Think Spring, and head out to the SIU Arena for the 12th Annual Spring Sports and Recreation Show.

The 1996 show, which costs three dollars for guests 13 and older, will take place over a three-day period from 5 p.m. Friday until 5 p.m. Sunday; and will feature such events as Bassmaster Casting Kids, and various seminars on fishing, Black Powder shooting, and training and handling hunting retrievers.

Friday night, a 5,500 gallon aquarium called the Hawg Trough, will be used for demonstrations on fishing using different rigs.

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Also on Friday, a $500 cash prize will be awarded to a lucky visitor who registers for the drawing.

Marilyn Baker, special events manager for the SIU Arena, is expecting up to 10,000 people in attendance over the three day show.

We plan to have a bigger and better show this year, Baker said.

Baker also said the show will offer items of interest for the whole family.

Basically, we want the whole family to come out and see the variety of outdoor products, Baker said. It’s not just fishing products.

Baker said there will be 55 exhibitors on hand to show their products.

Casting Kids, an event which is open to kids ages 7-10 or 11-14, is a contest kids enter to compete using their fishing skills. Casting Kids will begin Friday evening, and continue every other hour over the weekend schedule.

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Fred Washburn, owner of Cotton Mouth Lures in Carterville, will be on hand to give advice about Bass fishing, and show fishing enthusiasts different lures to catch Bass using Carolina Rigs by crankin’ and flipping them.

I’ll show them the best methods of fishing, Washburn said. It’s all in mechanics.

Washburn, winner of more than 250 tournament trophies, and three national tournaments, said he has been giving seminars at the Arena for six or seven years. He also said his seminars have been turning into a full time business.

It’s growing to the point where it’s becoming a big player, Washburn said.

Washburn plans to have guides on the ground giving helpful tips while he is on the platform presenting his methods of fishing.

Everyone of the guys there with me are open tournament champions, so they can show some inside information on how to use the baits better, he said.

Cyril Bowlin, a local expert, will give seminars on where to catch the best bass in Southern Illinois.

I’m going to eliminate a lot of the legwork for fishermen in Southern Illinois if they just listen to me, Bowlin said. I’m going to tell people where the best place, when the best time is to catch a trophy fish in Southern Illinois, and I’m going to tell them what bait to use.

Bowlin will also utilize the Hawg Trough to show how to catch fish using different baits.

Nothing tickles me more than to show a young person, or an older one, how to catch fish and maybe use the bait in a different way, Bowlin said.