Getting Past the Old:
Seeing What Is Really Special
Bruce Callis Jr
Hello 2026! And with that, we close the year on 2025 and for most of us, our first goal is the first bass of the new year. I know it is for me. A bluegill was my first fish, then a small bass followed by a chain pickerel. Of course, it took me until the 7th to get that first bass. And I wasted no time in piling on the catches.
But, with the new year comes Expo season. And I know that the Richmond Expo is our big event for Virginia. There are a lot of other events around the first 2 months of the year. You can’t forget those. The Eagles is a local in Fredericksburg and you can find some great items, but its more of a flea market. And you can’t forget the Augusta County Expo in Fishersville. That is a smaller version of Richmond, but it continues to grow each year.
Richmond is the big time. I remember it being at the old Richmond Fairgrounds when I was younger. But we are talking about pre-internet. Businesses did not have a website for you to go to. This was how they presented their goods to the public. But times change. Now we can access them right on our phones. ICAST was the launching ground for new baits, just like the Bassmaster Classic was and still is.
What about the local Expo? Gone are the days when Strike King would show up and sell baits. They don’t have to do it. I remember walking through the buildings there and being amazed as a kid at what was available. The professional anglers on the stage. The crowds made it almost impossible to move around. Even back then, there were many vendors who didn’t offer fishing products. Local vendors still had a presence.
Gone are the big names, no more need to be present. Now we get a lot of local vendors who get to display their talents and wares. Custom painted baits, something that use to be very expensive and done by few are now readily available. And the talent of is amazing! If you can’t find it, you can get it done and sent to you. And so many other products. But there is still some things that never change.
Seminars are where you get to learn. Not just about bass fishing, but any type of fishing you are into. And while some of these are locals willing to help us become better, the big draw is the professional anglers. Some older guys at times, so new, but always there. This year, Randy Howell and Gerald Swindle from the Elite Series. But we have had others there. Larry Nixon, John Crews, Scott Martin, Ott Defoe, and Edwin Evers, to name a few. And of course Timmy Horton and his Profound Outdoors baits.
We come to meet them and to hopefully learn something new from them to help us improve our ability to catch bass. We want a picture with them, to show our friends. The ability to tap into what makes them tick and be successful. To catch a glimpse into the life we dream of living. But getting to talk to them is the goal. We listen to them talk about the baits they use and how to use them. Youtube is great, but it isn’t the same. Here, you can ask questions and get answers.
But an Expo is more than just a place to buy products. It’s an experience in networking. It’s about seeing friends, new and old, and about making friends. It is about sharing tips with others and listening to new ideas. You never know who you might see. I’ve met a lot of amazing people at the Expo. I have talked to people I went to high school with almost 50 years ago. And I have had the ability to get answers to questions.
I talked to John Crews about his Missile Baits and the thoughts behind the baits. What they we made to do and how they have been adapted to do other things as well. I also got to learn about the SPRO baits he designed, the Little John series and how to really work them better. All things you can’t do online through a video. Did it make me as good as John? No, but it helped me understand what is possible.
And I have been able to meet some of the legends who I saw at the old Expo at the old fairgrounds. Granted, back as a kid, it was awesome to see them, but now I get to ask questions I couldn’t back then. Bill Dance, Hank Parker, Larry Nixon, Jimmy Houston, and Roland Martin. Even got to buy Roland a brownie at a Bassmaster Classic, good story to tell. He loves Brownies and they couldn’t provide change for him. So I bought it for him. One day I will see if he remembers.
The Richmond Expo is about so much more than just buying products. It’s about memories, about learning, and about the people you meet. It’s the experience that makes it special. You can’t compare the Expo of our youth to the Expo today, they are totally different. Every Expo is different and special. Every year it is different and every year it gets more special to me. What will it be this year, I’ll have to wait and see. Maybe it will be getting to meet you and get to talk, that will be special indeed.
