We were at the San Diego Bart Hall Show this past weekend, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. You could find us next to the Stoked On Fishing booth, which happens to be a large supporter of our products. You can see our kill bags being used in many of their videos and on their charter trips. You might have also caught a glimpse of our large display at Turner’s Outdoorsman. We were there in support of both our dealers and sponsored anglers in attendance.
There were a lot of familiar faces at the show, and it was great to catch up with some people we hadn’t spoken with in a while. We are especially grateful for the high turnout of anglers who support our brand in our backyard. During the show, Opah got to be featured in segments from SDFishAndSips on Youtube and a live stream with Jeremy (AWatermansLife) on Twitch and Instagram!
The show is a great way to not only form and rekindle connections with fellow anglers but also plan for the upcoming fishing season. Many anglers in particular asked questions about “El Niño,” which is likely happening this year. With warmer waters on the horizon, a bag with longer ice life is greatly appealing. The show also hosts a large number of anglers and charters based in Mexico interested in Opah Gear. For fishermen in So Cal, having a kill bag ready to use on the water, yet capable of keeping fish fresh to and from Baja is a game changer. It’s something we’re all too familiar with!
Our most popular bags at the show were the Fathom 5 and Fathom 6, largely due to the rise of local bluefin fishing opportunities. The Fathom 5 offers great internal volume in a compact size that can easily fit multiple smaller-grade bluefin up to 90 lbs. with plenty of room for ice. It also offers a great trade-off in terms of bag size to deck space. Meanwhile, the Fathom 6 offers a massive internal volume ideal for tuna over 100 lbs. but takes up a bit more deck space. Anglers with charters or larger boats in particular loved the Fathom 6. The Fathom 4 was also quite popular, appealing to those looking for a compact bag for cooler use small yellowtail, rockfish, or filet transport. At 85 quarts of internal volume, it is also a fantastic choice for inshore anglers with limited deck space.
While the sportfishing industry is undergoing growing pains and shifts, we still had a fun time at the Bart Hall show giving back to our supporters. Thanks again to everyone who showed up to say hi, and we hope to see you all out on the water!