MILWAUKEE – Aside from the first robins returning, a sure sign of the changing seasons takes place on Thursday, March 9 when the 82nd annual Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sports Show opens at the Wisconsin State Fair Park’s Expo Center. The four-day event is the longest-running outdoor recreation show in the nation and runs through Sunday, March 12.
“Whether it’s fishing, camping, hunting, hiking, paddling a canoe or kayak, or off-road trail riding, skiing, skating, or snowmobiling, Wisconsin is a year-round outdoor paradise,” said Stephen Buzza, event director for USA TODAY NETWORK VENTURES, producer of the Journal Sentinel Sports Show. “The show gives hardcore and novice outdoors lovers a place to find the newest equipment and learn new skills in a temperature-controlled, family-friendly environment with big-name entertainment.”
Back this year are two fishing icons – the 73-foot-long Trout Pond and the 5,000 gallon “Hawg Trough.” The Trout Pond is one of the oldest and most popular attractions at the show and is called the largest indoor trout pond in the world. The Hawg Trough is an aquarium that stands 10 feet tall and 30 feet
long. Both are stocked with dozens of largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegills, perch, catfish and walleye. Atop the Hawg Trough is a boat that acts as a stage for professional fishermen and guides to demonstrate casting and tips to catch fish. The Hawg Trough Stage is sponsored by Fond du Lac-based
Mercury Marine.
B.A.S.S. Elite Series Pro John Crews will headline the fishing stage and share his fishing strategies on Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 11. Crews has been a professional for 20 years and has 27 Top 10 finishes in B.A.S.S. events. He has been an Elite Series angler since the series launched in 2006 and won
the 2022 St. Johns River tournament.
Outdoorswoman, television show host, author, and social media personality Eva Shockey will headline the adjacent Outdoor Stage with appearances on Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12. She co-hosts the Outdoors Channel’s Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures with her father, big game hunter Jim Shockey. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is joining the show as host of the Outdoor Stage this year.
A host of fishing and hunting professionals will offer tips and advice on the Outdoor and Mercury Marine Hawg Trough stages. A complete list for each day is on the show’s website (https://jssportsshow.com/schedule). A special emphasis this year is on Wisconsin’s efforts to manage the wolf population.
Also appearing on their own stage will be the popular Timberworks Lumberjacks from Hayward, Wisc., home of the Lumberjack World Championships. Lumberjacks Wyat Brueggeman and Nick Hastedt both grew up in Hayward. Brueggeman is a former amateur log rolling world champion and Hastedt grew up log rolling and has been competing as a professional for more than 10 years. Joining them on stage is Cameron Pilgreen, a 2017 graduate of Watertown High School who is working toward a degree in engineering at Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) when he is not competing. Pilgreen is the 2022 World Champion in Boom Running (running the length of five floating logs).
Jared Bobkin, an executive chef from Detroit who was featured in Seasons 15 and 17 on FOX TVs Hell’s Kitchen with Gordon Ramsay, will make special appearances on the Usinger’s Cooking Stage. Bobkin is Culinary Director for USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures and is a private chef who has worked at high-end restaurants and country clubs. He will be demonstrating cooking wild game each day of the show and enjoys making food that is familiar to everyone but elevating it to the next level.
Self-proclaimed “Grillologists” Mad Dog & Merrill will headline the cooking Usinger’s Cooking Stage. This is the 41st year the Central Wisconsin duo have been at the show. They have hosted the Midwest Grill’n TV show since 2010. The show is seen throughout the U.S., Canada and around the world on TV stations and streaming services. Mad Dog and Merrill demonstrate how easy it is to be creative and grill almost anything in your own backyard.
Also appearing on the Usinger’s Cooking Stage is Starla Batzko of Belgium, Wis. She will be demonstrating cooking with wild game. Her eponymous Starla’s Seasonings line of dip mixes and seasonings have been popular at the show since 2016. Batzko has a background in nutrition and began making her own mixes 14 years ago. She keeps thing light on stage by providing “dip etiquette tips.”
Besides the on-stage presentations, more than 250 outdoor businesses and vendors will be offering special deals on equipment and experiences during the show, reflecting the longtime popularity of the show and the importance outdoor recreation holds for the state.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation industry contributed a record $8.7 billion to the state’s economy in 2021, the most recent year figures are available. Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation industry supported nearly 90,000 jobs across various sectors in 2021. Manufacturing jobs accounted for 10 percent of all outdoor recreation jobs in each of the last two years, ranking Wisconsin fourth in the country. The data also show travel and tourism, as well as local trips, account for nearly $2.8 billion of outdoor recreation’s contributions to Wisconsin’s economy.
Specials & Ticket Discounts
All military personnel and veterans receive free admission when they show their miliary ID or credentials at the ticket window each day of the show. All senior citizens (age 55 and older) receive a $4 discount ($8 instead of $12) on Thursday and Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in uniform receive free admission on
Sunday.
Prizes & Giveaways
There will be multiple prize giveaways each day including:
Thursday
- The first 3500 people admitted to the show receive a free copy of Wisconsin Outdoor Magazine.
- EGO Softside bait cooler, and assorted Off Shore tackle package awarded in a drawing during Bill Kutka’s “Walleye Trolling Tips” session at 7 p.m.
Friday
- The first 500 people admitted to the show receive a 5-pack of Missile baits created by BASSMASTER champion John Crews.
- Dinner for two with BASSMASTER champion John Crews awarded in a drawing during Crews’ “Drop Shot Tips & Tricks for Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass” session at 6 p.m.
- EGO Tournament Weigh-in Bag and a gift certificate from the Hayward Area Chamber of Commerce awarded in a drawing during Bill Kutka’s “Walleye Fishing in the Hayward, Wisconsin Area” session at 6 p.m.
Saturday
- The first 75 youth (16 & under) will receive a spin cast fishing combo during Greg Karch’s “Fishing Basics: Everything You Need to Know to Start Fishing from Equipment to Skills” session at 12 p.m.
- Razr Rodz trolling rod and a pair of KYND Sunglasses awarded in a drawing during Bill Kutka’s “Lake Erie Walleye Fishing Revealed: Tips, Tricks & Techniques” session at 4 p.m.
Sunday
- EGO Tackle Box Bag and a pair of KYND Sunglasses awarded in a drawing during Bill Kutka’s “Lake Erie Walleye Fishing Revealed: Tips, Tricks & Techniques” session at 12 p.m.
- BowTec bow autographed by Eva Shockey, two 4-packs of arrows, and a fishing rod and five packs of Missile baits created by BASSMASTER champion John Crews awarded in a drawing during Eva Shockey’s session at 1 p.m.
- The first 75 youth (16 & under) will receive a Plano mini tackle box with tackle during Greg Karch’s “Beyond The Basics: Build Your Skills and Equipment Knowledge Beyond the Basics” with Greg Karch session at 2 p.m.
- All attendees of Greg Karch’s session at 2 p.m. are entered in a drawing for Pflueger Spinning Combo, Berkley Series 1 Spinning Rod, and 2 soft sided tackle bags.
Other giveaways include a fishing trip, a Razor Rod, left-handed and right-handed BowTec bows, a crossbow, tick spray, koozies, and hats with logos for Vortex, Mercury Marine, Duluth Trading Co., Busch Light, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sports Show, and more.
The 2023 Journal Sentinel Sports Show runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 9 through Saturday, March 11, and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 12. For more information about the show including details about vendor updates, stage schedule, and more, please visit https://jssportsshow .com or follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/JSSportsShow), Twitter (https://twitter.com/mjssportsshow) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mjssportsshow).
