Wow. Bad time to need to restock on baits.

[WhittyPoo]

I read somewhere that tackle sales are up around 300%. First toilet paper, now fishing gear...ugh.

[BassNJake]

3 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Catching hot dogs is reliable tho and you can eat them when the bite is slow 

Do you use Mikey's weiner trap?

 

[NYWayfarer]

43 minutes ago, Glaucus said:

I guess I'm an elitist in the sense that bass fishing only feels right with artificial lures.

I would rather use artificial myself as well. However live bait can be fun every once and awhile.

43 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Long as it's legal - which it isn't in MN. Worms, leeches, crayfish, frogs, insects and minnows - that's what you're restricted to here...and no, a baby bluegill doesn't qualify as a 'minnow'.

It’s legal here during Bass season. The Gill caught to use for bait should be from the same body of water you are fishing for Bass and count towards your daily limit.

[Bankc]

In my city, it's hit and miss.  BPS is stocked on lures and line, low on rods, and really low on reels.  The big Academy near me is down to maybe 5 rods versus their normal stock of 300-500.  They're also really, really low on lures and line.  The smaller Academy near me is pretty well stocked.  It looks like normal.  Same thing with the Walmarts.  Some are stocked pretty well.  Others are pretty bare.  I can't say anything about the Cabela's.  I haven't been out that way in a while.  All of the Dick's are empty... though they all got rid of their fishing departments a few months back.  

 

My point is, it seems to be location dependent.  At least around here.  

[Bankbeater]

18 hours ago, Oresti said:

Is that the one in St. Charles? I’m heading over there this weekend.

yup.

[Glaucus]

My girlfriend says she knows of a little mom and pop tackle shop in a small town close to me so I'm going to give that a shot. If I could at the very least get my hands on some select colors of Little Dippers that would be great. It's all I ask at this point really.

 

It's a complete joke that I haven't been able to get my hands on Flukes or Senkos around here in colors that I like. Everything is picked over with just a few bags of odd ball colors left that I would have zero confidence in and that I've never seen anyone using. Maybe those will be fish catchers if you really think a out it. Who knows.

[ISuckAtBassFishingBoise]

The farm and tractor stores around me started stocking baits last year and I've been walking into more marine stores lately that supply a lot of local bait companies products and lucky craft.  Its hit and miss on the marine stores a lot of them in the area dont sell tackle.  Quite a few gas stations also sell senkos.

I can still find stuff online but paying more for shipping.

 

I might buy a mold soon, yt videos iv seen make it look like a 5 minute process

[Jleebesaw]

I just ordered a $100 worth of stuff from bps. They had everything i needed in stock online. It showed up today. Bass season opens tomorrow here.

[Tywithay]

I probably have more than I can use in a lifetime anyway. Maybe now I'll have an excuse to use it instead of buying more. 

 

I did find some cool stuff at atwoods the other day though. Didn't even know they had fishing stuff.

[rtwvumtneer6]

On 6/18/2020 at 6:35 PM, FishinBuck07 said:

Fisherman's Central website!  They are a local place to me, was in there the other day and it is stocked to the gills!

^^^ I would suggest calling if you can't physically make it there. They told me their online inventory was in need of update.  Cool place though, and they price match tackle warehouse.  

[king fisher]

  Now I can prove to my family, I am not a hoarder, but instead a very wise forward thinking fisherman. Because of many shrewd prior tackle purchases, I have the ability to provide my family with high protein meals.   What tackle I don't loose providing them with subsidence will be saved, and appreciated as wise investments. No longer will my wife refer to my prized possessions, as my stupid fishing junk.  If this tackle drought continues, I may be in possession of a small fortune.  Just goes to show, one day crazy hoarder, next day genius investor.

[Bluebasser86]

I just buy stuff from stores of Ebay. Haven't had any trouble getting stuff (other than the delivery being slowed at times). Tried to get nail weights at Academy this week, not a single one. Ended up buying pinch on 1/32oz weights and clamping them onto some small 1 1/2" long nails and pushing them into the worms, actually worked great.

[FishinBuck07]

11 hours ago, rtwvumtneer6 said:

^^^ I would suggest calling if you can't physically make it there. They told me their online inventory was in need of update.  Cool place though, and they price match tackle warehouse.  

Yes their website is way behind for some reason!  I was just there a week ago and they were looking good for stock on most everything!

[Chonch12]

On 6/18/2020 at 6:11 PM, Glaucus said:

I need a lot of hard baits and soft plastics as my stash has dwindled down quite a bit so far this season. Walmart has been out of everything. Dick's is out of everything. The nearest Bass Pro is over 2 hours away. And our trusty Tackle Warehouse is out of soooooooo much stuff that won't be available again in some cases until August. What's a guy to do?

