BPS... PA or MD?

[rtwvumtneer6]

Hey all! Stuck here in the Pittsburgh area 3+ hours from the closest Bass Pro Shops. Going east for a weekend trip and want to see, for those of you who have been to both, if you prefer the Harrisburg  PA location, or Hanover MD? Selection, inventory (bass fishing) size/atmoshpere, pricing, etc. Also, looking for any info on sales events. Happy fishing!!

[Joshua Beaver]

I've been to the Harrisburg location as I have lived there at one point. They have a good selection of items and most are great quality. While it is a drive from your area, it's not as far as Hanover. I would recommend Harrisburg as I have never been to the Hanover store.

[Choporoz]

Years ago, I drove an hour to a BPS....I still would like those two hours back.

[CroakHunter]

14 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

Years ago, I drove an hour to a BPS....I still would like those two hours back.

I'm with him, besides the fact that they have a fish tank, bass pro is useless to me. Too expensive and the workers there know little about anything.

[Joshua Beaver]

8 minutes ago, CroakHunter said:

I'm with him, besides the fact that they have a fish tank, bass pro is useless to me. Too expensive and the workers there know little about anything.

While both statements are true, they do have a good selection of lures and terminal tackle. Much better than any sporting goods store we have in my area. And I'm not one for asking questions in a sporting goods store, BPS and Cabelas included, I tend to take tips from pros and average every day anglers over store employees anyways. Unless you go fishing, you don't know fishing is my go to statement.

[patred]

Live five minutes away from the Arundel Mills BPS and I've been to the Harrisburg BPS once.   I thought the Harrisburg store had more of a selection.

 

Pat

[rtwvumtneer6]

Thanks, patred.

 

I'll agree they are overpriced.  I get 95% of my stuff elsewhere but I do like the Johnny Morris rods and reels, and they are reasonably priced*. I'm also going with a group who have never been to a BPS and they will enjoy the taxidermy and browsing. 

 

*Got a Carbonite 2 6.8:1 on a 7'2 MH/F Titanium 8 for $200... I fish it more than anything in my arsenal. 

[Cargojon]

Why not go to Cabela's in Wheeling?  To me they blow away BPS.

 

Oh, just re-read, you're headed East.  Maybe check out the Hamburg, PA location.  

 

[RockvilleMDAngler]

2 hours ago, Cargojon said:

Why not go to Cabela's in Wheeling?  To me they blow away BPS.

 

Oh, just re-read, you're headed East.  Maybe check out the Hamburg, PA location.  

 

 

Having been to the Harrisburg and Hanover BPS stores I can say they are about equal. Overpriced but decent fun as a destination. The Hamburg, PA Cabelas is an awesome store. Huge fish tank, AMAZING taxidermy display, tons of guns, but as far as tackle goes either BPS has it beat. FWIW I buy all my tackle from tacklewarehouse.com 

[Steveo-1969]

On 6/21/2017 at 10:06 PM, patred said:

Live five minutes away from the Arundel Mills BPS and I've been to the Harrisburg BPS once.   I thought the Harrisburg store had more of a selection.

 

Pat

 

Having been to both the Hanover, MD and Harrisburg, PA BPS stores I agree with Pat, I think the Harrisburg store and a little larger fishing section.

[Hurricane]

On ‎6‎/‎22‎/‎2017 at 1:02 PM, Cargojon said:

Why not go to Cabela's in Wheeling?  To me they blow away BPS.

 

Oh, just re-read, you're headed East.  Maybe check out the Hamburg, PA location.  

 

 Tackle Warehouse tops them both....

[patred]

2 hours ago, Steveo-1969 said:

 

Having been to both the Hanover, MD and Harrisburg, PA BPS stores I agree with Pat, I think the Harrisburg store and a little larger fishing section.

The only thing, and I mean THE ONLY THING the Bass Pro in Hanover has going for it over everything else -- at least for me -- is that it's 10 minutes from my house.  I actually wish it wasn't so close.  "Oh man I need to pick up one of these things RIGHT NOW!"  Go to BPS, for just that one thing, and then the impulse buys get me every time.

 

Pat

[Steveo-1969]

2 hours ago, Chris. said:

 Tackle Warehouse tops them both....

True, but... while I can browse on TW's website for hours just like I browse through a BPS store for hours, there is something special about being able to actually see the fishing stuff in person.

 

With that being said I won't drive 2 hours to a BPS to buy something. If I can't find something local I'm ordering it from the internet (usually TW).

