofits that come and and you know, get more people
exposed to fishing. You know, I mean, I love coaching.
I've been a coach for a lot of football and baseball,
and there was anyway and I'm like grown up, but
you can fish all you can't play football your whole life.
You can fish your whole life. And that's what we
really want to get get going. And you know, it's

(05:10):
why we we we help out a lot of the clubs.
You know, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Fishing Association, for instance, every
high school has there's over eighty five or I think
it's actually over one hundred, but we give them all
free tickets they come. It's a it's a great youth
demographic that comes to the show and gets everybody energized.

(05:31):
And and that's just what we want to do, is
give back. And I think that's what makes our show
a little bit special. And we're just continuing the legacy
of the original people that.

Speaker 1 (05:41):
Did it really great all the way down to the core.
As we talked this morning with Dan Durbin of the
Wisconsin Fishing Expow again, it's somebody running this weekend at
the Alliance Energy Center Friday through Sunday. All the details
available Wi Fishingexpo dot com. That's Wi Fishingexpo dot com.
And Dan, what about for the old timers who've seen
it all? I know there's as we talk about, something

(06:04):
for everybody. There's always new products. You mentioned some of
the big I know, some of the big manufacturers for
the boats and other other things. They're obviously on hand
with demos and displays. There is literally for folks that
are going I've seen it all, there's always something new
and there's always a new area to explore, isn't there?

Speaker 2 (06:23):
Oh? For sure, I mean there's always new stuff. I Mean,
one thing that we do is we're real. We're real
sensitive on our speakers, like we don't we don't repeat
speakers every year and do the same, you know, dog
one thing. You know, we've got twenty five speakers this
year and they're all new. I mean, we have a
couple that come back. You know, Larry Smith is somebody

(06:43):
you have every year because that guy disease just the riot.
But you know, we curate it very carefully so that
whether you're bass, panfish, muskie, wallet, trout, salmon. We bring
in speakers all over the country that come to us,
and the cool thing is that we make sure that

(07:05):
they're not talking about catching fish in Texas. You know,
bass in Texas. This stuff is going to be applicable.
It may be a pro from Texas, but we're going
to bring him in. For instance, ishmun Roll Major one
of the biggest basque guys out you know, in the planet,
but he comes and talks about how you're going to
catch fish on the Madison Chain or Lake Wisconsin or

(07:26):
Southeastern or Pewaukee, you know whatever. So we are very
sensitive that you can get a true education no matter
what species you're looking for at the show, and that
that's invaluable. You know. I mean you come and catch
one hour seminar and you can catch more fish the
rest of your life. It's you know, it's really impressive.

(07:49):
And and and we just really value that we bring
speakers in that are you going to help people catch more?
And then this year we've we've gone out of the
way to get some younger is in there, you know,
the social influencer people that you know, some younger demographics
out there that are going to you know, teach youngers

(08:09):
to you know, anglers that you know what they can
do and how you can use social media to improve
your odds of catching fish without running your spot.

Speaker 1 (08:19):
By the way, that's exactly Dan, it's always great chatting
with you. Don't forget, of course Wi Fishingexpo dot com
all the great information. If you haven't been to Wisconsin
Fishing Expo recently or never before, what a great weekend
to get on out take it all in fun for
the entire family. Again, whether you're new to fishing or
you're somebody that's been doing it for years, there's always

(08:39):
something new, something exciting. There's always something great at the
Wisconsin Fishing Expo. Dan, it's always great chatting with you.
You have a great day and we'll see you this weekend.

Speaker 2 (08:47):
Sounds good. Looks like we've got some great weather to
be indoor excited.

Speaker 1 (08:52):
That's very exciting stuff. And again you can get tickets
and more information all online Wifishingexpo dot com. That's Wi
fishing X, that's all one word Wyfishingexpo dot com. Vicky
McKenna has your chance to win one thousand dollars next
right here on thirteen ten wib A