Four days of new boats and marine gadgets highlighted the 52nd annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show October 28-31.
If you didn’t make it to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS), Florida Sportsman was there to cover new boats and gear from some of your favorite fishing companies. A surprising number of boat builders were not showing off their 2012 models, but they said to expect big changes in the Florida boating market for the new year.
There seemed to be varying philosophies among boat builders at the show. Some of the monster offshore center-console boat-makers continued to rig even more horsepower to already awesomely-fast boats. Other companies brought to market reasonably priced models that can compete with used-boat prices. Whatever your choosing, all price ranges, speeds, lengths, hulls and weights were available at the FLIBS. One continued trend is a noticeable move of established offshore center console companies expanding to the inshore market. For 2012, expect to see even more offshore makers producing models for the bay boat arena.
Outside, at the Bahia Mar marina, super-yachts with tenders larger than most inshore fishing boats took up most of the slip space. Still, fishermen, pleasure boaters and Budweiser girls mixed together for a pleasant show experience. Inside, at the convention center, booths were slim, but there’s always that new company with a product that makes you do a double-take. Here are some highlights from the show: at this link http://www.floridasportsman.com/2011/10/31/2011-fort-lauderdale-boat-show/
