The Death of the small tackle shop

[Catt]

@GReb

 

Here's the answer?

 

3 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

No way Catt. I know it was always a hard business. The better tackle shops - these guys worked long hours, weekends, and some hard physical work too.Plus, you always had to be prepared for the slow season, in some areas this could be a few months. I always admired folks who could hang with it, and build that type of business.You would have to love fishing to stick it out

 

These guys loved fishing not money, money was lagniappe!

 

[fishwizzard]

18 minutes ago, Logan S said:

100% True.  If I could fish those lakes I would stop in for sure at least every once in a while.  Such a shame to have 3 beautiful lakes so close that are closed off.  

 

There's a nice tackle shop (Precision Tackle) in/near Anchor Marina on the Upper Bay (NE River) that seems to do OK because it's got bass boats in and out every day year-round.  They also host and sponsor lots of local tournaments.  There's several ramps closer to me so I don't go to Anchor often though.   

If you want to depress yourself a little, add up the total acreage of the B-more reservoirs and then look at the total for the lakes we do have relatively easy access to.   

 

I had never heard of Precision Tackle as again, the traffic has kept me any the yak from ever hitting the Upper Bay, but I need to try some new spots so I am going to try and make a day of it before winter!

[GReb]

10 minutes ago, Catt said:

@GReb

 

Here's the answer?

 

 

These guys loved fishing not money, money was lagniappe!

 

Not going to argue that. But if you are trying to support a family good luck to ya. Need more than lagniappe to send a couple kids to LSU! Lol

[Gundog]

9 hours ago, Harold Scoggins said:

Hey Gundog, should you ever wander into Five Mountain Outfitters in Shickshinny, tell the owner, Brian Swingle, I said hi.

I know the Shickshinny area, great fishing along the river in that area but I don't know Five Mountain Outfitters. I'll do a google search and check it out during the long, cold winter we have coming up. 

[Harold Scoggins]

50 minutes ago, Gundog said:

I know the Shickshinny area, great fishing along the river in that area but I don't know Five Mountain Outfitters. I'll do a google search and check it out during the long, cold winter we have coming up. 

They sell and rent kayaks and also have tackle. (Free coffee too.)

[Big Rick]

Just today I went to my local tackle/hunting store (K&S Outdoors - Columbus Ms). I had bought a rod from them and knocked the eye out of the tip. I had spoken to Chad, a manager, about it and he told me to drop it off one day and he'd replace the tip for me. As I said, I stopped by today. Chad grabbed my rod and went to work. He had the tip replaced in 5 minutes and refused to accept any money. Customer service at it's finest. True, he got the replacement tip off a broken rod, but who cares!  It works and I'm back in business. 

 

Now, guess who will get my business, even more than they already did?  You can't replace customer service by lowering prices. Cheaper prices only work ONCE. If the service is bad then there will be one time purchases and no return business. 

 

On the flip side, I will gladly pay a little more to support a business that puts me, the consumer, first and foremost. Customer Service drives business. And the lack thereof also drives business.....AWAY.

 

My local store is across the road from a DSG and yet is thriving. That's all because of the awesome service. Want a special bait? gun? They'll order it and call you when it's in. While the internet has put the brick and mortar stores on the edge of extinction those stores that put customer service first and foremost will survive. That's because people will pay a little more to be treated like royalty. 

[burrows]

22 hours ago, flyfisher said:

Nature of the beast.  Those companies refused to embrace the online digital age and marketing and paid the price much like blockbuster.  Gotta continue to grow and evolve or you will die.

The mom & pop tackle shops are a little different though as they can provide knowledge as well as merchandise and some of that merchandise has to be purchased in person.  

Same can be said for the mom and pop shops they also had the opportunity to invest in selling online. It’s sad though.

 

Toys r us went down I know their not tackle but I can remember walking in toys r us way back probably 6 and looking around and thinking this is the best place on earth! I remember my dad saying pick anything you want absolutely anything I picked a big tonka truck. One of my fondest memories. I read today that Walmart is also being affected by online marketing not that I give a darn about Walmart they started this whole ordeal but even they are becoming victims of Amazon and online retailers. 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/walmart-aggressively-shifting-away-legendary-shopping-format-120049155.html

 I guess in the near future everything will be delivered even food. 

[flyfisher]

4 hours ago, Burrows said:

Same can be said for the mom and pop shops they also had the opportunity to invest in selling online. It’s sad though.

