Ranking of major fishing gear suppliers in Southern Ontario

[Eli]

(02-07-2013 05:13 PM)OldTimer Wrote:  

(02-06-2013 08:09 PM)zippyFX Wrote:  Another place we have not discussed is Walmart.... Tend to have some equipment but not a very broad selection, the equipment tends to basic but prices tend to be OK if you happen to be there.

I try not to support Walmart whenever possible.

BINGO. Walmart is a very bad company.They're like the Enbridge of big box stores.

I find SAIL and Lebaron are comparable in terms of selection but they don't carry the same lure brands...which is a good thing. If I'm looking for something specific I'll call both stores and see who has it. The Montreal Lebaron is great too. Both stores have knowledgeable staff.
The only bad thing I can say about SAIL is that they're starting to carry really high-end lure brands like MegaBass. Ok this isn't really a bad thing, but for some reason I'm bothered by the idea of someone actually paying $25+tax for a bass popper. Whats suddenly wrong with a $6 chug bug?

Canadian Tire is hit and miss. Some locations are great -- take for example the one on Gardiners Road in Kingston. Awesome selection of lures and a very decent muskie section. The one in Cornwall has a really good selection of hooks. I find if the General Manager is an angler, the store will have a good inventory. The CT in Barrhaven is garbage so the Manager is likely a golfer.

Having said all that, I'm usually willing to drive a little further and pay a few dollars more for the same item from a small tackle shop. The only exception are that ones with no debit machines as I don't carry cash.