Why not Cabelas?

[Swamp Girl]

@DaubsNU1: Thanks for the memories!

[GaryH]

We have Cabela’s approx. 3 hrs away and a Bass Pro 2 hrs. away. About the only time we head over to them is to take the grandkids to look at the animal mounts and fish tanks. We have several mom and pop tackle shops near buy that I prefer to support. Then when ordering on line it’s usually TW or Fish USA. I do remember the days that going to Cabela’s was a all day event, but like anything else time change.

[Functional]

I never had one close when I lived in NY and when I was just slummin it Gander Mountain and Dicks were enough for me. After I moved south 8 years ago there has never been a Cabelas or BP more than 1hr from me and I went there often enough. Now I know about more online retailers from BR that carry a much broader selection and I can 99% of the time get everything I want in one order instead of from 2 or 3 different places or going with off brands. Around the time I came here I noticed BP, Cabelas and Academy started pushing their own brand of lures and baits. I've tried some and they are either no difference or completely different in quality/action. I still pop in when passing them but often dont come out with anything or much. 

 

Honestly, I found a local honey hole near my job that carries everything I need and my lunch breaks have gotten more expensive. I only order from TW or others for rods, megabass (although the honey hole is starting to expand here) and line lately. Honey hole really only carries Dobyns and a little St. Croix with a splattering of Daiwa and Shimano, often not in the actions/lengths I want/need. It doesnt help they carry archery, boats and firearm stuff either....you'd think I have direct deposit from my job to there sometimes. 

[Choporoz]

10 hours ago, WRB said:

When BPS bought out Cabelas and shutdown the Sidney headquarters, the largest company in that town, it devastated  the community.

I understand business and corporate take overs however that was a brutal take over.

As a result I cut up my BPS gift cards and will never do any business with them.

Tom

+1

What grinds my gears is that it was not a business decision in any sense of trying to improve the company. (My interpretation is from several years ago, so my feelings may not exactly be facts. But it appeared to be about shareholder profit taking.  Not shareholders who had a stake in future success of a company, but hostile invasion for immediate profit.   I describe myself as a free market capitalist, but everything about this stunk.)

  Now, I had largely soured on BPS before, so my judgment was already trending down.  Going into BPS had become lousy experience before that; aggressive vacation hawkers hounding you, increasingly limited selections, totally indifferent or ignorant sales people.  And online wasn't much better.   The BPS web experience was horrible.  The searches were weak, the mobile user interfaces sucked, and the pricing was never competitive.   

  I stopped in a BPS last year while on the road, thinking I needed something or other despite myself, and nothing had changed. 

[fishballer06]

Their prices aren't as good as other only places is what first turned me away from BPS/Cabelas. 

 

Then once the merger happened, they quickly turned their focus to stocking/selling their in house brands and stopped carrying as much of the common, popular brands on the market. In terms of the house brand tackle itself, I find most of it to be cheap, off brand quality (likely Chinese made). So for that I will do my tackle shopping elsewhere. 

 

Now when it comes to hunting/shooting, that's become a different story lately for me. As someone that shoots a lot and goes through a lot of ammo, I'm always looking for the best deal on that. BPS offers free shipping over $50 and that in itself is a huge savings. I've also found that my orders usually arrive in 1-2 days max because they have stores all over that they will ship from. 

[DinkDonkey30]

Personally I don’t like BPS or Cabelas. If I’m going to shop brick and mortar it’s going to be at a local mom and pop. They usually have the more specialized stuff to my area or if I absolutely needed it same day. Down side they almost always cost more. Otherwise I’m using Tackle Warehouse or brand direct. It’s almost silly not to so long as you don’t need whatever you are buying that day. I totally understand people not feeling comfortable shopping online for a variety of reasons but it’s sure hard to beat the prices. 

[TOXIC]

A lot of very ”on point” statements in this thread.  Talk about conflicted, I was a pro staffer for Bass Pro for 20+ years and I am a native son from Nebraska.  For a number of years, I traveled the country doing grand openings for Bass Pro/Cabelas.  My take is simple.  The economy and technology caught up to the Bass Pro/Cabela’s business model.  Back before the merger, Bass Pro was a fishing store with some hunting thrown in.  Cabela’s was a hunting store with some fishing thrown in and that fishing was mainly geared to the fisherman north of the Mason Dixon line.  After the merger there was a lot of overlap in some areas like clothing, with Bass Pro having their 100mph gear and Cabela’s having guidewear.  When profit margins are factored in there’s usually a winner and a loser.  The added ease of online shopping with lower overhead factored into pricing models, that’s stiff competition.  Finally, gone are the days of the major events at the stores.  Used to be for the Spring and Fall Classics, big name pro fishermen would make appearances and crowds were massive.  Now these sales are more geared to household goods, smokers, fish batter and camping.  And I’ll let you all in on what I know but what I know is very limited and I do not have any corporate inside information but there was a time when everything changed, all pro staff contracts were renegotiated or dropped, corporate HQ longtime employees were sacked and the corporation of Bass Pro/Cabela’s changed.  Why I don’t know but it was very obvious.  

[volzfan59]

I was never much of a Cabela’s shopper. Ordered a few things here and there but that’s about it. Good stuff but I preferred BPS. Now that it’s BPS/Cabela’s I guess I shop there often. Other than the closest local mom and pop and occasionally Academy (both 45 miles away), I only shop at BPS/Cabela’s.

