I intended to do a little schoolie fishing after work today and needed to pick up a couple jig heads and as the rain started to come down I went to a store right next to the train station I hit everyday. This large retailer next to the train stop that shall remain nameless (K-mart), a store that prides itself on its fishing supplies and tiny bass tournament sponsorships and all was SO bad that I remeber why I've been going custom and high quality from area tackle shops for several years now. As I started going through the selection of soft plastics (hardly any grub tails) and jig heads I noticed that there just wasn't the selection I've come to expect from many of the independant shops I frequent. I managed to pick up a couple ZOOM flukes (killer) and Bass Assasins and one pack of 1/2 jig heads. Now I'm wondering if the awful selection was just because this really isn't in season yet and the section was consolidated but I'm probably just spoiled :P (all of us really) from the places we tend to do business. So I'm strolling around and I start looking at the other gear. They were actualy pushing rods that looked more like a plastic snoopy rod than an ultra-low quality glass rod. They had one entire aisle lined with 5-7 foot rods, ten deep and I may have seen a half dozen sticks (the truly expensive $29-39.95 rods) that wouldn't be trashed by an anoerexic school bass. It was AWFUL!! Even on their best sticks, the guides were cheap, FUJI look-a-likes and not smooth at all on finnish. The wrapping finnish was all over the guides and again, this was with the good ones. The lousy ones had PLASTIC guide frames. How can that be??

It was even worse when I saw the reels!! Now they did have a display case where there were some decent reels like Penn SS spinners and the odd Abu but then even the Abus were either the old, discontinued c3 (off the shelves for 3 years now) or that ultra-cheap one they have now (it was priced at MSRP or maybe a little higher not sure honestly).

They also had this REALLY cheap knockoff of an Acme Kastmaster made by South Bend called the Castaway (I think) made in China (I know) lousy dimpled finnish with crappy hooks and an already, in the package corroding split ring. It was that bad. Although they did have a small stash of the real thing too... I wonder if Art Lavalle gets sick if he's in that store and sees that crap next to his stuff. Or maybe he feels justified that he makes a quality product, especially when compared to that other junk jewelry that was in there...

Sorry about the rant here but I need to vent a little. I had trouble dropping $10 on soft plastics and jig heads when just about everything else there made me sick to my stomach. This just completely reinforces my ideas on quality equipment. Take 100 customers with that junk next to 10 guys fishing real gear and they's still loose a striper contest.... Okay, I'm done!!! >(

WOW! We are definately on the same wavelength tonight thats for sure!!! My husband and I went to #^&#^&#^&#^&'s tonight, as there really arent any "real" stores in this area and of course I ended up in the fishing gear....

Well last year I managed to loose TWO kastmasters (please dont ask) that we have bought on the Cape and I figured while we were there I would replace them...YEAH RIGHT!!!!!! I cant find the larger sizes ANYWHERE but near the ocean which can be a bummer. Oh wait....I DID find some really cheap versions on the same idea... >(

What a strange coincidence! Guess I will just have to wait two more months till I go to Nelsons again.........

John, I totally agree with you. I hit up Wal-mart and K-Mart and sometimes even Sports Authority. Not much in the way of rods. The best thing they have are UglyStiks. For lures, they have your basic plastics. Mostly crank baits and freshwater gear. The funny part is, my area isn't known for fantastic freshwater gear.

What's even more frightening is the help you can recieve at those stores. The person selling fishing gear is the same person that sells bikes and tupperware. It's great to be able to walk into the tackleshop and be able to say, "Hey Kevin, how's the fishing doing? What's been the good rig to use?" Whatever my question, he has an answer for me. Or he has something new to show me or a joke to tell me. And his crew of people are always knowledgeable and friendly. He hires people who fish and who are just as crazy about it as all of us are.

When I was very little, I found an old cortland fly rod(5/6 weight) up in my brother's room. My aunt and uncle bought it for him and he never used it because he's a city kind of guy. I kept trying to thread the fly line through a nymph's eye and I obviously couldn't. I took the rod down there and asked for new flyline and told him my problem. He took the time (he was very busy) to explain that you use a tapered leader and showed me how to tie a nail knot. If it wasn't a guy like him, I probably would have given up.

