Where (and when) will the new Academy be open? I also hate going to Gander MTN for the same basic reasons. Been to Longview (Academy) and also BassPro in Garland - both within the past 6 weeks.

Well, like I said that is the way it's supposed to work in theory. The fishing manager there orders our lures directly from us, as do all of the other Gander Mtn stores in Texas.

Hey Transplant, it will be between Gander Mountain and the red light for Cumberland Rd. I believe they got permission to put an entrance on Cumberland Rd. as well as HWY 69. Don't know when it will open but September has been said.....

Hey FishinSteve, do you do a lot of business with the Gander Mountain in Tyler?

Jody

My brother and I were a truck driving team for a few years and went to many Cabelas and BassProShops all over the country. Liked Cabellas best and BassPro second. Stopped at an Academy south of Houston on the way to Galveston pier and found exactly what we though we needed for salt water


Only on time did we ever stop at a Gander Mountain and that was in Detroit if some little shopping mall. We walked around for maybe a half hour and decided it was a sports clothing store not a hunting and fishing store. Never been to another one since.

Only gripe I have about Academy in Longview is that they don't open early enough. I get off work at 6am and means I have to kill 3 hours on week days and 4 hours on a Saturday. I don't need but one item and they are the only ones that have it. It's funny. I can sit on the bank for hours waiting for a bite, but I can't sit still long enough to wait for the store to open.

Not really, they stock our flex series of swimbaits. We do a lot more business with the Gander stores in the Houston area, Florida, and up North with our muskie/pike lures.

Thanks, I as wondering since most of your product was Northern Fish Based. Some of those cranks look good for bass though. Also, very nice website you have there. Good Job.


Jody

I have been to Gander a total of 7 times and one was to exchange a rod i broke on a fish. That was beyond hell. but the prices are the highest out there. Academy is the only way to go. Gander looks like they have more in the fishing area but alot is not for Bass fishing. So pointless to shop some of the rows they have. But the price is so much higher than Academy. Glad to see someone did find a person to wait on them at Gander. i went to get a GPS 520c while our academy was out of them and waited over 30 minutes and went to the main check out 3 times to see if someone would help me. Live by Longview and i drove to tyler to gander and then to BPS and got it there. i really dont see how the doors stay open at gander in Tyler.

It is unbelievable that a city the size of Tyler, in the heart of East Texas fishing country, does not have a decent fishing tackle store. Yesterday, I drove almost an hour from where I work just north of Tyler to get to Porter's on Lake Palestine. Other times, I have driven to Mack's in Lindale.

I think someone who opened a tackle shop that focused on bass fishing lures, equipment, and supplies...and actually kept it open on a daily basis, including evenings when most of us can get there after work...would do very well.

Of course, it would help if whoever was running the store and doing the ordering had a CLUE about what bass fishermen in East Texas use, instead of having a huge section of fly fishing gear and 80,000 packs of blue fleck Power Worms with fire tails.

i was looking for a good rod so i went to gander mountain, they carry some good equipment (kistler, falcon, etc) but they only a limited selection of each and half of them were priced wrong from being part of a combo set .. seems to me that no one there really cares about the customer.

I hope nobody is hurt in the mad rush to the front door on the day that Academy opens in Tyler!!!

They aren't moving fast enough to suit me!

I have wondered for years why Academy has not built in Tyler but I will say that if the response to new Academy is the same as the response to the opening(finally) of a Taco Bueno in Tyler then I wish I owned an interest in Academy!

Gander Mountain does seem to have a lot of items that just have no market in East Texas. I looked at an ice fishing combo at the Tyler store just last week. They had them in a bin in the middle of the aisle. I wonder how many they have sold?

And the tracked vehicle they had this past winter-basically a snow machine-do they still have it?

I never had a problem with Gander Mt. and will say that the access to long guns there is much better for shopping than is the "over the gun counter" arrangement at Academy.

Oh well, maybe competition will be good for everyone.

i saw the ice fishing stuff too, gotta wonder who orders their stuff

Well, first off...Taco Bueno is off the chain!!!! That might be the greatest little fast food restraunt in Texas!!! But seriously, I think with a little direction Gander could be a great asset to the avid anglers of east texas. They have an incredible location (one of the most expensive real estate peices in tyler) and they have the means to really create sales records. But, as yall alread know, it begins with management!!!

Porter's is a nice place if you are near Lake Palestine. Razorback, how does it compare to Macks?

Porters is incredible...their owner is a great Christian Man, and they do alot for local tournament trails. If you have the time to go out there, go

Mack's and Porters are both great places to find things but they are both different in ways. Mack will have most anything new that you want to try while Porters has that hard to find stuff that you look everywhere else for and can't find. On the other hand Greg will order whatever you want but Mack will too.. LOL

I like both of them equally but find myself in Lindale more than in Dogwood City.

Jody

There used to be a fishing store in tyler on the loop that had what the bass angler needed,the store was mo&joe's.They had to close the door's for the lack of business.This may be the reason no one elsr chooses to open a fishing store in tyler.

^The problem with that store was that they only carried about 4 packages of worms..lol It was easier for me to just go get them at Walmart.

Go online and get everything your heart desires! Who cares if it takes a couple days to get the stuff. MadAngler how do you plan on making a difference? Just curious

Not to change the direction of this thread, but a question for the ones from Tyler shopping. I have heard Athens has a local store named Wolfs that will rival Gander Mtn. I'm not sure if this is a hunting only or combination store. Any info on this one?

Hmmm...I'm not sure what would be worse; not having a good fishing store or not having a Taco Bueno! My brother moved to Cali, and they don't have Bueno's out there. When he comes in for a week around Christmas, we have to eat Bueno every day he is down here so he can get his fix. Sounds like all will be well in Tyler...you've got your Bueno now and an Academy on the way.

Wolf outdoors is a good place and the guy that Manages it has forgotten more about fishing than most will ever learn. His name is Mike Mayo and he is doing an excellent job, that said, the fishing section at Wolf is Secondary to the Hunting and it shows. They do have some good choice baits just not enough. They will really have to step up the fishing section to compete with any of the other Stores, especially Academy.

Jody

That is true, but you better be ordering several packages an/or baits or else that one package of worms will cost you $20.00 with shipping.

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/shipping/
Free Shippin on orders over 50 bucks

Thats where I do most of my shopping. Anything you could ever want.

Me too, they got the BEST SELECTION, better than Bass PRo, Cabalas & Gander combined, if Tacklewarehouse dont have it, nobody else does either, and they dont sell other stuff...JUST bass tackle.