THIS YEAR'S SHOW SHOULD BE A HALL OF A TIME.

Byline: Keith Lair Staff Writer

It could be called controlled chaos.

Those arriving at the Long Beach Convention Center for the annual Fred Hall Fishing Tackle and Boat Show will find an entrance not designed for this type of show. They'll find show-goers going every which way, exhibitors hawking goods and handing out information. Noises, seemingly coming from every direction, will emit from the various seminars.

So, when the 56th annual show begins its five-day run today, what is the overwhelmed show-goer to do?

``It's very difficult,'' Camarillo show director Bart Hall said. ``That's part of the problem I have. I have to lay out the show so it's as easy to everyone as it can be.''

With more exhibits and more seminars than ever before, it's a task that has Hall heading for the closest bottle of aspirin. However, there are methods to the madness. Hall said the first thing to do when entering Sports Arena is to pick up a show map and program. Then, outline the seminars that might be of interest. Plan your route so you'll be near the seminar at the appropriate time.

``Make sure to plan your day so that you'll be able to see everything you want to see,'' he suggested. ``There is a lot going on.''

And there will be a lot to view. There will be more than 2,000 fishing-tackle, boating and outdoor-travel exhibits. Nearly every manufacturer of saltwater-, freshwater- and fly-fishing gear will show off its new and old gear and allow hands-on testing. There will be more than 400 seminars, conducting using freshwater and saltwater tanks and ponds. Discussing near-shore and multiday trips, bass, trout, and exotic fishing. More than four seminars will be going one at one time.

And there's the always-popular Kids Fish Free Trout Tank, where young anglers can catch and keep trout.

``What's neat is watching the kids come back each year,'' said Andy McCormick, the director of promotions for Turner's Outdoorsman who helps man charity booths at the show each year. ``That helps promote the sport and the fair.''

But there's more than the traditional seminars. For the first time in more than 40 years, lumberjacks will return to the show with the Florida- based Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show. Some of the world's best professionally performing lumberjacks will take part in log-rolling, ax-throwing and wood chopping and sawing.

There will be a kayak demonstration, game-cooking demonstrations, a truckload exhibit of game animals supplied by the Safari Club International, a labrador-retriever show from the Feather Ranch Kennels, and, for the first time, an on-the-water boat show at the nearby Long Beach Downtown Marina.

Demonstrations will be provided by popular Southern California anglers such as Aaron Martens, Don Iovino, Mike Gardner, Ronnie Kovach, Dan Hernandez, Frank Lopreste and Rich Tauber. Former bass world champion Jimmy Houston, host of a weekend television show on ESPN2, will share his fishing knowledge and sign autographs at the Shimano booth today, along with a seminar tonight at 8 at the Bongo Stage, and Hank Parker of TNN's ``Outdoor Magazine'' will be giving demonstrations at Ranger Boat's Water Works Wonders bass bin on the weekend.

A $60,000 Davis Boat will be given away in a casting contest, and there will be other types of casting contests for Daiwa products, knot-tying competitions from Izorlines and a game-fish simulator.

McCormick said that even though Turner's sells more firearm products than anything else, the Chino-based company has to make detailed plans for this fishing show.

``People come to the show to buy,'' he said. ``It's almost like a ritual. Everyone's looking for great deals and a lot of them are gone by the weekend. It's funny, because people buy things that they already have. I guess they figure it's a deal they can't pass up. I know people who buy and then give it to their friends to get them to go fishing with them.''

Hall said it's hard enough for the serious angler to cover everything in one day.

``A fly angler can spend no less than five hours alone just looking at gear, trying it out and doing everything with fly-fishing,'' he said. ``When you're trying products, that's formidable.''

One change will be how the show numbers its aisles, making it easier for show-goers to find their way. The show's main entrance will remain crowded because the parking lot is next to the Sports Arena entrance. It makes the center's main entrance problematic.

``When the weekend comes, it's a frenzy,'' McCormick said. ``I think Bart has done a good job of reinventing the show and has a lot of good people working with him.

FRED HALL SHOW

When: Today-Friday, 2-10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Where: Long Beach Convention Center and Sports Arena

Tickets: $10; children ages 12 and under are free

Directions: 710 freeway south to Shoreline Drive. Follow Shoreline to the arena, on the left.

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FRED HALL SHOW (see text)