Traverse City -- Parker McConnell stood before a large water tank filled with various fish species, his face inching closer to the glass.
"What is that fish right there?" said Parker, 8.
"It's a bass," said David McConnell, Parker's father.
The father-son duo from Traverse City attended the 16th annual Traverse City Hunting and Fishing Expo at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center's Howe Arena on Saturday. They were among hundreds of hunters and anglers packed into the venue.
"I thought he'd like it," McConnell said.
Parker confirmed he did, maybe even more than he enjoys fishing, he said.
The arena held nearly 100 vendors peddling everything from wildlife trail cameras, shiny fishing lures, bone-handled knives, black bear hunting trips to Ontario and safari trips to South Africa.
Matt and Brittney Harwood, of Grayling, stopped at a booth for Finn Spoons fishing lures from Marquette.
Matt Harwood held a glow-in-the-dark lure inside his cupped hands and lifted them to his eye, peering inside to see what pattern salmon would view in deep, dark waters.
"The bigger variety of lures you have, the better chance you have of putting fish in the boat," he said.
Harwood chose three flashy lures and paid $16.
Around the corner, Robert Felker, of Johannesburg, bought a seed bag for a planned deer food plot on his land in Otsego County. The mixed seed bag included various types of clover, turnips and alfalfa.
"Hopefully I'll plant my food plots and get it to grow this year," Felker said.
Felker also checked out the many taxidermy mounts and outfitter hunting trips, what he called a "way to kick off spring."
Nick French, an archery sales representative, stood near a rack filled with crossbows from Gauthier's Archery in Traverse City. It's a weapon that recently grew in popularity, he said.
"A lot of people don't know about the crossbow season. A lot of people are asking about the laws and regulations," French said.
State wildlife officials expanded crossbow use last year to hunters more than 50 years old in this region and to hunters more than 12 years old in southern Michigan. Crossbow sales about tripled since then, French said.
Event organizer Jim Liska anticipates at least 6,000 outdoor enthusiasts will attend the expo throughout the weekend.
The expo will continue today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $6, though children 12 years and younger can attend for free.
Visit www.tchuntfishexpo.com for more information.