 

Toys r us went down I know their not tackle but I can remember walking in toys r us way back probably 6 and looking around and thinking this is the best place on earth! I remember my dad saying pick anything you want absolutely anything I picked a big tonka truck. One of my fondest memories. I read today that Walmart is also being affected by online marketing not that I give a darn about Walmart they started this whole ordeal but even they are becoming victims of Amazon and online retailers. 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/walmart-aggressively-shifting-away-legendary-shopping-format-120049155.html

 I guess in the near future everything will be delivered even food. 

Problem with going online as a small business is it is tough to do it effectively.  I used to work at an outdoor store that did very well and their online presence was minimal.  They catered to a specific group of people that buying online didn't work as well for nor did he want to compete with the big boys.  We would lose some business to people using us to try on stuff and buy online but it is what it is.  We treated them all well and they would come back for the smaller ticket items which surprisingly enough were big money makers.  The biggest money makers both in profit margin and total dollars was socks and closely followed by nalgene water bottles.  He did carry pretty much anything top of the line you would want though and we would order anything for anyone with no deposit or shipping fee.  Customer service was where it's at and in the mom & pop tackle shop, the same rule applies.  

Walmart won't go anywhere anytime soon but they are also starting to embrace the online game but my 2 experiences with them and their ship to store option were miserable at best.  

[burrows]

7 hours ago, flyfisher said:

 

Walmart won't go anywhere anytime soon but they are also starting to embrace the online game but my 2 experiences with them and their ship to store option were miserable at best.  

Yeah no doubt it’s better to order threw an amazon / eBay retailer than Walmart I ordered a couple of things from them before pool supplies, things like that it was a big headache if I had a problem with the product returning it or exchanging was the biggest hassle ever.

[jeffo21]

We have one in my area its a great place friendly staff and keep as many have said stuff you just cant get anywhere else. I would rather spend my money with them then at one of the big box stores.

[Deleted account]

16 hours ago, Big Rick said:

Just today I went to my local tackle/hunting store (K&S Outdoors - Columbus Ms). I had bought a rod from them and knocked the eye out of the tip. I had spoken to Chad, a manager, about it and he told me to drop it off one day and he'd replace the tip for me. As I said, I stopped by today. Chad grabbed my rod and went to work. He had the tip replaced in 5 minutes and refused to accept any money. Customer service at it's finest. True, he got the replacement tip off a broken rod, but who cares!  It works and I'm back in business. 

 

Now, guess who will get my business, even more than they already did?  You can't replace customer service by lowering prices. Cheaper prices only work ONCE. If the service is bad then there will be one time purchases and no return business. 

 

On the flip side, I will gladly pay a little more to support a business that puts me, the consumer, first and foremost. Customer Service drives business. And the lack thereof also drives business.....AWAY.

 

My local store is across the road from a DSG and yet is thriving. That's all because of the awesome service. Want a special bait? gun? They'll order it and call you when it's in. While the internet has put the brick and mortar stores on the edge of extinction those stores that put customer service first and foremost will survive. That's because people will pay a little more to be treated like royalty. 

Sadly, customer service will not keep a sporting goods retailer in business. There are niche exceptions based on several factors, but for the most part, customers talk up customer service but actually shop price, selection and convenience. We have several customers like you who buy everything from us regardless of price being lower at other stores and online, and others who feel they should "support" a local shop and make token purchases, but statistically they make up a small percentage of customers. I will say there are clear demographic differences based on age and gender in addition to income that are quite apparent in these trends. 

[blckshirt98]

We have a great mom n' pop tackle shop (Coyote Bait and Tackle) in the South Bay Area but in the past few years I've been watching them close down.

 

Ly's Fishing Goods in San Jose run by Ly and his wife was the first casualty when the owner got into machining work full time because it's what paid the bills.

 

Bass Tackle Depot up in Oroville was a place a friend of mine grew up near, and I bought from them online all the time, they closed shop as well.

 

Walton's Pond had an owner (John Walton) that knew the SF Bay and Delta areas like the back of his hand, but he closed shop for greener pastures and went to work for the mosquito fleet out of La Paz.

 

Angler's Choice in Capitola I never had the chance to visit, but they shuttered their doors a couple of years back.

 

In more recent news does anyone know why Precision Tackle on the northern tip of Chesapeake Bay closed down?  They were another online shop I'd check out, but they recently sold everything off and shut their doors as well.

[Cgolf]

On 10/18/2018 at 9:33 AM, reason said:

Sadly, customer service will not keep a sporting goods retailer in business. There are niche exceptions based on several factors, but for the most part, customers talk up customer service but actually shop price, selection and convenience. We have several customers like you who buy everything from us regardless of price being lower at other stores and online, and others who feel they should "support" a local shop and make token purchases, but statistically they make up a small percentage of customers. I will say there are clear demographic differences based on age and gender in addition to income that are quite apparent in these trends. 

