Gander Mountain?

[5bass]

We have a Gander Mtn store opening here in the next month or so, how is their fishing tackle selection? Any better than a Sportsmans Warehouse? Dick's Sporting Goods?

[burleytog]

I've only been in one of their stores (Greensboro) and it doesn't hold a candle to the Sportsman's Warehouse in Roanoke.

High prices on everything from plastics to guns.

[Jimzee]

I have two that are the same distance apart.  One in Washington, PA which caters more to muskie fishing.  The other is in Charleston, WV that has a great selection of bass tackle.  The one in Washington is much higher in price than the one in Charleston.  I thought the one in Charleston carried about as much bass gear as Cabela's.  Pretty good store, I just wish it wasn't an hour and a half away. :-/

[Hawg Fan]

Ours in Arkansas is huge. I went to the Bass Pro Shop in Dallas and I would say our gander mountain has almost as much.

They have a GPS and Reel Wall

A Fly Fishing Zone

10 Combo Rod and Reel Turntable things filled with combos

3 Terminal Tackle Ilse

15 Foot Section of Bags and Tackle Boxes

15 Foot section of Line Choices

About 14 Isle of Lures and Plastics (All Bass)

Ilse are organized by Lure Type and Plastics

and Tons of those "On Sale" Table/Bucket things with Baitmonkey written all over it

Just to give you a little idea of what it looks like as far as fishing equipment goes..

[Jake.]

Like Burley said, very high prices. Zoom Trick Worms "on sale" for $4.99, no thanks.

[MNBass16]

we have alot of ganders up here in minnesota, for the most part they have a good selection on tackle but prices are a bit higher than our sportsmans warehouse. Good store to check out though, they offer some tackle that dicks and sportsmans dont.

[Hawg Fan]

I guess our prices are that high here because we arent a very wealthy state..who knows. I usually shop at my local mom and pop tackle stores to help support them anyways.

[bmadd]

A great selection when compared to Dick's. However, the prices and the sales lack.

[Damien]

it all depends on the size and location of the store. i work at the one here in wichita and as of right now our store is the second largest store in the company and we barely compare in size to some of the BP and Cabelas but if you are looking for something we can sure get them in. We carry just about anything you want depending on the location of the store. One thing that i try to do and i hope other associates do is take in what we learn in the field and just share it with the customers and that is really how i got hired at gander cuase that is what we look for, experince. i have been in Bass Pro and Cabelas and and it just might be becuase i work there but i think gander is much better in the customer service department.

[MNGeorge]

Damien is right on in my opinion.  We have both Gander and Sportsman's here in St. Cloud.  In my experience, Gander is head and shoulders above Sportsman's when it comes to customer service.

[kms399]

I used to work at the Minnetonka MN store and then moved to the Eden Prarie store when it opened and there was a huge difference in selection. alot of that had to do with the size. Minnetonka had like 23,000 square feet Eden Prarie has like 87,000 and there was a different manager and so certain things were ordered more. I would say that they carry as much as they can and it depends on their location. we never had downrigger stuff, duluth MN store had it for example.

[Fish Man]

the one 30 minutes from me in salisbury maryland is great. they stay stocked, good prices and great service

[Tpayneful]

five bass limit,

                    We have one in Fredericksburg that may be the worst run sporting goods store on the planet.  It apears that they only buy stock once a year and when it is gone........it is gone for a year.  They move left over stock on to empty hooks to make it apear that they have everything.  In February I was short on time and wanted to pick up a few filler spools of 15lb Pline Fluorocarbon line.  They didn't have any or any 15lb seaguar invisix either.  I drove to the store in Richmond and guess what......they didn't have any spools of either as well.  It will be a place to go and get some stuff but it will not be your GO TO place.

[Wildbillb]

I worked for them while going to college.  It wasnt too bad then.  After I quit there they became a publicaly traded company and have been sliding down hill fast.  Prices continue to be significantly higher then any other place I purchase things; selection continues to dwindle and there is never anyone around to help you.  The one closest to me continues to pack in more and more stuff and stack it higher and higher.  If I ask them to order me something that they dont have you would think I asked them to move a mountain.

[hawgchaser]

The one in N Little Rock has a great selection. I have never noticed the prices being high but they will match prices so just tell them. They have always had what I needed.

[PondHunter]

I find that they have a better selection of fishing equipment than other stores in the area, Ft Wayne, and have alot of Musky and Pike tackle as well. The prices seem to be in line with local walmarts on the same items. When winter comes they stock alot of ice fishing gear too. There are a few things I want and cant find there, but for the most part its a good store.

