Which Fishing Stop Has Your Loyalty?

[Senko lover]

I was really excited to discover a few months ago that three stores were going up near me: a Bass Pro Shops (45 min), a Cabelas (45 min), and a Gander Mountain (15 min). I've been to the Gander Mountain, and am planning to visit the others sometime in the near future.

Where is your favorite place to stop for your fishing needs? One of these three? A local tackle shop?

I prefer Bass Pro because of selection. You can find almost any bait sold in dozens of colors and a large selection on rods and reels as well. However, it's a little overwhelming and hard to find things sometimes. (Too many rods sticking up in the air!)

Cabelas is much more of an experience than a store (kinda like going to a mall). Bass Pro tries, but Cabelas has the better layout and a really good-looking interior in their stores.

Which one has your loyalty?

[Choporoz]

I may be getting old, but I don't have the time or patience for any of those any more.  I admit they used to be a lot of fun.  Now, I get what I want/need online.  The exception is that I enjoy going into the little guy near the lake(s) I intend to fish and talk with locals...about fishing, coffee, weather....whatever.

[F14A-B]

When BPS opened in my area, the great lil tackle shops, Closed, DSG even cut way back, now we have a cabelas and 4 DSG, I quit going to Cabelas with all the bridge construction so it's either BPS or one DSG, and of course on line orders.

[Steveo-1969]

I prefer BPS for selection as well, but only get there about once a year because it's 90 minutes away.  Cabela's would be second choice, but that is also 90 minutes away.  I have two Gander Mountains 45 minutes away that I visit about 4 times per year.  Locally I have two Dick's Sporting Goods stores that are ok, not great selection but better than Walmart.

 

I get 50% of my stuff on-line, the other 50% from stores.

[Felix77]

DUring the winter when I get REALLY bored I will take the 2-3 hour trip to BassPro just to wander around and see the new stuff.  Otherwise I am more than content with online.  TW in particular.

[TBO]

i only have a bass pro nearby and have been their 3 times this year. i like going to look at everything, but they are expensive, and dont have everything. but still i have a fun time  just made my first online purchase for fishing from TW.

[CarolinaBoy4Life]

Bass Pro Shop's. But mainly do my ordering via online at TW

[Wayne P.]

My "loyalty" is to my wallet. Whatever company has the best price for the stuff I want when I want it gets my business.

[AK-Jax86]

^ great comment

When I go to the store to pick up a few things I usually go to Dicks they have the biggest selection. When I need a lot of stuff I go to TW.com and take advantage of the cheap 1-2 day shipping

[Fishes in trees]

The various Dicks in my neighborhood are weak, as far as tackle selection goes.  There are a couple of BPS in the KC metro area and one Cabelas.  Better know what you want prior to getting there, cause the help they hire aren't much help.  I think that the Cabelas clothes fit me a little better than the BPS branded clothes.  I think that in the KC metro area we are very fortunate that we have a large family owned fishing tackle/archery/ outdoor clothes store in Liberty.  I buy quite a bit of tackle from Rogers Lures in Liberty.  They are the only place that I buy reels at, rods, I tend to shop around a bit more.   A couple of years ago Cabelas decided to get out of the Kistler line and I got a few Kistler rods at a decent discount.  I buy on-line quite a bit also.  In the links section, I've contacted quite a few different manufacturers and bought direct.

Most recently I bought $60 worth of jig heads from Charlie Brewer Slider Co.

 

As far as "loyalty" goes, I'm not very loyal to any one place.  I always check Rogers first.  I do use my BPS credit card at BPS and my Cabelas card when I get stuff at Cabelas.  Over time the points add up.

[Nelson Wormefeller]

I usually drive (From NJ to PA) 2 hours to Bass Pro, and then hit the Cabela's on the way back.  When I take my buddies from NYC (who hunt and fish) on the trip they are in heaven and can't believe their eyes when they first walk in.

 

For something quick and common I will stop at Dick's Sporting Goods near my house and hope they have it.

 

I guess my loyalty is with Bass Pro Shops, I do advertise for them on my baseball hat.

[BasshunterJGH]

Bass Pro Shop's. But mainly do my ordering via online at TW

X2. BPS is my favorite but I mainly order from TW. I order my panfish ,trout, hunting, camping gear, etc. from cabelas though...

[Brian6428]

I would have told you bass pro shops, but I'm not so sure anymore. All of their stuff seems to be marked up from most online retailers, and they have some stuff they do that bugs me. Like those guys that are always trying to get people to enter in the vacation sweepstakes, or whatever. 

 

Basically, I'm ready to move my business elsewhere, but don't know where yet. 

[DFrench97]

TW is my favorite, but I have a BPS 45mins away and a new Cabelas about 1.5hrs away which I want to check out next time I head north for some fishing.

[Ozark_Basser]

1. TW

2. Bass Pro

[Dypsis]

I'm with other as I will defiantly take advantage of a good sale wherever that may be. 

 

But 75% of my purchases come from TW another 15% forums and the last 10% at BassPro.  I do like to take a trip to BassPro 1.5hrs away to check out stuff in person sometimes. 

[whitwolf]

Foothills Marine: local.

 

Siebert Outdoors

 

JJ'S magic.

 

TW

 

Handmade crankbaits from Arkansas.

[Catch and Grease]

I love academy, they have a good selection of stuff at affordable prices. Their H2O brand is great

[ABW]

TW. The nearest place other than Walmart is a 1+ hour drive away.

[Tony L.]

For gear I used to go to BPS first and foremost until I moved (but I still make an annual pilgramage during the spring classic). They just opened a gander mtn less than 10 minutes away, so that took most of my business for a while. Now I hear that a cabelas is in the works o the north side of the city....

Since I feel pretty well situated with my current rod/reel arsenal, I lately seem to be making my rounds between Dick's, Dunhams, and Big R to periodically check what lures each place has on sale.

[tomustang]

If I told you I'd lose my deals

[DogBone_384]

I've got a BPS about a half hour away and DSGs sprinkled all around me.  I like BPS because I've always had good customer service experiences with them versus the virtually non-existent customer service @ DSG.  I'm overloaded with gear (I blame this forum, my wife just thinks I'm retarded...) so it's now down to picking up terminal tackle and soft baits I run out of.  

 

I'll shop the internet when there's a good sale that helps me rationalize another purchase....

[Djf3864]

Certain things will be bought at BP or DSG.

The rest is online, mostly at TW. Seibert is on the list though for jigs this winter when I can really review their website and put an order together.

[buzzed bait]

My "loyalty" is to my wallet. Whatever company has the best price for the stuff I want when I want it gets my business.

 

i'm with wayne.  i have no loyalty to those big companies because they have none to me.... 

but one area where i have been very loyal, i haven't bought a single jig from anywhere after i bought the first round from siebert.  i've since placed 3 re-orders.  that is about as loyal as i am to any company....

[Driftb]

I try to support my local tackle shops.  There are a few in my area and they do their best to carry my reccomendations. If I send clients to big box stores, they usually show up with the wrong lures.  If an individual lure costs a buck or two more than at a big box, oh well.  By the time you cover C******'s or B*** ***'s shipping, or gas to drive the hour or two,you may as well buy locally.  As for rods and reels, I do have to go online, as the local boys just cannot afford to stock the equipment I use.  It's also nice to have a local place to buy a license.