Fishing show draws a crowd in Tinley Park
By Mike Nolan mnolan@southtownstar.com February 11, 2012 8:02PM
Shorewood resident Mitchell Gustafson, 14, (left) and his father Kevin (right) look at buzz and spinner baits during the 19th Annual Tinley Park Fishing and Outdoor Show at Tinley Park High School Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, at 6111 W. 175th St. in Tinley Park. | Matthew Grotto~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: April 12, 2012 1:52AM
For Dave Howe, Father’s Day occurs twice every year. The kitchen calendar in his Oak Forest home clearly says so.
The weekend after Super Bowl is when the Tinley Park Fishing and Outdoor Show is held at Tinley Park High School, and Howe lets the rest of the family know it’s dad’s weekend.
“It’s that time of the year when I start to really get thinking about fishing, and this (show) is heaven if you’re a fisherman,” he said.
Organized by the Tinley Park High School Athletic Association, the show seems to fill every nook and cranny of the school with fishing gear, boats and invitations from the operators of fishing resorts. If you’re hungry, a shore lunch is available, and there are seminars by fishing experts. It’s a place where you’ll spot guys wearing shirts that say “Crappie Attitude” and “Hell’s Anglers.”
The event continues from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the school, 6111 W. 175th St. Parking is also available at Panduit’s plant just west of the high school, with shuttle buses carrying attendees to and from the show.
As the event has grown over the years, Howe said he’s found himself showing up on both days.
“There is so much to see, and you start talking with guys about fishing and the day can get away from you,” he said.
For the 19 years it’s been held, the show has been managed by Rich Komar. He explained that the athletic boosters used to hold Vegas nights to raise money, but the advent of riverboat gambling in the state hurt revenues. Komar said he had an idea to hold a fishing show which, at first, was minnow-sized and sparsely attended.
In recent years, it’s not been uncommon for more than 7,000 people to attend, Komar said. It draws those with strong piscatorial leanings from the far northern suburbs, downstate cities such as Champaign and Peoria, as well as Indiana.
There are 164 exhibitors at this year’s show, including resort operators from the United States and Canada. Lou Gabric, who owns Hummingbird Hideaway with his wife, Linda, has been at the show the past four years, and it’s one of just four fishing shows he attends each year. Their resort is in Mountain Home, Ark., about four hours southwest of St. Louis.
The Tinley Park show lets him reconnect with friends from the Chicago area who’ve booked stays at Hummingbird in the past, but “I usually generate a lot of new business,” Gabric said.
The show has become a family affair for the Begeskes, of Tinley Park.
Samantha Begeske and her brother, Ben, are both Tinley Park High School grads and it was their first time at the fishing show as exhibitors. In the past they’ve helped out their parents, Dave and Kim, who work the event.
Ben is a marketing representative for XS Energy Drink, a product distributed by Amway, and was pitching the 15 different flavors as the ideal tonic for tired fishermen.
“People get tired sitting on the boats all day, and these are sugar-free so you don’t have the crash,” he said.
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