Cabellas In Grand Rapids

[Dan]

Whooo hooo, still life in the deal it sounds like. In the news tonight they are working on a deal that would bring in 46 million bucks by working with the City of Walker's neighbor Wyoming in order to develop the area where a mall would be built and hopefully Cabellas then would be wooood. I'm hoping it goes through. I'll be the first in line for a job. Being retired I need a winter job and that would be a no brainer. Would never bring any money home!! Come on, baby needs shoes, or is that hunting and fishing gear and a great place to hang out work or play. Cabellas over on this side of the state would be great!

[JCOOPER]

Be careful what you wish for!  Any big box chain store would be the demise of the smaller independent stores you have come to love.  The larger stores usually will not have specialty tackle most bass fisherman are looking for and the help they hire usually is no help if you do have a question about something. 

[thedude]

i would just be happy to see a sporting goods store North of 196. takes me 45 minutes to get to a gander moutain and they usually don't have what i want... then i can go to dicks and they also won't have it but if they did it would be twice Gander's price.

as it stands now i just order my stuff online or hit D&R when i'm in the area... i would not be heartbroken if a decent sporting goods store came to town. I'd be elated if they put dick's out of business. 

[Cy]

I agree, I would love to see a Cabela's in GR.  There is no doubt that some of the smaller stores would suffer or be forced to carry a better selection and higher end items.

On that topic, I was in Al and Bob's on Division the other day and was some what impressed.  The had a good selection of Reaction Innovations tackle included their hooks and jig heads.  They also are carrying a good selection of Rods including Kistler and Powell.  You guys should stop in there if you are in the area.

Lastly, to The Dude, I am not a Dick's fan at all and the Grandville store sucks.  You should check out the Dick's store on the East end of 28th St by I-96.  Better stock, better brands and better selection.  I was in the Grandville mall last night and didn't even bother to stop at Dick's because I am always just disappointed.  There is also a Gander on that end of town.

Cy

[JCOOPER]

Al and Bobs, D and R  and other stores of the like wont "hurt a little". They will hurt alot.  Gander Mountain makes a store "hurt a little"  Bass Pro or Cabela's moving into an area will close stores like these down.   These are the stores that we have grown up with.  We see the owners on the water and in the field.  I made my first purchase from bass pro in over 8 years about 2 weeks ago.  I only did that becuase where I live now, I had no other option.  I have always worked for small businesses and know of the impact something like this will have. 

[fasttrack]

Hi guys-
A Cabelas would indeed be bittersweet. It sure is fun going to them, "but not in my back yard". I live just south of GR in Byron Center and I travel around for my job. It's easy for me to stop into all the main shops to find what I'm looking for but not everyone has that luxury. Dicks went way down hill since it purchased Galayn's. Al & bob's isnt the nice shopping experience of a chain store but the owner is a bass tourney guy (and so is one of the main employees) and he carry's a lot of good stuff. Gander is only 5 minutes away and my partner works there part time so I stop in a lot. They are pretty good, but there is still some stuff they just don't carry that I use. I worked in sporting goods retail for six years in my younger days (including Al & Bob's) and I agree that its getting tougher than ever to compete with 'the big boys' moving in. The only hope would be for the loyal locals to keep shopping and be sure to carry specialized stuff that these locals want. They will never compete with price or selection of the popular name-brand stuff. Anyways, that's my 2-cents worth. Gotta go get my stuff ready to hit the lake in the morning (first trip this year!) now that I got my turkey hunting out of the way.

[thedude]

well... it would definitley be nice to be able to purchase duck hunting stuff locally and buy steel shot other than during the first 2 weeks of sept.... at which point all the local stores sell out of anything worth buying and don't re-stock until next sept.

[bosshawg]

 while we're here in grand rapids and changing the subject matter, i have a question to ask you good forum people from this area and hoping to help me out. follow this now - my girlfriend's niece has ask if we could come up so i could take her boyfriend's dad out for a "day-on-the-lake" since he has a hankerin' to do some fishin'. the dad mentioned going out to the "big lake", but the "little red skeeter" don't play that game. so what good inland waters choices do i have in the area? i know nothing about the grand (sth.haven area little bit), gun, gull never been on. what else?

thanks as always......

[Dan]

I wish I could help you out, but even though I live in the area my boat is up at the cabin and I do all my fishing in MI great northwest corner. Cy, Mac, Andy, and Outlaw I'm sure would be the ones to give you that info. Guys fish Reeds Lake right in Grand Rapids and do catch bass and some pretty good ones. Moving out from there you could fish Wabisis, Big Pine Island, the Grand River, and then about 50 min. away is Muskegon Lake which always seems to produce fish and has a gajillion tournaments. There are several other lakes in the GR area that you could fish as well. I'd see what the guys above recommend.

[Eric]

Did we just have a fasttrack sighting?

[fasttrack]

Yes Eric, a sighting indeed. I've been laying low for a while I guess. Actually, between a very busy work schedule the last few months (I got a higher license and now also appraise commercial real estate), my three little boys, and a house with 10 acres to take care of in the spring I sometimes wonder how I have time to take a pee, let alone go fishin or play on the internet! Give me a shout if you still have my number or email handy.

I did manage to hit Muskegon Lake on Sat. with a buddy. We started out slow, but it picked up as the sun came out and the water warmed. Probably caught around 25 bass, maybe 3 limits of keepers, anchored by a 4+ lb smallie.