I finally got to Bass Pro Shops!!!

[zeroroaster]

Last year, Bass Pro Shops opened an 'Outdoor World' in Calgary. Living in the bush has its challenges, and I must say that going at the end of July pretty much guaranteed we weren't going to get caught in a snowstorm, so off we went. Oh sure, laugh it up, but we've had snow ten months of the year here, so yeah, you have to plan your trips!

Anyhow, it was slightly ironic to leave the wilderness of the foothills to go buy outdoor stuff in the big city.. I must say, it was quite a place! Grocery stores and car dealerships aren't that big around here! Actually, there was more people in that store yesterday afternoon than we have in town for the rodeo parade in May!!

Ok, so, I confess...I caved. I said I wouldn't but I did...I got a 3cm original floater Rap in yellow perch. I've never seen them that cheap ANYWHERE here. I also scooped a nice little ultralight spinning reel for my pack rod and the bill was still under 30 bucks! Deals? Oh yeah there was deals...

That said, I must say that we did have a good laugh (Mama, son and I) as we cruised through the 'stuff that'll never work in a million years' sections. Obviously they're catching alot more fishermen than fish. We continually admire the arrogance of the 'citiot' that they just go ahead and recommend this stuff without having a clue regarding the water they're fishing in. In fact, they're so convinced they know it all, when they come out to our little lakes with all their artillery, not once do they ask us, the locals hauling big fish off the shore, what we're using, or how we do it...no they prefer to meander aimlessly all over the lake rattling hardware that wouldn't even amuse a kitten.

Which brings me to my next point. Our lakes here are small....really small. That said, other than a quite fashionable canoe, there wasn't a single utility rowboat in that place! Lots of 300hp Mercs and Tracker bass boats laden with electronics...but, nothing small (16ft and under). Considering it's illegal to run gas motors on most lakes around here, I'd say you just blew 40 grand for nothing...and the ones where you can run gas, you'd better get a ski rig 'cause they're not slowing down for ANYBODY, and the fish are hiding wherever they can.

So, once again, an interesting and informative foray not only into the world of ridiculously priced tackle (5 grand for a fly rod?!?! as if!!) but into the marketing genius of Bass Pro. The store is still a work of art (at least 500 animal mounts, live trout, etc,etc) and worth seeing. Obviously the best fishermen are the guys who run the store...they caught thousands of suckers yesterday...

[Fishooked]

My first trip to Cabelas I showed amazing restraint.
I think I spent just under 200.00.

Haven't been to a BPS yet, although there is one near Harrisburg PA...

[zeroroaster]

Oh man, you're good!

I haven't been to a Cabela's yet...I've heard that can be another devastating blow to the wallet. Mind you, my total bill on Sunday was 29 bucks...hardly the end of the world, I'm sure. Then again, for guns, I would go nowhere else than the store just down the street here...the guy is amazing and really knows his stuff. In fact, we also have a custom gunsmith in town who's also really on the ball, so that pretty much takes care of that. For fishing stuff, we can also get that locally, but to be perfectly honest, BPS didn't have very much that was relevant to the area. I don't know what folks shopping there expect to catch, but here there's no bass, no salmon, etc,etc,etc...certainly no call for downriggers or anything like that either...who knows...tourist pit stop?

[bacon]

i make an anuall pilgrimage to BPS at least once a year, and yeah, it can blow a whole in your wallet the size of a VW. i wish i could find the picture my wife took after one visit. im holding the recipt in the middle with both hands as high over my head as i can reach, and both ends were still touching the ground. it was all rapala lures too. if you ever want to have a lot of fun, find a killer sale and go though a checkout lane at walmart, or dicks, or wherever with 250 of all the same rapala lures. my default response is always, "i really lose a lot of lures where i fish" lol. or "boy the fish really like these ones". more often then not the guy and his wife are standing behind me waiting it out and i will hear a sideways comment about how "see, his wife must actually love him" only to recieve a elbow to the ribs and storm off to another lane that won't take 10 minutes and 3 visits from the manager to complete. i havent had a chance to do that in some time, last time i did i picked up all the remaining RNR5 HBSD for $.50 each. yeah, 50 cents each. you cant beat that. before that it was coundtowns, rnr's, and hj's for $2.50 each, and there was also a couple hundred RR78,9's for $1. and the before mentioned trip to BPS with all the holo lures and a few odd balls for $2-$2.50. and lest us not forget the holy grail of the USA specials in the Catch of the Day boxes for $2 each. its been a while, but i keep parusing all my favorite haunts in the hope that someday the motherload will hit again, and we can pick up some great discontinued lures at bargain prices.
til a good deal strikes you again.
bacon

[zeroroaster]

Holy fartburger Batman!! I don't even own 250 lures TOTAL.

So, what do you do for a tackle box? Or do you sub categorize them based on conditions, etc?

Awesome...just awesome.

[bacon]

i am a seller, most i purchase are for sale or sold, i dont keep nearly enough for myself, but i still have plenty. its only a hobby for me, as i dont have a real brick and mortar bait shop, (yet, if my wifes job folds up, we might try it to give her something to do, i have the minnows, i have the lures, and i am this close to have perfect land, but my father wont sell it to me) but i am sure i have sold more then 10,000 rapala lures in the last 10 years, ever since the taildancer fiasco. im am sure i have sold lures to many of you on here and you just dont remember me. i have sold lures via the internet and networking to every state in the county, most of canada, and over 40 countries on 6 continents. when they open up serious fishing camps in antartica, i will sell them rapalas too. LOL.
bacon

[zeroroaster]

Awesome!!

You're a Rap pusher...sweet!!

Hmm..maybe if I diversify this winter and stretch some more shop space into fishing gear, I'll start doing that here too...too bad flies are the big thing here...I have lots of tying to do!!

[wallcat]

I can attest that Bacon is one of the best.

[aikido09]

Since BPS is 1 hour away in Orlando, I make over there once a year when they have their Spring Madness Sale. It's pretty impressive. I usually cash in my gift certificates and BPS reward points.

[zeroroaster]

REWARD POINTS?!?! ;D

Awesome! I had no idea there was such a thing..then again, I go less than once a year...it would take 100 years to get a free anything...

I'd love it if there were a spring madness sale here, then again, we're never quite sure when spring is actually going to come or how long it'll last, so it would kind of be hard to organize. Fishing season opens April 1st here, but normally the ice isn't off the water until late May, so we automatically lose a month or so just waiting for Mother Nature to smarten up...makes for many frustrated anglers!