[rtwvumtneer6]

8 hours ago, patred said:

The only thing, and I mean THE ONLY THING the Bass Pro in Hanover has going for it over everything else -- at least for me -- is that it's 10 minutes from my house.  I actually wish it wasn't so close.  "Oh man I need to pick up one of these things RIGHT NOW!"  Go to BPS, for just that one thing, and then the impulse buys get me every time.

 

Pat

Haha, I'm the opposite. I go with the intentions of one big purchase. The rest of the stuff I pull off the rack, look at the price, and proceed to say, "I can get this cheaper at ______". With the exception of a $5 t-shirt or $2 random lure bin purchase that I'll most likely give as a gift because people think the BPS name makes them the next KVD. 

[Deleted account]

For bass stuff the PA location has a better selection. The Arundel Mills one has to cater to the rockfish and tourist crowd, so they merchandise (appropriately I think) accordingly. They've got plenty of freshwater things though. #theenthusiastisnotyourcustomer

[Darren.]

It seems like a "take your pick" decision. If you were deciding

between Richmond, VA and Hampton, VA, I'd say Richmond

because, unless it has changed, Hampton is the smallest BPS

store they have. But unlike shopping at TW, I can at least get

my hands on rods before laying down the cash, and for me, 

BPS has a much better selection of rod lengths than TW...

[Nelson Wormefeller]

I have been to both and prefer the PA store.

[BlaineFred]

On June 21, 2017 at 2:37 PM, Choporoz said:

Years ago, I drove an hour to a BPS....I still would like those two hours back.

I live in Maryland,  20 minutes from the BPS in Hanover.  The store is smaller than the Harrisburg store.  It also has gear for Chesapeake Bay and ocean fishing, so it has much less bass fishing gear than Harrisburg.  The Hanover store appears to cater towards the casual angler, and doesn't have much of the tackle that the serious bass anglers would be interested in.  I shop the Hanover store for smaller items such as tungsten weights, etc.  

 

The Harrisburg store has much more bass gear such as the mid-level and higher end St. Croix rods.

 

I have over $100 in BPS credit card points that I wanted to use at Hanover but they didn't have anything that I wanted.

 

[BlaineFred]

The Cabela's in Wheeling is nearer to Pittsburgh than Harrisburg. 

 

The Cabela's has a much greater selection than the Hanover BPS.  Example is the rods where the Cabela's has the St Croix rids.

[fishwizzard]

The Hanover one is not great.  However, in Cockysville MD there is a great bass-centered store called Anglers Express, its small but has a very well curated selection.  It's also right down the road from a decent bank fishing reservoir.  There is also Susquehanna Tackle in Columbia PA, it is larger than AE and has more jdm/high end stuff.  

 

If it is still open, the Cabelas in Hamburg PA is decent is and is also right by a great wading spot on the Schuylkill.  

[Gundog]

11 minutes ago, Bunnielab said:

 There is also Susquehanna Tackle in Columbia PA, it is larger than AE and has more jdm/high end stuff.  

 

If it is still open, the Cabelas in Hamburg PA is decent is and is also right by a great wading spot on the Schuylkill.  

Agreed and for now the Cabela's in Hamburg is still open and running some great deals. And if you like cigars there is a Cigar International store in the same shopping area. CI is hopping on friday and saturday nights. Locals pull up in some classic cars and make it a party atmosphere. 

[Deeare]

Two words..... Tackle warehouse.  BPS is terrible.   They never have the size or color I want and that's IF they even stock the brand I'm looking for.   All they sell is their own knock off garbage.   

[Munkin]

On ‎6‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 0:52 PM, reason said:

For bass stuff the PA location has a better selection. The Arundel Mills one has to cater to the rockfish and tourist crowd, so they merchandise (appropriately I think) accordingly. They've got plenty of freshwater things though. #theenthusiastisnotyourcustomer

 

They are about equal distance for me and could not agree more with the above advice.

 

Now if the family is going I have to hit the Hanover store so my daughter can climb the rock wall.

 

Allen

[patred]

On 6/30/2017 at 9:35 AM, Bunnielab said:

 There is also Susquehanna Tackle in Columbia PA, it is larger than AE and has more jdm/high end stuff. 

 

That's a good idea since it's somewhat close to the PA BPS (at least a lot closer than the Maryland BPS).  I've never been there but have heard good things, and I've bought some stuff online from them.  I'm headed up to the Susqehanna on Friday and may have to check it out.

Pat

[fishwizzard]

The trick to escaping SVT with any money left is to only buy what you can carry in your hands.  Once you grab a basket it's all over. 

 

I once took about a three hour detour coming home from Philly to stop by there and it was absolutely worth it. Coming from somewhere with a very heavy salt water focus I had never actually seen a real bass fishing store before. I lost consciousness and woke up hours later my car, covered in rubber worms and crankbaits.