If anyone was wondering if they still suck, the answer is YES. All I wanted some simple 1/4 and 3/8 oz jig heads in a few colors I like. Ahh hell no. 75 percent of the aisles containing that stuff. Empty. Most shelves completely empty im guessing for ice fishing stuff to come later. And of course the two things I did get were not the price on the shelf.
I stopped buying fishing lures from big box stores anymore….so many guys making & selling jigs/lures out of their garages & selling on FBMP nowadays at great prices, those are the guys I support…they’ll usually do custom orders too…
Scheels had changed their stuff over the week of MEA. They keep a small supply of stuff year round but I doubt it get restocked. I got lucky and seen they were changing over and got mine ahead of my trip.
For box stores, Scheels gets probably 90% of my fishing purchases. They’re the best mix of customer service + availability I’ve found. Fleet Farm is way more hit or miss, but IF something you need there is in stock, you might save a few bucks comparatively.
Cabelas = Don’t get me started.
Scheels had changed their stuff over the week of MEA. They keep a small supply of stuff year round but I doubt it get restocked. I got lucky and seen they were changing over and got mine ahead of my trip.
idk where you are orv but if in st cloud area my son maybe was the one who did it. Now he’s on ammo.
Yes it Was St.Cloud who ever it was gave me a heads up so I was able to stock up ahead of time. Also they are having their ice fest this weekend so they are mostly ice fishing stuff now.
Cabelas = Don’t get me started.
Cabela’s has WAY more tackle than anyone I know of here. They must have 30 aisles of stuff that’s out all year and their pegs are always full.
As opposed to Scheels which is only out seasonally (and currently not even there now as someone posted) and Fleet Farm, which is mostly empty pegs year round.
When I shop for tackle I do it in person. For half the year Scheels cannot fit that bill and for most of the year Fleet Farm cannot do it either.
To the OP, fleet farm has been operating that way for years. They have spots for their stuff, but its quite often just empty. My guess is no employees to replenish it with any regularity.
Not gonna stick up for fleet farm but that’s the case with all stores. Its about the distribution. Most manufacturers will send their product to the DC in Chip Falls. Fleet Farm will divide that up to the different stores and send it out by around Dec. Those stores will have it put up until they get ready for their spring reset. Some manufacturers will send direct to store. Northland and Midwest Oudoors do this that’s why there stuff gets refilled. Pure fshing is huge and ships to distribution centers. Small bait shops can avoid some of this time lost to distribution centers and put it out right away. Fleet Farm, Scheels, and Cabellas has already ordered everything they are going to get for the 2025 fishing season. Like I said Fleet Farm does suck, but not any more than the rest of them when it comes to the seasonal stuff. Now if they don’t get it out by spring then they really suck.
Scheels, Rochester, has all the ice gear out and have down-sized the open water gear, however the open water jig selection was pretty darned good on Monday.
I do like fleet farm for clearance. They dont advertise it online so you can find some pretty crazy deals instores if you stop by every now and then.
I do recall Cabela’s in Woodbury having a sizeable inventory as Gimruis mentioned.
I do recall Cabela’s in Woodbury having a sizeable inventory as Gimruis mentioned.
The one in Rogers is even more so. And its there all year round too.
Everything is ordered on-line these days. That said Joes Sporting goods in St Paul has a whole wall of yellow bins with every size and color jig head sold individually
If anyone was wondering if they still suck, the answer is YES. All I wanted some simple 1/4 and 3/8 oz jig heads in a few colors I like. Ahh hell no. 75 percent of the aisles containing that stuff. Empty. Most shelves completely empty im guessing for ice fishing stuff to come later. And of course the two things I did get were not the price on the shelf.
This should be of no surprise since they were bought by a private equity group. Its apples to oranges from when it was run by the Mills family to the PE group.
I’d say the Fleet Farm here in Waite park is rather well stocked most of the time. The Runnings here in town also often has a decent supply. I like Scheels but like other said they have to do a change over from one season to the next and often also seem to have empty pegs of the items I’m looking for.
I would never go there anymore but I can get there in about 4 minutes from work at lunch time.
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