International Sportsmen’s Exposition Show in Sacramento this weekend. The only major fishing and outdoor expo still held in Northern California. The location is at Cal Expo Fairgrounds, and runs from Thursday through Sunday. It’s a chance to see the latest and greatest gear from all the big manufacturers and some of the not-so-big outfits as well. It’s a unique yearly opportunity to check out destinations and products for watersports, off-roading, fishing, hunting and boating.

There are always great deals to be had on new and demo equipment at the ISE show, though many attend every year primarily for the seminars and workshops. This year, the ISE will present over 100 seminars and gear workshops put on by top experts. Captain Jay Lopes from Right Hook Sportfishing out of Berkeley has a sturgeon presentation this year but is equally expert on San Francisco Bay striper and halibut fishing. California Fishing Hall of Famer Sep Hendrickson will fill us in on landing lunker stripers on swimbaits. And, of course, there will be the latest passing parade of bass experts wearing polaroids and funny shirts to show you how their sponsors’ infallible NEW products will make you a deity in the fishing world.

One presentation that cannot be missed is from another Hall of Famer, Steve Carson Director of the Penn Fishing University. Carson is an absolute wealth of knowledge on the topic of offshore big game fishing. Anyone who chases bluefin tuna here in NorCal should consider it a must to attend his seminar and pay close attention. Ranked as one of the top 10 fishermen in the world for the greatest number of species caught on rod and reel, Carson is a talented writer, educator and an integral participant in the “Hooked on Fishing, nor on Drugs” children’s event. And of course he is a phenomenal fisherman, envied by some but beloved by all. Along with Captain Mike Baxter from Santa Cruz, Carson was a key player in adapting San Diego tuna fishing techniques to Northern California. Trips with these two on the Wild Wave sported the highest fish counts in those years when albacore tuna graced our area, often returning to port with catch rates in the triple digits thanks to their communication skills, technique and teamwork efforts. He’ll be presenting “SoCal Long- and Short-Range Fishing” at the California Sportsman Theater on Saturday January 21, at 1:00 PM.