Bass Pro Shops - Brandon, Fl open 7-30-15

[fishin813]

My opinion ONLY


Over years have toured many BPS stores
In - Oh - Il - Tn - Oh - Ky - NC - Sc
Ga & Fl. from first one built outside Mo
to 3 - Distr. centrs

Finally made to BPS last nite ( 2mi from
home)
The interior design -graphics - mounts -
and displays are excellant - well worth looking at - They themed it on Florida's
coastal waterways & sparse-pine tree inlands.
Fly shop just getting started - not completely set up - ave to other stores.
Boats - displays good -product line ave
to other BPS
Freshwater (crappie & equipment avail) panfish
VERY SAD - Orlando far better but not as
good Clarksville, Indiana
Pond (fish tank) different design - ineresting graphs and background - looks
like they will be limited to dematrations,
using tank. Coloring -inside structure
will improve with age - small to medium
array of live fish on display.
Clothing apparel has about normal size,
guns - archery etc well displayed and of
ave. size - same for hunting flothing.
Reel - rods - electronics down sized some
med. display. Boating asscess - prts,
seats - misc - med. size
Resturant - (new - has been tried before
other locations) looks to be little "pricey"
Did not go in - can inter from outside
or inside - good for after hours of BPS
store.
Outside -graphics - design - setting
landscaping show casing Florida - excellant.

Would i become a consistant vister user
of this store. No.

[Marvin]

I agree Harold..I went last Friday..little disappointed..I asked an associate in the fishing department " do you have trolling/jigging poles?..another gentleman standing there said I just asked the same thing..Store associate said he would make a note of that. Maybe they will add as people request things.

[rodgerso.illinois]

I emailed corporate and then got email from the brandon manager and he said he will make note and see about stocking crappie jigging poles , etc.. we will see uh

[fishin813]

Salt water is not the answer for Florida - This state is so diversified between
fresh & salt its unreal. Where else can a person go with 149 mi and be on two
major water bodies plus inbetween over 28,000 various size lakes, ponds, creeks
rivers etc................
If anything you would think these big time demographics and sales promotors whould
use Florida more of a training ground -(testing ideas - products - working more with
outside sources to make it better in a localized area.) Two 12 ft overweight "Bill
Dance" crappie rods by Zebco doesn't get it for Crappie fishing, nor does displaying
only BPS crappie jigs and equipment bring in customers (glad to see Bobby Carland
was given 4 holders (2 1/2 ft) for product. Bassin Assisin given 3 1/2 ft space.
To bad we have to migrate to Indiana - Illinois to get improvement on freshwater
fishing equipment.

[Specklocker]

Wow! That is something to think about with the popularity growth with crappie fishing and it being in Fl. The store here in Savannah (coastal location) has an assortment of jigs and freshwater tackle and this is Georgia. It also has some Crappie Maxx and BnM 7-14' rods in stock. I was thinking the crappie industry has a PR problem but BPS has a tournament trail called CRAPPIE MASTERS so you would think they would know better. SMH

[huntinslabs]

You need an Academy! Awesome store we gots here now.

[huntinslabs]

Unfortunately I think saltwater is the answer for retail $$$$. Go take a look at the cost of a nice trolling setup. Take a peek at a 50' pack of 80lb flourocarbon leader material, an EPIRB, radar, outriggers, trolling lures, teaser rigs, flashers etc. I was at the reel counter in Orlando and saw a man count out $12,000.00 in hundred dollar bills for a set of 8 trolling rods, shimsno tld reels, spooled up, set of outriggers and some lures. Bout had heart failure myself but the guy helping me said it was a daily occurance. And thats just the beginning. Go to a ramp close to an inlet on a saturday and list what boats you see launching and go look at prices. You would shake your head at the $$$$ them things cost and the high number of them. And tourney day for a governors cup will really get ya spinnin. So i bet loosing 10 sales to some of us lowly crappie guys vs loosing 1 sale to them makes perfect sense to calculator jockeys.

[TnT]

Unfortunately I think saltwater is the answer for retail $$$$. Go take a look at the cost of a nice trolling setup. Take a peek at a 50' pack of 80lb flourocarbon leader material, an EPIRB, radar, outriggers, trolling lures, teaser rigs, flashers etc. I was at the reel counter in Orlando and saw a man count out $12,000.00 in hundred dollar bills for a set of 8 trolling rods, shimsno tld reels, spooled up, set of outriggers and some lures. Bout had heart failure myself but the guy helping me said it was a daily occurance. And thats just the beginning. Go to a ramp close to an inlet on a saturday and list what boats you see launching and go look at prices. You would shake your head at the $$$$ them things cost and the high number of them. And tourney day for a governors cup will really get ya spinnin. So i bet loosing 10 sales to some of us lowly crappie guys vs loosing 1 sale to them makes perfect sense to calculator jockeys.

Those kinda sales will definitely gets any businesses attention quick!!! I was thinking that the new BPS would be stocked sorta like the one they opened in Tallahassee last year and the one in Destin, catering more to the slat water fisherman. The only other BPS I have been to is the one in Macon and they are well stocked with fresh and salt water and a very nice store. But don't pass by an Academy....Pretty good selection and price in there too!!!!

[Specklocker]

Well it sounds like that particular store is targeting saltwater fishing. Putting all your eggs in one basket can come back on you. Those customers that are lost to (let's say) Academy Sports may not return if you change your mind one day.

[huntinslabs]

I have not been in the Brandon store but would imagine it pretty close to Orlando set, Probably 30+/- isles of bass tackle and rods, 25+/- isles of saltwater tackle and rods and the Orlando store has 2.5 isles of panfish tackle and rods/poles. Hunting in Orlando store has a vast majority of extreme cold weather clothing, lots of mallard decoys(we dont get many greenheads down here) guys buy em and use the hen decoys. I am pretty confident that ole johnny Morris knows where the money lies in that business. Seems to be doing pretty well for himself. Do I like it? Heck no! Wish there was a Grizzly jig round here, but I also understand the thought process of their stores. That Brandon store lies on the threshold of some big money fishing. TARPON at Boca Grande! inshore and nearshore from Keyton Beach to Naples. I stand by my statement that he would rather loose 10 crappie/panfish customers to every 1 hardcore salty or Bass guy. Even the guys around Granada pulling cranks spend pennies compared to the hardcore salties and bass guys. Take a peek here Saltwater Fishing Baits & Lures | Bass Pro Shops which would you occupy space with? Sell 10 of those or 10 packs of Slider grubs and a pack of roadrunners. And I bet the margins are better on the Williamson baits than the crappie jigs too. Again, I dont like it but understand, and would not even think they were making a mistake.