Check out Scheels online, they are having fathers day sale. I just stocked up on some dark sleepers, space monkeys and more. Great prices and fast shipping. Was my 1st time ordering with them and will again. 

[Munkin]

I have to get rid of stuff as it has become a problem.  You can barely walk around my basement because of fishing stuff everywhere. 

 

Allen 

[Hawkeye21]

If all the local shops are out of inventory then there are plenty of online options available.  If you want to stay away from the big box stores then check out the Facebook Marketplace.

[plawren53202]

After my bad experience with BPS being out of everything I needed the other day, I went to a local mom and pop place yesterday. They were loaded with stuff, and I haven't been in there in a while but every time I go in I am impressed with the selection of stuff they carry for a local shop. Big stock of 6th Sense, Reaction Innovation, Spro, and other premium gear in addition to more common stuff (like row after row of Zoom baits). And to top it all off, they had a 20% off all fishing gear for Father's Day sale going on.

 

Lesson learned, need to patronize the local businesses more.

 

And, they had a Daiwa Revros combo for $49.99 (plus the 20% off for Father's Day). Considering I recently got new M and ML spinning combos, I had absolutely no need to buy one, but maaaaaaan did I have to fight hard to not. And the Bait Monkey was telling me every possible reason why I needed to get one "just in case."

[Mbirdsley]

It’s starting to get very bare at the local places also.  Ran into a fish counter up north while cleaning salmon a couple of weeks ago.  He said fishing licenses were up 18% for the year so far for the state of Michigan.  I’d believe it. Everybody and there brother is out fishing right now.  I guess it’s a good thing.  That’s a lot of excise taxes going back to your local DNR.  
 

Also, when more people fish it helps with legislative efforts against the anti’s and we can start pushing back. 

used to be in the state of Michigan if you your self did not hunt or fish you knew some one who did.  The pendulum at least for the moment may be swinging back 

[Glaucus]

25 minutes ago, Mbirdsley said:

It’s starting to get very bare at the local places also.  Ran into a fish counter up north while cleaning salmon a couple of weeks ago.  He said fishing licenses were up 18% for the year so far for the state of Michigan.  I’d believe it. Everybody and there brother is out fishing right now.  I guess it’s a good thing.  That’s a lot of excise taxes going back to your local DNR.  
 

Also, when more people fish it helps with legislative efforts against the anti’s and we can start pushing back. 

used to be in the state of Michigan if you your self did not hunt or fish you knew some one who did.  The pendulum at least for the moment may be swinging back 

If they ever made laws getting rid of fishing I wouldn't be law abiding

[Bass Junke]

Think everyone is buying up all the tackle, maybe. Supplies are scarce. Anyone try looking for a kayak lately? Good luck. 

[gim]

On 6/20/2020 at 6:50 AM, Chonch12 said:

Check out Scheels online, they are having fathers day sale. I just stocked up on some dark sleepers, space monkeys and more. Great prices and fast shipping. Was my 1st time ordering with them and will again. 

Scheels is pretty good but I've noticed some of their prices higher than they should be.  They have been building a new retail location about 20 minutes west of me for the last 2 years in an old Sears and it is scheduled for grand opening on July 11.  They claim its their biggest retail location in the country and even has an indoor ferris wheel.  I assume that all of their shelves will be fully stocked otherwise it wouldn't be much of an "opening."  I intend to go there when they open and physically buy some of the tackle I need.  Ordering items online is not something I do on a regular basis because I'm generally able to get what I need right off the store shelf from Dicks, Cabela's, or Fleet Farm.  Plus I don't like paying for shipping either.  This season those places are virtually completely wiped out of inventory.

[txchaser]

On 6/19/2020 at 12:31 PM, WhittyPoo said:

I read somewhere that tackle sales are up around 300%. First toilet paper, now fishing gear...ugh.

 

On 6/20/2020 at 10:16 PM, Mbirdsley said:

He said fishing licenses were up 18% for the year so far for the state of Michigan.

Anyone have ideas on where to get good information on either of these (fishing license sales by state for 2020) or tackle sales in general?

[Columbia Craw]

My bass club team partner Sean, commented that he inherited a tackle store when he chose me as his partner. I guess it's the one time having " the illness " was/is beneficial.

[Mbirdsley]

3 hours ago, txchaser said:

 

Anyone have ideas on where to get good information on either of these (fishing license sales by state for 2020) or tackle sales in general?

Probably won’t have concrete data about licenses until after the year is over 

[georgeyew]

My Walmart was pretty bare a few weeks back. But tonight the shelves are starting to be restocked. The rods and lines are still empty though. I cannot believe that all the empty shelves are purchased by fisherman. They had some stuff like 50lb Big Game line in solar green that no one ever bought before and is now empty. I think Walmart must be doing something else with the merchandise. Maybe they are sanitizing everything and then putting them back on the shelves??