 

Ordered from TW twice, card was compromised both times. Never again, fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. Fool me three times, ain’t gonna happen.

[Jar11591]

Cabela’s Guidewear is hard to beat for cold weather fishing clothing. 

[Swamp Girl]

16 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

Cabela’s Guidewear is hard to beat for cold weather fishing clothing. 

 

I also love their clothing, but if you love sturdy clothing and if you haven't tried Duluth Trading Company, then give 'em a try. They have great sales, often 50% off or more. Yeah, their starting prices are high, but so is their quality. 

 

As I wrote in my opening post, I grew up with Cabela's. As I grew bigger, so did they. So, even if they're no longer the cheapest and even though they've been swallowed by BPS, I'll always still love them. 

[GReb]

I still stop by Bass Pro every month or two. Usually it’s because I can’t find a certain bait at Academy or the LFS. Although I’d wager more than half of my purchasing $ has been clothing over the past few years. My son also likes the fish tank and animals so if we have time to kill it’s an easy way to spend 30 min to an hour. 
 
I haven’t bought a rod or reel from there in probably a decade. Their prices and selection suck. 

[Fishingmickey]

      I did visit the original Cabelas store in Sidney long ago. I used to have that same fascination with the Cabelas catalog that others have expressed. They had everything! From fly tying, to sinker molds, traps, scents, archery stuff and it was glorious!

   I visited the Cabelas store in Buda, TX. semi regularly. When the merger with Bass Pro happened. It killed Cabelas.  I almost never stop.  They have quit stocking or reducing the selection of the major brands of tackle.  All it is now is rows of Bass Pro branded crap. Might as well not even call it Cabelas any more. So sad.

FM

[FishTank]

For me their in-store prices and selection are hit and miss. The old school Cabalas and BPS are long gone. Also, when they do have a sale it's like they mark stuff up, just to mark it down and the stuff mark down really isn't that great. I will say that their branded clothing and rain gear are pretty good. 

 

My local Cabalas does have a good group of guys working there though.  They are helpful and somewhat knowledgeable.  The Cabalas/BPS I remember had guys working their that were on a different level when it  came to bass fishing, almost pro level.  

[Tucson]

My Cabelas credit card gives me 1% back on all my purchases so I can often shop for "free" including the shipping.  

[Smirak]

I can’t remember where it was, but when I moved to NH from GA, I drove by one in PA and stopped. That was the biggest I had ever seen. The parking lot looked like it could accommodate a Steelers game…

 

Can’t remember where, but it was awesome. 

[Rockhopper]

Hamburg?

[GRiver]

I was on a job in near Raleigh Nc, for about 3 months. A Cabelas  was about 10 minutes away from my hotel. I spent so much time there, the employee’s we kidding me about me working there. 

Now I a BPS about an hour, in Daytona. I do ship to store orders on rods and reels so I can inspect them before tacking possession. I fish on a budget so they make it affordable. 

[Bass Junke]

I live about 5 min away from the BPS at Patriot Place. About a half hour from the Cabela's in Hudson. I stop into the BPS a few times a year, usually without an agenda. I have never been to Cabela's. Bass Resource has spoiled me. Much of the tackle I am looking for isn't available at BPS/Cabela's. I usually order from Tackle Warehouse. Better selection, better prices. 

[GaryH]

I would agree with what @Rockhopper said is right on. The parking lot there is like a football stadium parking lot.

[detroit1]

I have a Cabelas about 50 minutes away from me and have only been there twice. First time a week or 2 after it opened, and the other about 5 years ago. Not impressed in either trip. Hunting, camping, clothing and some fishing gear. If i were a walleye, salmon,trout, or live bait guy i might have liked it. Never even looked on their website. BPS is about 1/2 hour away -  has a great selection of bass gear, including a decent amount not store brand. Their website is atrocious (?). Won't even visit to see what is in clearance. Line and terminal tackle is about all i buy these days anyhow.

[Bankbeater]

Around here if you want fishing gear, you go to BPS,  If you want hunting gear, you go over to Cabela's.

[MassYak85]

I worked at Cabelas for a summer. Their selection was questionable at best. In a state that doesn't allow lead jigs, guess what 95% of their jigs were made of? They would almost never have stuff like Power Pro in stock in the popular lines sizes. And generally, I can just find better deals for things online. The days of true "doorbuster" sales at brick and mortar chains is pretty much over. 

[Smirak]

3 hours ago, Rockhopper said:

Hamburg?

I think that was it…

[FishTax]

I have shopped at BPS my entire life. I mean, why is no one mentioning the aquarium? I have to stop any time I pass one and go see what's on sale, and just watch the fish in the tank. 

These days most of my purchases are online, and I do still order from BPS regularly but usually from the bargain bin (received a new President XT from them last week on a great black friday sale). 

 

But if I'm driving by one, especially with my children, we're going inside. It's nostalgic to me, and the kids get pumped about the taxidermy and the aquarium.

 

These days though, Academy does the most damage to my wallet because it's 3 minutes from my office, and they send me seductive emails sometimes. 

[wolfe_ohara]

almost exactly halfway between my home and the closest cabella's is a tackle shop. it is owned by a family with a couple famous bass fisherman in the family tree.  their prices are the same or better than cabella's, employees actually hunt/fish locally and they have a good selection. saves me gas money and i get to support a local business