This sounds a bit like I was. I would spend 50 - 150 at a local tackle shop each year when their prices were not TW prices, but not crazy high. I was also able to get my hands on some of the newer Rapalas before others could. Then they sold the store to someone else and they decided it would be a good idea to raise prices by what seemed to be at least 2 bucks across the board. I no longer shop there. Not sure if the new owners got greedy, or if they needed to drive up the profit margin to pay for buying the store, but raising prices is a short term gain, because I am guessing I am not the only one that stopped shopping there.

[KickingFish]

The one by me just closed because a Cabela’s was put up about 2 miles away. The shop was called Mik Lurch and always had great information and a extensive selection of any lure you were looking for.

[mas3]

On 10/16/2018 at 9:01 AM, TOXIC said:

Had a good friend that owned a small tackle store in Michigan.  KD Outdoors.  He survived by his knowledge of the local lakes and what was working when.  He was an avid fisherman.  He sold live bait as well as servicing Bows and being an authorized Trolling Motor repair center.  His niche was that he carried the baits that worked no matter who manufactured them.  Ever go into BPS/Cabela's or any other box store and try to find Megabass Jerkbaits for example?  You won't.  He also carried a lot of locally owned bait manufacturers product.  It was a very tough business to be in.  Sadly he passed from an unexpected illness and the shop was closed.  

Wow

 

I live near KD Outdoors.

Ken was a great guy, did not know he passed

 

Sorry to hear this.

[CrankFate]

Running a BT shop is tough. Plus, most fishermen are cheap. And they hate buying stuff. I’m glad we have the big stores, especially BPS. There’s just no way a mom and pop could do what BPS does. So as much as I get the nostalgia of the local Bait and Tackle shop, they’re only viable in certain locations. I seriously believe BPS is the gold standard of what a major retailer should be. I am always happier going there than some little shop that has overpriced everything. There’s no way a little store can stock every size, color and shape lure, plastic, rod, reel and hook. And still charge fair prices. I love the idea of small businesses, especially restaurants, but fishing gear is all big businesses now Daiwa, Abu, Shimano, Berkeley, Yamamoto, St Croix, etc. The days of the little shop that makes custom rods and lures are mostly over. I lose the tip on a rod, it’s going in the garbage and I’m getting a new one. And the reels, I have nothing to do all winter but service them myself and make long winded posts on the internet.

[JustALineWetter]

12 minutes ago, CrankFate said:

So as much as I get the nostalgia of the local Bait and Tackle shop, they’re only viable in certain locations.

Even here around Lake Minnetonka, probably the most fished lake in Southern Minnesota, the 'mom and pop' shops are dying. When I moved in, there were four within 15 minutes of me, now there's one...and it's the furthest away of those original four.

 

Couple of the convenience stores have tried to fill the gap...some tackle and 'live' bait (refrigerated worms and grubs) but it's nothing like the old bait stores.

 

Far as 'big' stores - there is a.....DSG within 20 minutes of me, so I get to go in and peruse what's out - though I usually buy from TW, Cabela's or BPS...whoever has the best price.

[Glaucus]

The internet has destroyed a lot of things. Toy stores, newspapers and magazines, tackle shops, book stores, etc etc. It's a digital age. 

[WRB]

I met nearly all my fishing buddies at local tackle shops. Friendships that lasted a life time, we would meet at the tackle shop and go to lunch as a group along with the shop owner. Take off work, drive to the shop, then to lunch and back to work. Every pro in the area would be part of this group from time to time. We curried the worlds problems and told war stories along with more than a few fishing stories. The shop owner passed away, the anglers dispersed and I miss those days.

Tom

[CrankFate]

12 hours ago, Glaucus said:

The internet has destroyed a lot of things. Toy stores, newspapers and magazines, tackle shops, book stores, etc etc. It's a digital age. 

As much as the internet ruined the brick and mortar stores, I think it actually increased the sales of most gear. Once they get a good YouTube buzz, we’ll all be talking about the products and buying them. Back in the day it was one or two rods and reels for a lifetime. Now you need 10 just to go on the internet.

[Arlo Smithereen]

There is only one 'mom/pop' hunting/fishing shop near me. They do far more business with hunting than fishing, but they do have a good variety of fishing tackle. Most of it is geared toward walleye/panfish/catfish than bass. But still they have a good variety of hard baits and soft plastics. I bought alot of tackle there, because I'm happy to spend a little more to support a local vendor. The only fluorocarbon they stocked was Berkley Vanish, which I never liked due to my bad experiences with it. I mentioned to them that if they carried a better line of fluoro I'd happily buy it, I suggested Berkley Professional 100% fluoro, since it's also Berkley. The owner looked at me like I was an idiot, and didn't even acknowledge what I had said. At that moment, I decided I would never step foot in that store again. Maybe I was being petty, but even if he didn't agree with me about Berkley Vanish, I'm a paying customer and the only reason I'm in your store is to help you out. If you don't want to help me out with my tackle needs, I no longer have any use for you and will take my business elsewhere. I'm sure they didn't give it a second thought, but they lost me as a customer. 

