ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – This weekend, outdoorsmen and women can get all their gear for the upcoming season at the U.P. State Fairgrounds.
Friday afternoon, the Daily Press kicked off its third annual U.P. Ice Fishing and Hunting Expo in and around the Ruth Butler Building. More than 70 vendors set up shop with hunting rifles and knives, trapping gear, camping equipment, fishing lures, and other supplies.
Many of this year’s vendors are new to the expo, including Niles-based Mike’s Custom Rods.
“I’ve been a rod builder for about 45 years,” said business owner Mike Stowe. “These are really nice looking, and the rod blanks are extremely sensitive. I make cedar handles, and I make handles out of burled walnut. The cedar is not hardly any heavier than the cork is.”
Stowe says the roughly seven-hour drive to be at the expo was well worth it, particularly for the networking opportunities.
“The ice fishing down in the southern part of the state has slowed down quite a bit,” he said. “I had a lot of inventory, so I’m selling some of that. Also, I’m going to get ahold of a couple of very large bait shops so I can supply them this year and next year. I like talking to people, especially people that like to fish.”
The U.P. Ice Fishing and Hunting Expo is free to attend, but guests are asked to bring donations for a local food pantry or for the Delta Animal Shelter. The expo continues from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 21, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 22.
Click here for more information on the expo. Visit the Mike’s Custom Rods Facebook page for a preview of Stowe’s work.
WZMQ 19 is a proud sponsor of the 2024 U.P. Ice Fishing and Hunting Expo. The station has a booth at the event, with Escanaba Bureau Reporter Lily Simmons in attendance on Friday and Sunday and Account Executive Mark Nebel in attendance on Saturday.
