Bass Pro Shops
 

My city recently opened a Bass Pro Shop in its downtown. My question is, was it worth it? For you anglers out there, do you really travel to a place because it has a BPS? What makes you go to one or the other?

Yes, I thought so, just to check it out....We have one in town close by and while they did not have many brands and items that our Sports Authority carried, where we get most poles, line, etc., the experience is worth the trip. People were taking photos out front...and when you go in the whole place looks like a Wilderness Lodge...You can wander around for hours through camping, clothes, they even have a huge fish tank, boats, etc. The gift section has a ton of bird things, food items, books, anything you could imagine. I don't see us going there again for anything unless we need something only they carry, but it was worth the trip once for sure.

I'm fortunate wnough to actually live in a town (Grapevine, Texas) with a Bass Pro. My outdoorsy husband and deer hunter Dad both adore the place. They could go in there and spend a fortune! My husband uses the indoor pistol range, and Dad likes the indoor bow range. We all like to eat dinner at the Big Buck Brewery. My husband and I usually make it one of our first stops for after-Christmas sale shopping.

Would I travel to a place just to go to a Bass Pro? No.

We get the catalog. My husband has it dog eared.

I was at Concord Mills anyway, but went in to look because I had heard about all it offers (I don't hunt or fish). WOW, lots of dreaming went on there. New scuba equipment, maybe a kayak, or an outdoor cooking system when the next ice storm hits. Then headed outside and dreamed about owning all the boats available for sale. Looked through the RV's, I'm not sure if RVing is right for me, but there were some nice vehicles there.

We have REI, Big 5, Sport Chalet, etc. out here-- but no BPS. And I don't miss it, frankly. Although it's a very nice chain of stores, and they sell really neat stuff, I can't imagine making a special trip to a town simply because it has a BPS. Nor can I imagine taking pictures of myself in front. Kinda like turning a trip to Best Buy into a tourist junket. Ain't gonna happen....

Are the Bass Pro Shops anything like Cabela's? Supposed to open a Cabelas here in the near future...

IMO people were more likely to travel to a huge sporting goods store a few years ago when they were uncommon.

Now there are so many. Someone might travel there from a nearby small town, but I don't think they would travel very far.

Keith