sporting goods stores

I just read about BPS doing layoff's at Cabela's. IMO BPS has a better fishing dept. than Cabela's. The Waco Cabelas fishing dept.is a joke, I can find just about anything I need from Walmart at a lower price. Our Academy is more into gun's than fishing, the old man that runs that part said he wish they would do away with the fishing stuff altogether. Academy went down the tubes when it was brought out. I am the type who like to see and feel what I going to buy. I do order one kind of bait from BPS because it's cheaper than driven 120 mile north or south. At one time the Walmart here had the best fishing dept. in the state of Tx., even better that Academy, Cabelas or BPS. Walmart made the guy who ran the sporting dept. a complete store manager in the Houston area, and then put some non sporting good girl in charge, it went to [censored] in less than one year. We are going to get a Dick's here but from what I seen in the one in Killeen it's more for golfers.

True about dicks.. but when they have a sale you can get some top quality stuff for .20 cents on the dollar.

Same thing happened to Gilmer's Walmart. Past store manager was an avid angler, so he provided an excellent fishing section. He moved on last year and didn't take long for the fishing section to practically disappear.

The Academy in Longview is a joke...IMO

Luckily there's Solid Pawn and East Texas Sonar in Longview. Both carry an adequate supply of baits and tackle that can get you by until you can place an order to Tackle Warehouse.

Best sporting good store of all time was Cullum & Boren.

Anymore.. if you can't find a dedicated tackleshop.. its hard to find bass fishing tackle. Crowley Walmart has you covered if you want to fish for catfish, crappie, bluegill.. but other than a few hard baits and a handful of soft plastics.. it sucks. The Burleson Academy.. is another joke.. they have more empty stock hooks than ones with tackle on them. Lately, I have had more luck buying specific baits I want on Ebay..

BD

I agree on the Waco Academy, there are so many empty hooks, it looks like they are closing down.
I am guessing they are more concerned with inventory dollars vs sales during this time of year.

The Cabellas is just an "Outpost", which I assume is a scaled down version of the regular store.

I was very pleasantly surprised at the huge selection at the College Station Academy. It was huge.

Apparently gander mountain was purchased by the multi million air who does the reality tv show involving buy businesses and making them successful... hoping he turns the one near lake worth into something attractive for the bass fisherman.

The Kyle Cabela’s is awful too with the fishing selection. Some of the academies in San Antonio are ok, nothing special. Our Bass Pro is decent, but sadly they have all become where they only want to sell their brands and not a variety (actually the grapevine and Katy stores are better than ours). I was sad to see our gander mtn close, they were over priced but had a decent selection to look at. San Antonio sucks for lure buying!

Some of the academy stores are stocked well like the Beaumont one. Bass pro in round Rock has the basics but I only buy in a pinch. Hard to compete with Amazon and tackle warehouse

Just like Harvey Walker said, Academy is more interested in firearms that fishing. They also have gone completely overboard with women's exercise clothing and shoes. It has to be something with who manages them.

The Gander Mountains stores in Houston closed down. Dick's fishing department is a disgrace. Field and Stream is okay. For some reason, Cabelas decided to put their one Houston area store in League City. Why I'll never know.

Fishing Tackle Unlimited has some quality stuff but it is expensive.

Which walmart are you referring to?

Cabelas Ft Worth has a decent fishing section. Bps is ok as well. I usually try to hit up Anglers Pro Tackle if i'm in the area. They have a good selection of the stuff that most people fish and they are very friendly.

I remember those, they were stocked good and maybe Oshmans
bought them out or vice versa. Also we’re a lot more small fishing
Tackle stores BW (Before Walmart), there were some real gems.

Anglers pro tackle

The sportster in Tyler was good back in the day. Also discount city in jacksonville. Those are long gone. Now apt, tackle depot, tw, and academy.

East Texas Sonar and Academy in Longview. We need Big Nose to reopen Tony's Sporting Goods in Longview!!! I'm sure some of you remember Tony's.

+1. Pro Anglers Tackle

I try to shop at the smaller guys when possible.

Porters in Flint is a nice little store for those fishing around Lake Palestine area. I was really surprised at the wide selection of fishing stuff they carry and some of the friendliest staff I've ever seen.

http://porterssportinggoods.com/

Tony's was the only store where I ever got a really good deal on a gun trade. He was a character for sure. He greeted everyone in a loud and friendly manner.

The Sportster had a large selection for hunting, fishing, shooting, camping etc...and prices that were just as "large".

In fairness, it really was an institution in its time.

For those who lived in Dallas and/or the suburbs you probably remember Smitty's in Oak Cliff, the Fishing Store in Garland, Axton's in Mesquite, Barlows in Richardson and T.C. Hall in Pleasant Grove. May ne wrong but I think Barlow's is now mostly online store. The mom and pop store are just about history where you walk in and they call you by your first name.

