Yesterday, Bass Pro Shops had a grand opening in San Jose, California. This is a big deal because most BPS stores are on the eastern half of the US. To have one here at home in the Bay Area was something I've been waiting for well over a decade! I've never been to a BPS store before until yesterday, and let me tell you, it is the best outdoors store you will ever go to. There simply isn't a better outdoors store that can compete with it. Big 5, Sport Authority, REI, Dicks, Outdoor Pro Shop, and local tackle shops are nothing in comparison to the grandeur of Bass Pro Shops. Don't get me wrong, I'll still always support my local tackle shops because there are certain items available at local tackle shops that aren't available at BPS, and the staff at local shops usually have valuable information about the fishing spots that area in the area. But BPS is humongous. They have it all decked out with a fish tank, herds of stuffed deers, top of line fishing boats on display, and much much more. It's something you have go see in person and experience. Words can't describe it and pics wouldn't do it justice. I won't post pics of the interior so as to not spoil it for anyone. Go check it out yourself! The highlight of going to the grand opening was being able to meet Kevin Van Dam. I'm fishing fanatic, so to meet Kevin Van Dam was like a dream come true. I would've never imagine having the opportunity in my life to meet the Michael Jordan of bass fishing! I also got to meet Jimmy Houston "America's Favorite Fisherman", the famous and entertaining bass fishing TV host, and met Ish Monroe as well. Last but not least, I got to meet Dwight Clark, the former 49ers wide receiver famous for "the catch" he caught from Joe Montana. To be honest, I'm not that big of a football fan. Sure. I like it, but not as much as I like fishing. So for me meeting Kevin Van Dam was way more thrilling than meeting Dwight Clark. I've already met Jerry Rice and Jeff Garcia earlier in the year at a bar, so meeting Dwight wasn't that big of a deal. I brought Kevin's "Secret of a Champion" book with me, and he signed it. Ish who was sitting next to him looked at the cover photo of Kevin on the book, and joked, "Man, that must've been twenty years ago!" and we all laughed. I also got Dwight's, Jimmy's, and Ish's autographs too. Here the pics I took with my idols:
