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.

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. 

I hope he can make it, too!

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

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.

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

i hope he kicks butt in business!!  

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.

1 hour ago, Mobasser said:

population around 300. 

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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)

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

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...

If he builds it, they will come. 

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

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. 

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. 

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...

 

14 hours ago, Skunkmaster-k said:

If he builds it, they will come. 

 

 

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. 

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.

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.