American tackle shops

Just whilst seeing other threads about shops, my wife is in America just now, California to be exact, and before she went she asked if I wanted anything.

Oh boy, Santa has never ever been given such a list, but after cutting it down to a nice Shimano baitcasting reel and soem Power Pro line and a few other bits, she went for them yesterday to a local Bass Pro shop.

Say local, 40 miles away, but that's Americans for you, they'll travel. It's the first time she's been, I never have, but my my daughter (lives out there) explained to me what it was like.

OK, Bass Pro shops were founded on fishing, but now sell guns and camping equipment, home and cabin furniture and all manner of stuff. This store she went to is big, I mean B-I-G! It's over three floors and from what my daughter says is as big as our local Asda supermarket and that's a fair old size.

The tackle is in the basement and there's a huge tank containing all sorts of freshwater fish that goes to the ground (1st in USA) floor where it's a pool. The lift (or elevator) runs up the side of the tank even!

Outside there's a pool stocked with fish where they hold demonstrations in casting and there's shooting galleries and all sorts of things going on. Cup of tea? Nah, over there they have a coffee shop and restaurant, you can spend all day in there and buy a boat if you want.

Compared to British tackle stores, we can't hold a candle to the Yanks. Our attitude to the sport is often, spend as little as you can, whereas the Yanks treat it as more important than life or death. IT IS LIFE!

Dreaming apart, do you think that a huge superstore for all outdoor sports could work in this country? The Decathlon stores, and some of them are huge like the one in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France, are pretty popular over in Europe and they were hoping to gain a foothold in Britain. I don't think it worked though.

---------- Post added at 11:30 ---------- Previous post was at 10:56 ----------

Found some pictures of the very store -

Do you think we'd get these crowds?

This must be the indoor tank, so they mislead me into thinking it formed a pool on the ground floor, but still impressive!

Want a boat?

Choose a reel.

Stroll around

Have a bite to eat.

Now compare with your tackle shop. We have a l-o-n-g way to go.

Interesting post Jeff. The GoOutdoor chain have a number of stores which offer fishing sections... discount if you have a Gocard..most of the stuff is main brands..and they are clearly making an attempt.

Here in Stockport we are doubly blessed!!! We also have a Decathlon.. a mixture of main brands and Decathlon's own stuff. I have their light spinning rod and a matching reel..spot on! The range of Dynamite baits is a bit cheaper not much. BUT neither shop has the range of expertise your local tackle dealers can offer.

So I stick for most of the time with Edgeley Sports and Fishing, Castle Street, Edgeley, Stockport


(if only we had a local Tickletackle...then I would be lavishly rewarded for my shameless promotions)

Despite living in California for 8 years I never got to go to a Bass Pro Shops or Cabelas (the other large chain). They only just opened that one you mention a year before I had to come home.

Rectified that this year though on a family trip to Orlando as I arranged to meet our US Fly Forums manager Frank Whiton at the local emporium. I knew what to expect but was still blown away by the scale. The fly department was a little disappointing though and tucked away in its own little corner, but of course bass is king and that was reflected in the majority of the fishing area. Hunting and camping also had their respective thirds of the store too. Huge industry and very good at marketing themselves and placing stores near to large urban populations.

Huntin' shootin' & fishin' plus camping are still areas that probably 10 times as many Americans or more just take as part of thier daily life than us Brits. Would a similar sized model work here as you ask Jeff? I am not sure. It would need to have the general outdoors appeal covering our market (hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, horses...) I think with 'entertainment value' like the aquariums and regular talks to make it a family destination as much as something just for dad. Location would be key but somewhere near the Lakes maybe (John Norris always seems to have a good head of traffic for example at Penrith) or home counties near London and the M25 or M40 corridors perhaps.

PoshPaul, how big is your Decathlon.

I have a personal interest that goes back 15 years. I went to France to meet a woman there who was supposed to be their marketing person. We talked about Decathlon coming here, but where to place the first store was the big question.

I suggested we start by mail order and then see where, by postcode, most of the orders came from and then they could plan a site around that area, perhaps.

Right in the middle of our negotiations, some other bright French spark stepped in and said they were opening in - Stockport?

I mean, nice though Stockport is (only saying that to appease the locals) it's not the hive of the retailing sector by any means. I had in mind somewhere like Uxbridge (corner of M40 and M25 with connections to Birmingham/London/Surrey etc. all the rich stockbroker belt), but where do they pick - Stockport, which at the time had no connections to anywhere hardly. Big mistake in my mind and that's one reason they have nevr really taken off, IMHO.

I thought Decathelon once opened a store in the East End near the Blackwall tunnel. Or did I dream that?

I lived in Texas for a good few years and used the Bass Pro Outdoor Shop in Katy Mills - absolutely huge complete with a very large glass fronted indoor pool where the resident professional would demonstrate Bass lures on the hour, every hour.

One could buy anything from fishing tackle to tents, camping gear, archery equipment, golf equipment and of course guns of all shapes and sizes and enough ammunition to start your own war. There were all sorts of camo gear clothing and, believe it or not, a 3 piece suite in camo!!!

Outside you could chose from over 150 different boats from bass boats, to rowing boats and fast speed boats as well.

There was parking for about 500 cars, but would one ever take-off in England?

I doubt it very much - very different people with very different approaches to life, particularly their leisure time.

http://www.fishingmagic.com/forums/members/peter-jacobs-albums-bass-pro-shop-houston.html

Similar in Nashville, Tennessee. A massive Bass Pro situated in an out of town complex (Opry Mills). Brilliant, suited the wife down the ground, she spent so much time in the Grand Ole Opry, I was happy to go along, leave her there and spend days in Bass Pro.

