The Great Alaska Sportsman Show
Here comes another one of Anchorage's yearly events. Up in the Great Land, everyone seems to have a garage full of "big boy and girl toys," like ATV's, snow machines, piles of fishing gear and more. The Great Alaska Sportsman Show is where we go to research the next great thing, or dream of upgrades, or indoctrinate our children into life in the Last Frontier… with gear.
This four day event starts on Thursday, April 3rd and runs through Sunday, April 6. You can go to www.greatalaskasportsmanshow.com to get the schedule of events. There is an admission fee of $2 for children (12 and under), $10 for everyone else. There is a $5 fee for parking.
Children's programs include fishing out of a 16-foot "pond." It is free with admission. If kids catch the prized tagged fish, they win a prize. There is also a shooting range for kids 8 and over.
The Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game offer a series of seminars at and around the event. They will detail trout stocked lakes and the new rules, river fishing (salmon and trout), dipnetting, a talk about the invasive Pike species and fishing for them, "shrimping," and even (black) bear baiting. Other seminar topics by exhibitor's include a GPS course (for hunters or outdoor enthusiasts).
This is a hunter/fisherman's paradise, a place for like-minded individuals to talk the talk about the walk. But it offers a lot for the rest of us too. I expect to be hanging out at the trout pond with my kids, once again giving me "super-mom" status in their eyes.