[blckshirt98]

Mom and pop tackle shops live and die by customer service and their ability to bring the local fishing community together.  The ones with great customer service are the ones that survive where people will pay a couple of extra bucks.  The ones with snobby elitist owners all eventually die a slow death.

[Nai]

There was a hardcore bass store that closed recently in my old town. They had some pretty decent stuff but 50% was not my preferred brand (high priced hard baits). They sold quite a bit of shimanos and powells. I shopped there every once in a while. They had supported some local clubs and still do somehow, even though the business is stopped(?) Funny thing is, there is a mom and pop store down the street which is still open (they mainly cater to catfish, perch, and striper guys as I live on the bay). I used to shop there but haven't in years. Cabela's isn't to far away and neither is Dick's. 

[Sam]

We have Castaways and Dance's in Chester and Hopewell areas, respectfully.

 

Hopkins is in Mechanicsville as is Surfside.

 

Pope's is in Sandston.

 

Green Top is a large regional tackle shop that specializes in guns, which keeps them in business plus they have a very nice fishing department.

 

Dick's closed their Stony Point Fashion Park store due to lack of business. But this is not Dick's fault. The shopping center was doomed the day it was open. Richmond's mayor and city council wanted it so bad that they did not believe the economic forecasts that were negative about the location and the high end shops it was suppose to include. Sports Authority was there first and when they pulled out Dick's took their place.

 

We have a number of Dick's in Richmond area, but their fishing section is nothing to get excited about.

 

Walmart carries a limited amount of fresh water tackle, depending on the store's location and what the store's buyer believes will sell fast. It's all about product turnover. If it doesn't sell, it is gone at Walmart.

 

We also have a Cabela's in Short Pump and a Bass Pro Shop just south of Ashland off I-95.

 

Hookers is in Toano towards Williamsburg and is a great shop, like Surfside. Bass guys work there and are very helpful.

 

If you need anything that these retailers do not carry then it is off to the Internet to find and make the purchase.

 

Don't think the large box stores are the only outlet for our bass tackle. Ordering from the Internet suppliers has put a dent in the large box stores sales and when these box stores note what sells and what doesn't they will adjust their inventory meaning that they could have a great selection of KVD baits today and then a smaller selection tomorrow.

 

An example is the Walmart on Sheila Lane off Forest Hill Avenue in Richmond, Virginia. They have a lot of catfish gear and tackle since there are a lot of people who fish for catfish in the Historic James River. They still carry some nice, but limited, bass tackle and baits that go on sale from time to time.

 

Dick's did report that when they decided to no longer sell guns they really hurt their retail business. Dance's sells guns and hunting equipment which brings in a lot of people into their store. Cabela's has an average gun department.

 

Green Top is the best gun and hunting outlet followed by BPS. At Green Top you will speak with a specialist in the gun department and they are very helpful. Green Top also has bass guys in their fishing department who you can speak with about bass fishing. BPS has Conner, Mike and Michael who know bass fishing and they are bass tournament guys.

 

So when you walk into a tackle shop and expect some knowledgeable assistance you are throwing the dice. We want tackle shops with people who know bass fishing in your area and can be of great help when deciding on what to purchase and some of the larger box stores don't have bass guys and gals in their fishing departments so you are on your own.

 

The smaller tackle shops cannot economically keep up with the box stores and the financial investment to open or purchase an existing tackle shop is a challenge. So when we lose a small tackle shop the odds are that no one will continue the business.

 

Sometimes things do not change for the better.

 

 

 

 

[TOXIC]

On 12/8/2018 at 7:34 PM, mas3 said:

Wow

 

I live near KD Outdoors.

Ken was a great guy, did not know he passed

 

Sorry to hear this.

We fished with Ken for the first 10 years of our annual trip to St Clair, even stayed at his house for a few of those years.  His son Johnathon fished with us as well.  It was devastating to us when he passed.  We had just gotten home from our annual trip and had to turn around and fly back for his funeral.  Miss him dearly.  

 

3 hours ago, Sam said:

Hopkins is in Mechanicsville

Just read that Hopkins is closing down.  Shame.  They had an excellent supply of all things Yamamoto and I did some work in the store for Lance.