Reeling in Customers: Springfield fishing shops thrive alongside megaretailer Bass Pro Shops

And being located within a few miles of the fishing giant’s flagship store could make business success difficult.

But small, locally owned fishing tackle stores don’t mind operating in Bass Pro’s backyard. That’s because they don’t see themselves as direct competitors with the outdoor catalog company and national retailer, and they boast loyal customer bases.

“I think Bass Pro would probably be the first one to tell you that there is room for a small independent dealer that can answer the local’s needs quickly,” said John Mooney, owner of Fin & Feather Sports Shop at 2861 S. Campbell Ave. “They know I’m not going to be the next Bass Pro, but they also know it’s important for me to be in business.”

Bass Pro spokesman Larry Whiteley agreed; he said the company encourages small, local shops in all 48 cities that have Bass Pro Outdoor World stores.

“The main goal for all of us should be to get more people enjoying the outdoors – away from the computers and the TV,” Whiteley said. “Those are the people that are our customers – and their customers – and those are the people that will get involved in conservation efforts and making sure the lakes, hunting areas and camping areas are around for future generations.”

Spirit of cooperation

For small stores to carve out their market niche, they have to be willing to work together – that sometimes means sending customers to the competition.

“I’ve always worked very closely with John (Mooney) of Fin & Feather,” said Michael Kyle, who owns Backcountry Outfitters with his wife, Kristina. “The reason the small stores here are successful at competing with the giants is because we network together, we all know each other, we know what each other carries, and we’re not afraid to pick up the phone and say, ‘You’ve got it.’”

Mooney and Michael Kyle work so well together that earlier this year Kyle moved his fly-fishing shop to 2863 S. Campbell Ave. – right next door to Fin & Feather.

“I had customers who would come in here and ask about fly-fishing equipment, and I’d have to send them clear across town,” Mooney said. “And I’m sure he got people over there asking about more than just fly fishing, and he had to send them over here. It’s a good blend of businesses that complement each other but don’t steal from each other.”

The cooperative spirit extends to Bass Pro as well. Mooney and Kyle both said they send customers to the megaretailer, which Mooney jokingly calls “the Big House,” when customers can’t find what they’re looking for at the smaller shops – and the favor is returned.

Sometimes, Kyle said, Bass Pro calls to see if Backcountry Outfitters has certain items available.

“I think of (Bass Pro) as a tool to help me be more successful in my business,” he said. “I’m in a service-oriented business. I don’t care if I’ve got it or they’ve got it; I want the customer to be taken care of.”

Bass Pro spokesman Whiteley said his company isn’t afraid to send customers to other stores, because it helps everybody in the end.

“We bring people to this town to shop our store, and that brings more people for them, too,” he said. “If we don’t have it, we will send them down to other stores. They’re not going to attract the 4 million people (a year) that we do, but we’ll send people to them. We try to work with them as much as we can.”

That said, Bass Pro’s willingness to encourage local shops has its limits. In 2006, Bass Pro engaged in a lawsuit with Buzz’s Outdoor World LLC, an 8,000-square-foot sporting goods shop in Osceola, with Bass Pro alleging trademark infringement.

The two parties settled the suit out of court in April 2007, according to filings in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, and Buzz’s now operates as Buzz’s Outdoors.

Collaboration, however, also applies to fishing shops that don’t specialize in tackle. Joseph Toth, co-owner of Trantham’s Bait & Tackle, 3118 W. Chestnut Expressway, said his 30-year-old shop features live bait, some of which isn’t available in other Springfield stores, but it doesn’t meet the needs of all fishermen.

“Of course, we do carry basic tackle, but if it’s the pro bass fisherman who doesn’t use live bait, he’s not going to find what he needs here,” Toth said, noting that he also has recommended other local fishing stores to customers.

Keeping customers

Most of the smaller stores’ customers are local – and very loyal.

Gene Wilkerson, a retired engineer, has been fishing for 40 years, and he’s shopped at Fin & Feather since the store opened in 1984.

“It’s a friendly store,” Wilkerson said. “John will always be up-to-date on what happened over the weekend – he’ll have the lake levels, the water temperature, the type of baits they’re using, and what’s going on. It’s a store owned by a fisherman and run by fishermen.”

Wilkerson said Mooney also goes out of his way to get hard-to-find or custom lures and jigs.

Kyle said about two-thirds of Backcountry Outfitters’ business comes from repeat or regular customers, though he declined to disclose revenues.

He keeps contact with his customers – and adds new ones – through educational services that include fly-tying classes, fishing technique seminars and group outings to Alaska.

“We do public forums, advertise on the Internet, and our customers get out and tell people about us,” Kyle said. “We already have our established client base, but you’re always looking for new customers, so you’ve always got to keep new products and services.”

Trantham’s owner Toth said that he gets some of his business from the novice, incidental fishermen – “the typical family who goes out once or twice a year and needs some hooks and worms” – but he said about 80 percent of his business comes from regular customers.

Shopper Wilkerson said Fin & Feather is almost as much a meeting place for fishermen as it is a retail store. That provides an environment that larger retailers can’t match, he said.

“You can walk in just about any time and find somebody that wants to go fishing, and you can meet friends right here at the store,” Wilkerson added. “You can walk in … down in the dumps because you went fishing over the weekend and didn’t do very well, but by the time you leave … you’ll be ready to go fishing again.”