ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, February 25, 1996              TAG: 9602280016
SECTION: BOAT SHOW                PAGE: BS-10 EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN 

BASS BOATS MIGHT GET OWN SHOW

By the time the Southwest Virginia Boat Show opens in early March, many anglers are reeling in fish from the deck of their new bass boat. Mike Fielder, the boat show chairman, is keenly aware of that fact, and it bothers him.

``By early March, many bass boaters have decided on their craft and are gearing up for tournaments,'' he said. ``Interest starts in January.''

In short, boat show dealers miss much of the bass boat trade, and that can be a significant part of their annual business.

The sponsor of the boat show, the Southwest Virginia Boat Dealers Association, is searching for a way of taking advantage of the early bass boat business. Getting the most attention is the idea of a show entirely for the bass boat crowd. It would be scheduled prior to the annual March boat show.

``We have met with the Roanoke Civic Center and begged them to provide us with a January bass boat date,'' Fielder said. ``If we can get that date, we are going to put together a show. It would be solely a bass boat show.''

Fielder wants to line up a bass boat show by next year. Several seasons ago, the dealers association sponsored an early bass show at the LancerLot in Vinton.

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