OFNers info

[mbac31]

Just looking for some info from a few places and figured I would post it here.

 

What would your ideal tackle store have in it as regards to Tackle, Rods ,Reels, lures, Displays, anything you can think of just post it here or you could PM me if you want. Thanks

[solopaddler]

That's easy Marvin, your basement.

[mbac31]

That's easy Marvin, your basement.

 

I will be calling you in the next few days. I will be coming out there for Steelies sometime in the next 6-7 days for sure.

[OhioFisherman]

http://www.cleveland.com/sun/shoparound/index.ssf/2010/01/the_rodmakers_shop_store_offer.html

[Handlebarz]

Perfect store that is hard but things I like to see would be.

 

Good quality products not cheap junk that is not worth the time to look at or waist of shelf space. If a person wants junk the $$$ and some department store's have it.

 

Fishing line that is well priced and good quality not alot of Red wolf style brands You dont need 50 different styles of mono.

 

Real world prices some places that have quality stuff but also make 100% markup in there stores. There is one store here int eh Belle River area that is no longer in business and he was the worst for mark up. If it was my store I would take my fair share but not break the customers bank and they will be back and also send there friends.

 

Product that is used in the area that the store is located I dont need to find shark hooks in the Kawartha lakes stores.

 

I like to see local stuff or ideas that are used for fishing the area. That is how I found out about gulp turtle back worms the guy at Andersons pro bait in Port Huron told me about them, around 3 years ago and they have been amazing here on LSC and all the way up to nippising.

 

Friendly staff that knows the product not much worse then going into a store and the kid working is to busy on his crack berry and has not clue or could care less what you need.

 

For rods and reels I would think you need a mix of high end stuff and good quality mid range stuff as well as some kids rod/reel combos (yes I know alot of them are junk but this is different kids need it to get hooked into fishing then they can move on to the good stuff)

 

I guess it depends on the area your in for special stuff, but like my other points I would rather see 5 different styles of musky lures that will be used, rather then 20 different ones that will sit in my box and never see the water. This goes for other lures also.

 

I guess these are a few things I can think of I am sure there are more.

[Live2fish85]

I think the perfect store would be bass pro shop for there products but get rid of these clowns there that have no care or clue for what they are doing I know there are people there that know there stuff but I asked a kid about the Patriarch reel and he didn't even know what it was and he was in fishing. I think you put a Local tackle store Staff into a Bass Pro Shop it would be great.

[Live2fish85]

But Fishing World in Hamilton is a great store the guys in there are always helpful and they always have what I need come bass season, So I will always get things there but I will also take advantage of The Spring Classic starting Saturday.

[bigugli]

My stuff on the shelves

[uglyfish]

Marvin... What are u up too? I'm gettin worried about u again... Lol.

 

Guess its not as easy to cut the store in half with a bandsaw to see what's in the middle of it eh... Haha

[MSBruno]

Tacklewarehouse.ca

[crappieperchhunter]

My first concern for a tackle store would be there hours of operation. Most do the 9-5 hours...which to me is unacceptable...especially if the store also sells live bait.

 

Have the bait shop open at 5AM EVERY morning or bare minimum Friday through Sunday mornings. And this is coming from a guy who rarely buys live bait.

 

Store hours 8AM to 9 or 10 PM everyday, maybe close at 6PM Sundays.

 

Also location. Right handy to a Timmies would be a one stop shopping trip. I have always thought that if I opened a tackle store my first step would be getting a location close to a 24 hour coffee shop.

 

As far as tackle goes...that is left up to what your target market is and what fishing opportunities are local.

 

Knowledgeable helpful staff is great as well...but to me...not near as important as your location or your hours of operation.

Edited March 8, 2011 by crappieperchhunter

[Governator]

My 2 cents - I think it all depends on your location. Are you going to be setting up in a small town? Then your tackle needs to be 100% geared towards the fishing there. That's what matters most. When I stop at a small local bait shop, I'm there for 2 things 1) Pick up my bait and 2) Ask how the fishin' has been and any tips for the area. This is mostly true if I'm fishing an area I rarely go to (Or often never even been to). Having knowledge in the area you are setting up in is the key I think. Also fishing maps to point people in the right direction is needed imo.

