Meet the Entertaining Personalities of Boating February 8-11

There is plenty to be learned from the diverse lineup of fishing and boating personalities that are slated to appear at the Hartford Boat Show running February 8-11 at The Connecticut Convention Center. Produced by the Connecticut Marine Trades Association (CMTA), this is the event’s 49th year and will feature 125 exhibitors and over 400 watercraft.

Leading off the Opening Ceremonies on Thursday, February 8 at 2:30 pm (preempting the opening ceremonies of the Pyeong Chang 2018 Winter Olympics), Captain Andrew Tucci, Sector Commander and Captain of the Port at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound, is scheduled to participate in the show’s opening.

The always popular and entertaining Greg Dubrule, Blackhawk party boat captain can be caught presenting “Ten Top Tips to Catch More Fluke, Seabass & Cod” three times during the Hartford Boat Show: Thursday, February 8 at 5:00 pm, Saturday, February 10 at 6:00 pm and Sunday, February 11 at 1:00 pm. He will also be hosting an expanded version of the visitor -favorite, skill-testing Blackhawk Fighting Chair Challenge throughout the show.

Kayak fishing authorities and personalities Jose' Negron, Derek Williams and Elliot Thomas will be making appearances at sessions presented by Three Belles Outfitters all days of the Hartford Boat Show. Negron will provide instruction on “The Power of Sonar: Catch More Fish from your Kayak.” As a passionate member of the Connecticut kayak fishing community, Negron has occupied tournament winner’s podiums many times in the last few years. He is a Lowrance Pro Staff team member, part of the elite Hobie Fishing Team, and fishes for Three Belles Outfitters. Derek Williams’, session topic is “Catch Monster Striped Bass from a Kayak. “ He is a member of the Hobie and Three Belles Outfitters Kayak Fishing Teams as well as a Lowrance Pro Staff team member. Williams currently holds the Connecticut Catch and Release striped bass record with a 54 inch fish caught and released from a kayak in Long Island Sound. Offering visitors an “Intro to Kayak Fishing: What you need to Know to Get on the Water,” Elliot Thomas is a two year member of the Three Belles Outfitters Fishing Team and a year-round kayak angler. In addition to running his own company 247 Lures, Elliot also serves as a Pro Staff Team Member for several other companies, including Lowrance, UgoWear, and Cobra Bait. Visit www.hartfordboatshow.com for a complete schedule of special sessions.

Visitors to the Hartford Boat Show should be on the lookout for the Geico Gecko Friday through Sunday. Fun for all, the Geico Gecko will be making appearances at 3:00 pm each of those days throughout the convention center. This is the first year that Geico is a sponsor of the Hartford Boat Show.

Live broadcasts of some of Connecticut’s most popular radio stations with their on-air personalities are scheduled throughout the show, with the crew from WUCS-FM 97.9 Sports scheduled for Thursday, February 8 from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm; WWYZ-FM Country appearing on Friday, February 9 from 5:00 to 7:00pm; and WHCN-FM 105.9 The River kicking off Saturday, February 10 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Musical entertainment to inspire warm weather activities on the Connecticut waters are scheduled to include James Harris at Friday’s Happy Hour on February 9 from 4:00 to 7:30 pm, and the steel drums of The White Eyed Lizard Band on Saturday, February 10 from 2:00 to 7:00 pm.

On Saturday February 10 and Sunday February 11, kids visiting the show are welcome to join in some Hands on Fun in the new Windows to the Future area and try their hands at boat building kit activities. The sessions will run 12:00 to 5:00 pm on Saturday, and 12:00 to 3:00 on Sunday. Students from Our Piece of the Pie of Hartford will be assisting with the boat building projects as special guests of the show. Our Piece of the Pie of Hartford is a non-profit, urban youth development agency offering a relationship-centered approach to help young people define and attain a mix of the educational, employment, and personal skills that contribute to their success. A portion of the wood materials for the boat building projects are being donated by Home Depot of Waterford.

Tickets for The Hartford Boat Show are available at www.hartfordboatshow.com. Pre-show online tickets are $10 and a multi-day pass is available at $18 which allows access to the show any two days. The Senior Skip’rs pass for February 9 is $8. Admission on-site at the Show will be $12. Children under 12 accompanied by an adult are free. Group sales for groups over 15 people may be arranged by contacting CMTA Show Staff at 860-767-2645.

The Hartford Boat Show will be open Thursday, February 8 from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm.; Friday, February 9 from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm; Saturday, February 10 from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm; and Sunday, February 11 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. For non-boating enthusiasts accompanying their water loving companions, live action from the Pyeong Chang 2018 Winter Olympics will be broadcast on screens in various locations throughout the Hartford Boat Show.

For schedule details and a full list of exhibitors, visit www.hardfordboatshow.com. Follow new developments on Facebook at @CMTAboating, Twitter at @HartfordBoatSho and Instagram at ctmarinetrades.