Smitty's was great. I like Angler's Pro and Fun-n-Sun for local places these days.

I usually stop by Barlow’s on weekdays about once a month (most recently last Friday)

Fishin’ World on Lover’s by Bachman/Love Field is another good one

You are old

Not either, my dad told me about it. So there.

T.C. Hall, Jim Vick's

I see that it's not just Waco. There must be a larger profit in sports wear and gun than in rubber worms and hooks. You would think the lures company would raise all kind of stink about the lack of supply for there customers. I am 71 and my fishing day are getting shorter and i don't fish tournaments anymore. There is a larger number of younger anglers out there. Someone will do what Jonny Morris did and just cater to the fishermen out there, and will most likely make a killing.

I live in Aledo just West of FT Worth. We are blessed. Fun n Sun and Tackle Depot are both awesome.
Most of our local Academy’s have the basics and some WalMarts are good. I agree that I like to see stuff in person not on the internet. I hate how everything is going the Amazon way.

The Walmart in Marble Falls has been out of a lot of fishing tackle since April, I ask when they were going to restock and the guy says maybe in March, wow!!

they make much more money today than they ever have, via the inner-webs

nobody, but us consumers really want to have brick and mortar stores

I was a regular at the C&B store at Town East Mall.

Fishin World in Dallas is still very good. Robert Carter is a great guy.

Anglers Pro Tackle is awesome. Rick & Patty are good people.

Barlow's - Not so much.

Didn't know there was one there, we went to the one downtown Dallas when I was a kid.

Fishing tackle is a weird business I think. My son and I got his high school club some decent discounts on rods, reels, and a few other items. Besides my son and I, hardly anyone has bought from any of our sponsors. We buy all of our rods from our local sponsor but for tackle I’ve just about given upon trying to find anything local. With the Tackle Warehouse $10 next day shipping and their 10% military discount it’s just too easy not to order from them and have it the next day.

I like Tackke Addict a lot, just wish they had one locally. I always try and go by their business if I’m in Livingston or up on Rayburn I haven’t found anywhere near Lake Conroe that’s decent at all.

Yea me to

Guess I'm old as well since I recall shopping at Heights Tackle House. Mainly for bay fishing though.

The first store I can remember as a kid was Gibson's in Beaumont. They had all kinds of stuff but I was young and maybe just seemed like a big place.

Academy is hard to beat.

In my opinion you need them all.
BPS, Academy, WalMart, Cabela's, Tackle Warehouse, Ebay, Fishin World, all of them.

Everybody's got something but nobody's got it all.

Gibson’s in Weatherford was the first sporting goods department I remember! Back in the late 70’s. I was born in 73

we had one in Euless.

Tight lines in killeen or suffer the academy and cabelas slim pickens

Angler's Pro Tackle
Fishin' World
Southwestern Parts
Olsen's Pro Am
All in the Metro area are great

Porter's in Coffee City

I prefer to shop at small local businesses and only on line as a last resort. If we don't support our local businesses, we will all be paying for shipping because they won't survive. Once the local businesses are gone you can bet that free shipping will go away real quick.

This is true, Dicks does have awesome sales.

Dick's is pretty good down here, between Dick's, BPS and Academy I can get most things I need for fishing. One of those 3 have it.

I forgot one that even you aren't old enough to remember. We/I shopped a lot at the Western Auto store. But this was before plastic worms were invented so mostly all they had were crank baits and you had to troll them because level wind reels hadn't been invented yet either. I'm talking Hellbenders, Bayou Boogie, Sonic, etc.

I'm not that old my dad told me about them.

The new Field and Stream store in Prosper has a good selection for

I got news for ya Ole buddy. I've been in the old Western Auto store in Garland just due west of Williams Funeral home on Garland Ave. I remember the fishing department they had. Wasn't much but then, not many fishing lures existed then anyway.

Here's one for you. Remember Routh's Sporting Goods just east of Williams Funeral Home almost to Five Points intersection? It was an old gas station that sat next door to Sabine Valley Ice Cream. Mr. Routh had a bunch of "old" lures in his shop.

Good Memories!

Don't remember any of that stuff, too young to remember I guess.

How about TG & Y , small fishing section but as a kid it was huge .

Went to academy in plano off of the tollway last night to get a blade bait for my Friday trip to Lewisville and no luck. Guess I will have to make the trip over to bass pro.

I remember the Gibson in Euless off 157 and Harwood.
Not may other options at the time until Kmart came along.
My brother would spend all his money there on tackle, as fast as he made it.

We also did a lot of shopping at US Sport Sales in Hurst before it became Fun-n-Sun.
Was originally in side building then took over current location when the other tenant moved out.