The demos in the giant fish tank were interesting. Watching how the bass reacted to various lures and colours and also to various styles of retrieve required to make the lures work properly - an eye opener to say the least!

Neil Maidment said:

The demos in the giant fish tank were interesting. Watching how the bass reacted to various lures and colours and also to various styles of retrieve required to make the lures work properly - an eye opener to say the least!

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Like this one Neil?

http://www.fishingmagic.com/forums/...s-pro-shop-houston-picture2275-demo-tank.html

On the way Out it says:

http://www.fishingmagic.com/forums/...e2276-over-exit-door-say-god-bless-texas.html

Would you want it?

We keep hearing how the small local tackle shops are struggling - the big places in England Decathlon don't sell live bait (worms maggot, Bennets until a few months ago did n't sell live bait (and they've gone bust, Climax does sell live baits.

Wouls you want a giant outdoor store that sold everythign and lose your local tackle shop?

Could certainly do with one at the Merry Hill Centre, a place of refuge at the time of the dreaded Xmas shopping trips

itsfishingnotcatching said:

.........a place of refuge at the time of the dreaded Xmas shopping trips

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Even "outdoorsmen" celebrate Christmas. It's the USA, you can't escape the holiday season!

Nashville Tennessee Fishing & Hunting Outfitters - Tennessee Fly Fishing Gear - Bass Pro Shops

When I worked in California, I liked most of the "holiday seasons", especially the family nature of Thanksgiving. But Christmas, Easter and particularly Valentines Day were way over the top for my liking!
:wh

My kids on their first trip, much younger then, couldn't work out why there were eight different Santa's dotted around one particular giant Mall.

Even if you dont get the size of bass pro, or the stock of cabales (now theres a place I could spend a lot of money) the one thing the tackle trade should pick up from our american cousins is customer service, which on the whole, is a long way away from that of the US. The english tackle trade, for that matter, is a long way off most specialist shops in this country as far as customer service and professionalism goes..

M'lud...deepest apologies but I shall have to correct you....Decathlon does sell live bait...although I wouldn't wish to testify to its freshness, regularity of supply etc. The only fishing gear I have bought from Decathlon is the spinning rod and reel I mentioned. And your Lordship used it when it was your turn on the pike-scaring rota at the last PaSC fish-in!!

Jeff..its a large store like a large Tesco or Sainsbury in footage...but not mega-mega store. Not as big as one or two I've been in when in France..but bigger than some. It's located 3 minutes drive from Junction1 of the M60 (as is Go-outdoors -which is equidistant from J1 and 2). Decathlon have got a large number of stores in Hungary...certainly more than in the UK.

Poshers

WOW, what a shop. but it wouldn't work here thats for sure.

First look at Jeffs first picture, how many people are outside, with our weather it's a downer for a start.

Big Warehouse type stores don't work here.

Angling Direct bought out Simpsons last year, re located to a very large shop, an old MFI, and word is that it is having problems, I have been told that Angling Direct have had to let staff go inthe Norwich area, all in all, it's to big, and there isn't the chat you get in a smaller shop.

Not only that, Angling Direct isn't cheap at all, bigger doesn't mean cheaper.

i would love to see such a shop over here, but as others have said, we look on our out door lifestyle in a different way, very different.

My friend does business in Denver and he'll sometimes bring back goodies from the pro bass shop. He loves it, I'm not surprised.

The only tackle shops I've been to over there were of an ordinary size. Two were in West Yellowstone. They were both excellent. Very friendly and proffesional. More than happy to share knowledge and discuss tactics even after we explained we weren't actually there to spend large sums just pick up a few flies and a bit of line. You felt like you should in a fishing shop. Everyone just glad to be talking and thinking about fish.

The other one was a bit of a surprise, it was in a small town again in the Rockies called Red Lodge. After talking to the locals in a bar untill after everyone else had gone (got to prove you're British) they put us on to a shop called True Value. It was a big red building. "Ask for Big Bob" they said. He'll put us right. It was a hardware shop but they were right we got everything we needed and even the check out girl could tell where we had been the night before by the colour of my eyes. She said she wouldn't write red on my Montana licence.

On live baits, in Canada I've bought flourescent green worms (racoons ate them), leeches and even frogs as bait from shops. I didn't know what to do with the frogs and ended up letting them free.

Matthew Barter said:

On live baits, in Canada I've bought flourescent green worms

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What I bought over here, from Maidenhead for the Blenheim do, were some Canadian Night Crawlers - lobworms to us.

Dear at £2.80, but a dozen in there and monsters at that. I still have a box in the fridge and they're still going strong although I had to change the peat, used some potting loam. Might be out with them soon, but a terrific bait and much better than a lot of lobs I've bought coming from Britain.

One pot I bought at Gold Valley I didn't use, didn't look inside until two weeks later - and it was empty. What a rip off!

I spent two days of a holiday in the Outdoor World shop - it was great! All those toys to play with I regret not buying the little duck tow ball cover which glowed red and flapped it's wings when you braked

The vending machines outside where you can buy bait 24 hrs a day was a nice touch, that's something that would be useful over here.

There used to be bait machine over here, one just up the road from me, will have a look tomorrow to see if it's still there.

The other one i use to use was in Newport Pagnell, not sure if it's still there now.

geoffmaynard said:

I thought Decathelon once opened a store in the East End near the Blackwall tunnel. Or did I dream that?

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You didn't dream it, there is a Decathlon at Surrey Quays.........

Canada Water Retail Park
Surrey Quays Road
SE16 2XU
London