 

On the other hand if you're goal is to be in a prime, busy area (Toronto) with Bass Pro & company to compete with, then you need to fix the flaws of the other shops or you're destined to fail. If they are overpriced, undercut them. If their staff is unfriendly & has no knowledge, hire better staff. Etc. Etc. Tackle shmackle, whatever they are weak in has to be your strength.

 

EDIT: Also, as crappieperchhunter said, good hours for a local shop is definitely a must!

Edited March 7, 2011 by Governator

[GoneFishin]

My first concern for a tackle store would be there hours of operation. Most do the 9-5 hours...which to me is unacceptable...especially if the store also sells live bait.

 

Have the bait shop open at 5AM EVERY morning or bare minimum Friday through Sunday mornings. And this is coming from a guy who rarely buys live bait.

 

Store hours 8AM to 9 or 10 PM everyday, maybe close at 6PM Sundays.

 

Also location. Right handy to a Timmies would be a one stop shopping trip. I have always thought that if I opened a tackle store my first step would be getting a location close to a 24 hour coffee shop.

 

As far as tackle goes...that is left up to what your target market is and what fish opportunities are local.

 

Knowledgeable helpful staff is great as well...but to me...not near as important as your location or yours hours of operation.

 

Exactly what he said!

Make sure you sell live bait, I don't give my local tackle shop any business in the winter because they don't sell live bait, so I'm in tight-lines all the time and have no need to go else where to get tackle. Location is key also, if your near a highway exit you'll get a lot more people who want to make a quick stop with out loosing much time on there way fishing. Open early for the reasons explained above lol.

As for tackle... Find out what people want! You don't need to stock 20 different colors of plastics when people are only buying a select few, and if your popular baits run out are low re-stock them!

if you open a store like that, LET ME KNOW!

[adempsey]

1) Location. Somewhere easy to get to and near somewhere I can drop off the wife to shop. Those types of stores I visit more often. For example, I go to BPS more often than I'd prefer since it's in the mall. Most other stores are visits I make by myself. Which isn't bad, but I just don't visit them as often.

 

2) Ample space. Small walkways and crowded aisles are an inconvenience. Especially when you get guys that just want to hang around and chat with the store clerks/owners.

 

3) Clean. I don't get a good impression with those stores that are a huge mess and have stock that's older than I am.

 

4) Bargains. Can't get enough of those bargain bins! It's good to rotate your stock anyway.

 

5) Fair prices. I don't expect to get everything cheaper at the smaller stores. However, I don't want to pay double the price either. Bigger ticket items need to be very competitive as well.

 

6) Less common stock. Items I can't find at the bigger stores will make me come to your store.

 

7) Variety of stock. It's nice to have a good variety of items. Having half the store full of musky lures and the other half for salmon fishing is probably good for some people, but not for me.

 

8) Local products. I love to see local products on the shelf. They are often unique and of decent quality.

 

9) Friendly and knowledgeable staff. I think that goes without saying.

 

10) Good website. There is no excuse for not having a decent website these days. An online store is nice, but just being able to see what you have and how much it costs is good for me.

 

11) Availability of currently popular items. By this I mean whatever product is currently the hot lure or piece of gear. For example, I would have purchased a Tica spinning reel if I could have found one locally. These reels were talked about a lot on many different fishing boards, but to get one I would of had to order one which costs me more money. I do order online, but it's not my preference unless the shipping costs are low.

 

Probably difficult to meet all those requirements, but you said ideal =).

[bigbuck]

Look at JB's Fishing Depot. They have most stuff in stock but the store is too small for the amount of product on the shelves. Fishing World is also a great store with tons of selection in stock. Bass Pro is good but they have a lot of focus on their house brands which are hugely profitable for them and I'm not a fan of most of their products because of the 1 year warranty. Better to pony up and buy Shimano, Quantum, St Croix, Daiwa, Abu, etc... for the superior warranties. Knowledgeable and Courteous staff are also key. I think it's really important to have the product on the shelf ready for sale, if I have to special order something, I'd end up thinking twice and probably not buy it. If it's there for me to see and feel............From a business perspective, you have to have fairly deep pockets because you need to carry a lot of inventory.