[Maxximus Redneckus]

five bass limit,

                    We have one in Fredericksburg that may be the worst run sporting goods store on the planet.  It apears that they only buy stock once a year and when it is gone........it is gone for a year.  They move left over stock on to empty hooks to make it apear that they have everything.  In February I was short on time and wanted to pick up a few filler spools of 15lb Pline Fluorocarbon line.  They didn't have any or any 15lb seaguar invisix either.  I drove to the store in Richmond and guess what......they didn't have any spools of either as well.  It will be a place to go and get some stuff but it will not be your GO TO place.

GREENTOP would have it that place is like bass pro and cabelas combined and have great deals all summer

[smcentee]

A great selection when compared to Dick's. However, the prices and the sales lack.

Ditto to the above. I've shopped both stores in Greensboro, NC. I did find another Dick's 20 miles away, and it made their Greensboro store look like a shoe box. An issue I have with the Dick's stores I've shopped is that so much of their merchandise is not priced and sales associates are a rare breed.

Gander- I've found them to be extremely slow to replenish "in season" inventory. Too, they are very slow to carry new products. I'm still waiting for them to stock Rapala's sub-walker. Lucky Craft - I found six baits. Staff is generally well knowledged.

[Bud]

A little off subject but Gander Mountain just bought Overton"s.  That will give them a mail order business  again.   According  to Overton's web site

[Micro]

The Gander Mountain in Richmond (Glen Allen), VA is very nice.  Much better than any Dick's I've ever been in, but not quite as much as BPS.  I do like Gander because the one I go to has a large selection of All Star rods.  

[5bass]

Gander- I've found them to be extremely slow to replenish "in season" inventory. Too, they are very slow to carry new products. I'm still waiting for them to stock Rapala's sub-walker. Lucky Craft - I found six baits. Staff is generally well knowledged.

This concerns me. The Sportsmans Warehouse that opened up here in December is WAY behind on having any of the new 2008 baits. DT Fat's, Strike King Football Jigs and swimbaits, etc....and when they run out of something, it takes them getting in 3 or 4 trucks to get some more which is usually at least 3 weeks. I hope Gander handles these situations better than Sportsmans.

That's one thing I can say for Dick's is that when they run stock down late in the fall, when spring rolls around, they stock a lot of the new baits of the current year.

[TruflShufl]

it all depends on the size and location of the store. i work at the one here in wichita and as of right now our store is the second largest store in the company and we barely compare in size to some of the BP and Cabelas but if you are looking for something we can sure get them in. We carry just about anything you want depending on the location of the store. One thing that i try to do and i hope other associates do is take in what we learn in the field and just share it with the customers and that is really how i got hired at gander cuase that is what we look for, experince. i have been in Bass Pro and Cabelas and and it just might be becuase i work there but i think gander is much better in the customer service department.

No kiddin? I was just in the Wichita Gander mtn. today buying reels.

I like gander because of their customer service but SW pretty much always has em beat price wise.

It just depends what part of town I'm on and what I'm buying

[fatmanslim247]

It seems to me that i get better service at sportsmans, when im at gander they pretty much show you what your looking for but don't have any real good advice.  I go to sportsmans and I can get help with anything, I also found out about most of the clubs around here b/c one of the guys of the store is a member of one of them, they all seem to be real into their jobs.  

Hey damien did you by chance used to work at dicks, in wichita?

[BadKarma42]

When the GM opened here, it was awesome.  It is no longer awesome.

I have found the store to have a poor selection, be very cluttered, and they are constantly moving displays and sections.  It makes it difficult to navigate and find anything.

I tend to only shop there if I need a last minute item.  If I plan things out, I can get same type product at a cheaper cost at Wally World (although that place has its drawbacks).

I was recently informed by a co-worker that has a part time job at GM that the complany is not doing well financially.  It has something to do with opening too many stores too fast and too close.

The district manager was at our store the other day and did not like the shape of the store.  He gave the store manager 72 hours to clean it up and fix it.  The DM came back to check the progress and fired the guy.

Hate to put a damper on your excitement.  I was giggling like a school girl when ours opened.

If I am going to spend money on that stuff now, I would rather order on-line or road trip 45 mintues to BPS.

[Avalonjohn44]

I love the Winchester VA Gander mountain, it is one of their bigger stores, and there is a ton of bass stuff - I spend about three hours a week in there wasting money... A few local fishing clubs meet there, and they have a pretty decent selection of high end lures (Bagley, LC) and reels and rods.  They run some pretty great Hot Buys pretty regularly, I just bought a ton of Stan Sloan Aggravator Spinnerbaits for 95 cents each... I have been to about 6 other ganders and they all kind of sucked.  Gander used to beat anyone's regular prices if you could prove to them they were better, don't know if they still do that.  

I hear that Northern VA or the WV panhandle is getting a Cabella's pretty soon, so that will probably change my opinion of Gander, but for now, I love it!