Reeling in the Best: Top 5 Bass Fishing Tackle Shops to Try Out
If you remember back to when you first started fishing, you probably got your first rod and tackle handed down to you or from your local big box store, and while that’s more than enough for any of us to catch fish and have a good time, you probably already know exactly what happens once you’re bitten by the fishing bug; you end up spending more money on tackle and random new products than you do your mortgage.
Where you spend that money matters a lot, though. After a while, the limited big-box store selection isn’t going to get you excited, you start noticing that a lot of places overcharge, and usually when you see what looks like a great deal, you end up buying junk.
Today, the team at BassForecast wants to go over five of our favorite bass fishing tackle shops. Whether you’re curious about fishing and need to buy your first bit of gear, or you’re an old-timer who loves picking up the coolest new lures, at least one of these retailers will have you covered.
Let’s get started.
1: Amazon
First, we want to point newcomers to the sport in the right direction, and it’s a pretty obvious recommendation.
Amazon is the top online retailer in the world, and while it’s not specifically geared toward bass fishing, you can find practically any fishing gear you want on the site outside of custom-made and small-batch stuff.
Now, there are plenty of solid reasons that some of you will have for not wanting to use Amazon, and that’s perfectly fine. Any of the other stores we list can be used to the same effect, and while you won’t have as much flexibility, you’ll get some other pros.
We recommend Amazon to beginner anglers trying to set up their first tackle box, people on an extremely tight budget, and experienced anglers who are just trying to make random purchases to cure their itch for tackle for a few great reasons. We’ll go over those first, and then we’ll talk about the drawbacks.
1: Price
Because Amazon is the largest seller’s platform in the world, you will rarely have to buy the highest-priced listing of a specific item. You might have to do a little searching, or you might have to accept a used option from another seller, but there’s a lot of room for you to look around and find a better price without scouring the entire internet. Also, while you won’t always find the best price, the lowest offer available is usually at least slightly below what you’d pay at another, more dedicated, store.
However, you can’t forget about a few other price-related benefits. Amazon frequently has coupons you can add just by checking a box next to the product image for steep price cuts, offers small rebates for certain shipping options, and of course, removes shipping fees for Prime members. You can get a free Prime trial once per year, or you can opt for one of the cost-effective memberships if you’re going to be ordering a lot from the site. You might already have a membership. Since shipping fees add quite a bit onto tackle prices, this is a major consideration.
2: Selection
Another major benefit, and also a con, is that you can find almost any tackle you need on Amazon. The more dedicated shops we’ll talk about also have large selections, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find them selling some of the wonkier gear or super-small-budget items that you can find very easily on Amazon. This can be crucial for finding cheap things like terminal tackle without having to buy the best brands.
3: Shipping
Finally, you get a major advantage with shipping through Amazon if you have a Prime membership. It hasn’t been as fast as it used to be in recent years, but you can expect to get your products within a couple of days instead of a week or two, and it’s free for the majority of items.
The Cons of Amazon:
Amazon is far from perfect, and that’s why we don’t recommend it for the bulk of purchases made by more experienced anglers.
While the selection is easily the largest available, you’ll also be flooded with downright junk. Split shot, bullet weights, alarm systems, and similar things that don’t need to be perfect are almost always going to work just fine, and it’s a great way to build up your tackle box as a beginner, but we wouldn’t recommend buying their lowest price lures, rods, and other things that require a certain level of quality. You can order name-brand versions of those items from the site, though.
2: Bass Pro Shop/Cabela’s
Bass Pro Shop and Cabela’s are basically the same stores. They have the same owner, and they are practically identical inside.
This is a recommendation that will suit most experienced anglers, but it can be a bit pricey for beginners to build up their entire tackle box with just stuff from Bass Pro. However, you can almost guarantee that anything you buy will be of at least decent quality.
Let’s break down the pros and cons.
1: Physical and Online Stores
This is one of Bass Pro’s biggest advantages. Local tackle shops are great, and you should always try to find a small shop to support, but we can’t really recommend those, because only a tiny percentage of our readers would be able to visit each one. Unfortunately, that means many great, small, tackle shops are online only. Bass Pro isn’t a small tackle shop, but it has a massive presence online and in physical locations. Most of you probably have a Bass Pro or Cabela’s within an hour’s drive of your home.
This means that you can enjoy the convenience of shopping online, or you can head to the physical location and actually see and touch the products. That is a great idea for rods, reels, and other things that need to be perfect.
2: Selection
Bass Pro is built around bass fishing. You’ll find a massive selection of items whether you go online or to the physical store. Also, unlike Amazon, practically everything in Bass Pro is going to be worthwhile if you use it properly. You won’t get tricked into buying weird knock-off lures from overseas or other things that you’ll commonly find on Amazon.
3: In-Store Help
Any time you have the option to go to a physical store, you get the benefit of in-store help. If you’re new to fishing, you can ask an employee, and they can help you find the stuff you need, or if you’re looking for a very specific item, you can find help, too. However, Bass Pro is specifically meant for anglers. So, the help you get is going to be a lot more useful than if you went to Walmart and had some random employee guide you through it.
Cons of Bass Pro:
Experienced anglers probably already know a lot about Bass Pro. So, this is mostly for beginners.
