I'm Happy

[Mobasser]

These hasn't been a tackle shop close by my house for thirty years now. I got word of a new shop opening in a small town about ten minutes from me.                            I stopped by yesterday and spoke with the new owner. He was busy stocking up, and getting ready to open on March 1.                                        He told me he'll have a whole wall of bass tackle. Also, rods and reels, lines of all types, and rod/ reel repair. Also stocking hand tied jigs for bass and crappie.                       He's a very nice young guy, an avid fisherman, and he's made a serious investment here. I'll probably be hanging around there, sipping coffee, and talking fishing, as well as being a customer too. It's a tough business. I sure hope he makes it.

[Derek1]

That’s awesome. I wish I had something like that around me. I would happily pay a bit more for my soft  plastics and hard baits to support a good local shop. Unfortunately it would take more then my $20 a week to keep the lights on. I really hope he does well. 

[roadwarrior]

I hope he can make it, too!

[CM-fisher]

2 hours ago, Mobasser said:

These hasn't been a tackle shop close by my house for thirty years now. I got word of a new shop opening in a small town about ten minutes from me.                            I stopped by yesterday and spoke with the new owner. He was busy stocking up, and getting ready to open on March 1.                                        He told me he'll have a whole wall of bass tackle. Also, rods and reels, lines of all types, and rod/ reel repair. Also stocking hand tied jigs for bass and crappie.                       He's a very nice young guy, an avid fisherman, and he's made a serious investment here. I'll probably be hanging around there, sipping coffee, and talking fishing, as well as being a customer too. It's a tough business. I sure hope he makes it.

What town? I'm going to be in Missouri this summer smallie fishing and might stop by to support him

[Mobasser]

3 minutes ago, MN_Bassin24 said:

What town? I'm going to be in Missouri this summer smallie fishing and might stop by to support him

Holt Missouri population around 300. North Central MO.

[volzfan59]

Congratulations! I took hope that he does well. My closest mom and pop shop is 40+ miles away. 

[Darth-Baiter]

i hope he kicks butt in business!!  

[DaubsNU1]

Excellent. Good luck to him!

 

Buddy of mine worked at Cabela's HQ from the 80's until just a few years ago. He always said it was difficult to make money selling lures and fishing gear...the margins were pretty small.

 

I am luck to have a Scheels, Cabela's, and Bass Pro within 30 minute drive. There were a few small fishing tackle shops around here in the past...but they all closed.

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, Mobasser said:

population around 300. 

Oh yeah, that's gonna end well...

[Mobasser]

Just now, Deleted account said:

Oh yeah, that's gonna end well...

There's actually several fishing lakes within a short distance of him. I'm going to support him, and tell other guys I know. He won't focus on just bass fishing, but panfish, catfish and walleye also. He's also going to have a whole lineup of live baits. I'm going to try and do what I can to help him.

Still, it's a hard business

[Deleted account]

8 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

There's actually several fishing lakes within a short distance of him. I'm going to support him, and tell other guys I know. He won't focus on just bass fishing, but panfish, catfish and walleye also. He's also going to have a whole lineup of live baits. I'm going to try and do what I can to help him.

Still, it's a hard business

 

I don't wish bad on him, just hope he's done his homework, and isn't an enthusiast with a dream. I do some consulting for folks thinking of opening bike shops, and it amazes me how little research and math some folks do.

[gim]

1 hour ago, Mobasser said:

He's also going to have a whole lineup of live baits.

That's the primary reason there are some still open here in MN.  Its not because they sell a lot of artificial lures, its because they still offer a variety of live bait.  Winter is their big money maker on live bait too, because most ice anglers use it.

[GaryH]

Sure hope he makes it. Love our mom and pop tackle shops we have around here. I’ll pay a little more to help them out.

[Darth-Baiter]

i kinda think the mom/pops shops that have a robust online presence have a crack at it.  i would do some online-orders if i could.   but i am not a business major and would probably sink the ship.

 

and show of hands -  who else thinks Deleted Account should be a motivational speaker :D??  (but i think he knows his S.  this is gonna a tough)

[Tennessee Boy]

I’ve bragged on here before about having two small shops within 5 minutes of my house.   They both closed in 2022.  ☹️

[Deleted account]

6 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I’ve bragged on here before about having two small shops within 5 minutes of my house.   They both closed in 2022.  ☹️

 

They probably just needed a pep talk from Deepak or Tony Robbins to succeed...

[Skunkmaster-k]

If he builds it, they will come. 

[steve carpenter]

Lucky to have Tight Lines in Killeen, TX about 5 minutes from home. Lots of bass tackle and have been open quite a while

[Jar11591]

That’s great. I’d love to have a small tackle shop around me to support, but apart from one shop that really only sells live-bait, we have nothing around here. Even our local Field and Stream closed. But I did just find out that a Bass Pro Shops is being built 5 minutes from where I live. 

[Southernbasser]

Best of luck to the guy. I hope he does well.
There used to be a mom and pop shop near me. Unfortunately, they closed during the shutdown and never reopened. 

[Deleted account]

45 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

Even our local Field and Stream closed.

DSG is testing a lot of different formats with their brands, they Have DSG with fishing/outdoors depts, DSG with a "Lodge", DSG with a Field&Stream in the same footprint, stand alone F&S, (and other sport specific brands) and now their REI like Public Lands, which overlaps in some markets. They've had a good run, and are well positioned, but I'm downgrading to a luke warm hold...

 

[Deleted account]

14 hours ago, Skunkmaster-k said:

If he builds it, they will come. 

 

 

[Jar11591]

35 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

DSG is testing a lot of different formats with their brands, they Have DSG with fishing/outdoors depts, DSG with a "Lodge", DSG with a Field&Stream in the same footprint, stand alone F&S, (and other sport specific brands) and now their REI like Public Lands, which overlaps in some markets. They've had a good run, and are well positioned, but I'm downgrading to a luke warm hold...

 

Yeah the DSG that F&S was apart of is still open, and they mentioned “something big” on their website so I think we’ll be getting a Public Lands. But with BPS moving 10 minutes from them, I don’t think they’ll last long. 

[Deleted account]

11 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

Yeah the DSG that F&S was apart of is still open, and they mentioned “something big” on their website so I think we’ll be getting a Public Lands. But with BPS moving 10 minutes from them, I don’t think they’ll last long. 

Fishing isn't a big part of DSG's strategy.

[garroyo130]

I support effort and that includes tackle shops too. But I've seen far too many tackle shops that run a business the way they want to run a business and that operate under the belief that all it takes is hard work. 

 

If a tackle shop opened and sold quality gear and provided extras like allowing you to cast rods/reels before purchasing them on a small pond or something and focused on the stuff people want, I'm sure there would be a market for it. From what I've seen, some tackle shops charge higher prices but don't give you added value. I think thats part of the reason that fly shops seem to stick around longer than traditional tackle shops since they often provide free casting lessons and fly tying nights.