Stores like his will never be replaced by some huge chain.

The big mail order stores (Bass Pro, Cabelas, Northern Bass etc), along with the Xmarts have driven a lot of good small tackle shops under. I suppose the economy and how the shops are run has a lot to do with longevity also, because as I understand it; that's a tough business to be in. I'm guilty too, because I do most of my bulk ordering from the big mail order houses. No one shop in my area comes close to carrying everything I use and you simply can't beat the big mail order shops prices. The local Walmart fishing department is the pits and I only go in there if I'm desparate.

Thursday I broke off the last of my Kalins Ultimate 3/8 oz jig heads, sweat jig with supper sharp chemically sharped hook. I stop in at the local shop, where I bought the only pack on the shelve a month ago, asked if he had my order in (asked he get me 3 packs each 3/8 & 1/2 oz). No and his wholesalers said it might be another 2 weeks. When I get home I picked up the phone, called Offshore Angler in FL and ordered 3 packs each and put their 3-4 day express shipping on it, so I'd have them this week.

Now if the ower had been smart about it, he would have done the same and resold them to me with his markup. I tried to funnel some business his way, because I still like to pop in and chew the fat, swap stories, hear the reports, but I could wait any longer.

Tight lines.

Worse than the selection are the sales staff. have these people ever fished before?

Jenn, J&J tackle in East Windsor, 20 minutes from your house!!!! Real nice guy (Jimmy) and he has the stuff you are looking for.

The answer is big retail stores to do not order their own merchandise. The merchandise is ordered from a buyer in Boston or N.Y. I use to work as an assistant manager of Woolworths. The store I worked in was located in Northern Maine. Yet, I always received my yearly supply of salt water fishing tackle, when the ocean was 5 hour drive away! Big stores are about selling quantities of cheap merchandise. They would rather sell four $25 reels instead of one $100 reel.

hey Jeff...where abouts in East Windsor are they located???? I can certainly deal with a twenty minute drive!!!! And I would certainly rather give him my business than go to that OTHER store....... Thanks!

Hey John, hope all is well. I'm trying to keep from going cabin crazy. LOL Hey, yah know I could use one of those Snoopy rods for smelting........

when SA came into my town they closed 2 small bait and tackle stroes with very low prices the smaller shops couldnt compete with and the same lousy equipment they still carry . I wont even by my rooster tails there for trout . So anyway they move in 2 shops close and I head over there one day with a chip on my shoulder . I ask the clerk ( totally clueless BTW)if I could get 2 dozen eels and some 2 bunker and 3 mackerals . He says he doesnt barry them ( not we dont carry bait ) so I ask him for 2 dozen night crawlers and 3 packs of mealies ( he didnt even know what mealies were). Sorry we dont carry them either . I asked him if they carry any bait at all replies no we dont . I proceed to get mad and said I want the manager . he shows up and is even more clueless than the clerk . So I lay into him about putting the bait stores under ( part of their plan) and not carrying bait he tried to answer me but I gave no quarter and kept at him about putting the little guy under after my rant . He said something about calling the cops go ahead I said the cops are fishermen too call them see I they dont arrest you for impersinating a tackle shop . it didnt do any good cause they are still here along with #^&#^&#^&#^&s and kmarts and walmarts and now target is trying to do their part . In New Haven I have eels when ever I want them so hahaha to the big chain stores . I walk through them in the winter just to reinforce why I spend a little more for my gear when I need it . mail order is the way I buy most of my gear today the surfcaster , cabellas , a shop in australia for reels and a couple of on-line tackle stores .

Hey Jeff...I feel stupid...I just put two and two together....so I went to the site and figured it all out!!!!!!! thanks again

One thing cracked me up about SA. You can go in there and buy a Calcutta, Abu, or Penn but you cannot buy any rod that is even close to what you would want to put it on. You just can't fully oufit yourself in there, not even partially... Besides, some shops are the same price and you will get far more correct info from a local shop than that place...