This month Opah attended the Saltwater Fishing Expo in Edison, New Jersey. This show is unlike any other we attend during the year. As perhaps the top fishing show on the East Coast, this show has always been one of our favorites to attend! And like all the fishing shows we attend, we’re glad to see new and familiar faces each time!
Turnout was amazing this year, with thousands of attendees in attendance throughout the weekend. Much like previous years, anglers visiting the show are looking for gear to help them target striped bass, bluefin, yellowfin, and other offshore species found in the Northeast. Unlike previous years, the weather was sunny and bright, reminding us of being back home! Having nice weather was a boost to the show’s overall atmosphere, but it was also a reminder of how drastically different this ecosystem is from what we are used to in Southern California. Although a little out of our comfort zone, it’s great seeing and learning about how differently anglers here approach fishing. We not only get more insight from our overall market but also see what we can bring back home with us.
Much like the other shows we have attended this year, the popularity of our kill bags has grown exponentially at the Saltwater Fishing Expo! During our first visit to this expo, many people did not use kill bags and did not know what their intended use was. This year many people knew our product, have purchased our products, or ended up buying one themselves at the show. A wide range of our bags proved to be very popular. Smaller bags such as the Fathom 3 and the Fathom 4 were ideal for many anglers fishing for tog, striped bass, and fluke off inland waters. On the opposite side of the spectrum, other anglers preferred larger bags such as the Fathom 6 and Fathom 7 to target large bluefin tuna off the Atlantic coast.
Our kill bags have an entirely flat bottom that naturally increases the internal volume. This was largely appealing to anglers because it provided more space for large tuna weighing over 400 pounds. Anglers in the Atlantic have to make extremely long runs to find these fish. This made the enhanced ice life of our bags stand out, along with the other hand-built qualities our bags possess.
It’s always a pleasure to see how fishing is doing on the East Coast, so we had a great time at the Saltwater Fishing Expo! Thanks again to everyone who visited and said hi, and we hope to see you all out on the water!