The prices can be a little inflated. While everything is sure to be made to a high-quality standard, you might pay a little more for some items. Also, while knowing everything is at least decent is great, a beginner can get a lot of use out of certain bargain bin items such as terminal tackle while saving money for bigger purchases, and Bass Pro makes that a little difficult.
3: Tackle Warehouse
Tackle Warehouse is one of the largest online-only tackle stores, and it’s solely dedicated to fishing tackle. Unlike our first two recommendations, you’re only going to find tackle at this store.
Tackle Warehouse is dedicated to providing a massive selection of gear both low-end and high-end, and it has grown in popularity unlike anything you would have imagined ten years ago.
This can be a great option for anyone interested in fishing.
1: Price
Because Tackle Warehouse isn’t afraid to mess around with low-end tackle from overseas, you can find some great bargains on the items you need that don’t necessarily have to be the highest quality; saving you money to spend more on the things that count. However, you can also find very high-end options on the site, as well.
This price variety makes it a more accessible option for everyone.
2: Selection
One of the reasons Tackle Warehouse is so popular is because its selection is so large. It can easily rival Amazon and Bass Pro. However, every item is fishing related. So, you don’t have to worry about irrelevant stuff showing up in your searches.
3: Convenience
Not only do you get a ton to choose from and a wide price range to suit all budgets, but you just click a few buttons, and the products show up at your door. You get this shopping at any online store, but with Tackle Warehouse’s other benefits all adding to the convenience factor, it’s worth mentioning. There are also several payment methods that you don’t get to choose from with other sites.
Cons of Tackle Warehouse:
The main con with Tackle Warehouse is that some users have been complaining about customer service and shipping times as of late. The company has a great reputation. So, those complaints might be inaccurate, or they might be isolated incidents. We can only tell if the company is slipping up if the complaints keep racking up over the next year or so.
4: The Hook Up Tackle
The Hook Up Tackle is an exclusively online tackle shop that focuses on providing fine lures and gear to bass anglers. Plenty of gear for targeting other species is available, but the focus is clearly on bass.
This is a bass fishing tackle shop we recommend to intermediate and expert anglers. While the selection is large, it’s mostly focused on high-end stuff that can be inaccessible to beginners or unnecessary for learning.
Here’s how it stacks up.
1: Quality Selection
The Hook Up Tackle, as we’ve said, is focused on providing high-quality bass fishing gear. Its selection is also pretty amazing. From unique bone lures that only a handful of people will ever own to the top mass-produced lures on the market, you can find amazing gear if you have the budget for it.
Once you’ve been into fishing for a while, it’s bass fishing tackle shops like this that can still scratch your itch for new, exciting, gear.
2: Great Reputation
While our last online store recommendation might possibly be on the decline, this one is known for providing top-notch service. Packages ship out ASAP, if there’s a problem, a representative will fix it, and overall, you can trust that the company stands by its products.
3: Plenty of Options
If you don’t like sharing your credit card number with stores, PayPal and other options are also provided. Your shipping options are also quite flexible, but you do have to pay unless you cross a price threshold like most other online stores.
Cons of The Hook Up Tackle:
The Hook Up Tackle is a great option, but it’s not perfect for everyone. If you’re on a budget, you probably can’t spend $20 on one lure that might end up stuck on a log deep in a lake. If you’re starting out, you don’t want to spend that type of money and make tons of mistakes.
This type of specialty store is best for anglers who know what they’re doing, understand what they need, and have the budget to spend on fairly expensive tackle.
5: Discount Tackle
Discount Tackle is the exact opposite of The Hook Up Tackle. It’s focused on bringing customers the best deals possible, and there are some sacrifices made, but overall, it’s a great bass fishing tackle shop for putting together a good first kit or getting new gear on a budget.
1: Price
First, the prices here are the lowest you’re going to find without purchasing oddball gear from shady manufacturers. Everything is name brand, but it’s offered at a lower price due to the company’s sourcing model.
2: Decent Selection
The selection isn’t quite as good as if you were to go to one of our other options, but it’s large enough to satisfy everyone’s “needs”. You just might not get all your “wants”.
3: Name Brand
The vast majority of products on offer are from the same brands you’ll pay a lot more for from other companies.
Cons of Discount Tackle:
The main issue with Discount Tackle is a lot of things go out of stock quickly, and you usually have to wait a little longer for your packages than you do with other sources. If you’re on a tight budget, or you want to build your first kit without sacrificing quality or spending a fortune, then those issues are worth dealing with.
Conclusion
In conclusion, finding the right bass fishing tackle shop is crucial for every angler's success on the water. The top 5 shops on our list offer an impressive selection of high-quality gear, accessories, and knowledgeable staff to enhance your bass fishing experience. Whether you're a seasoned angler or just starting out, these retailers will equip you with the tools and expertise needed to reel in those prized bass.
So, don't hesitate to visit these top-rated shops and equip yourself with the best tackle available. Get ready to embark on unforgettable fishing adventures and make your bass fishing dreams come true!
And don’t forget, BassForecast fishing app is your fishing companion that will make your fishing experience as seamless as possible with amazing pro features such as tackle tips, detailed maps, in-depth real-time data, spot-on-solunar, and more.