Cabela's is comin' to Anchorage (Kenai: to buy, stores, estimates)

[AlaskaNana]

Originally Posted by Glitch

Have you visited their web site?



They have listed the species of fish for which they sell fishing equipment. This is what they have listed for spinning reels:

• Bass (14)
• Carp (2)
• Catfish (5)
• Crappie (7)
• Northern (2)
• Panfish (24)
• Salmon (1)
• Striper (1)
• Trout (1)
• Walleye (26)

Of those fish species listed, only two can be found in Alaska, and only those same two species can be found in the ocean. The one spinning reel they have listed for Trout is $699.

Well over 90% of their gear (particularly their lures) have no place in Alaska. People who know nothing about fishing in Alaska will be purchasing equipment and gear that they cannot use. When was the last time anyone fished with a j.i.g. in Alaska? Stores like this should be banned for taking advantage of ignorant fishermen.

OK So I have only bought "in-store" at their Dustin, Fl store BUT they did have some great deep sea rigs. I ended up with a nice "dual use" set-up that we used for surf fishing and then I gave then to my daughter and son-in-law. Some prices I didn't even want to look at but some were good. They also had hunting gear. No I have not been to their site. Unless I know exactly the item and brand I am looking for I prefer to see and hold it before handing over a bunch of money.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by AlaskaNana

OK So I have only bought "in-store" at their Dustin, Fl store BUT they did have some great deep sea rigs. I ended up with a nice "dual use" set-up that we used for surf fishing and then I gave then to my daughter and son-in-law. Some prices I didn't even want to look at but some were good. They also had hunting gear. No I have not been to their site. Unless I know exactly the item and brand I am looking for I prefer to see and hold it before handing over a bunch of money.

I do not know anyone who orders fishing lures from Cabela's either. Rods and reels, sure, but not lures because they pretty much sell the same stuff as Bass Pro. My hip waders originated from Cabela's. I also buy reels based upon brand and price, I do not really care from where. I am particular to Penn reels because they can be used in both salt and fresh water.

Ordering from a catalog is a lot different than opening a store. Both Cabela's and Brass Pro will have to cater to Alaska's environment, or neither will last long. Mountain View Sports or Three River Charters may be more expensive, but they specialize in only Alaska's environment. You could probably find the same gear with Cabela's or Brass Pro, but only if you know what you are looking for. If one is new to Alaska, it is probably best to stick with what works. Once you know what you need, you can find other more competitive sources.

[Dakster]

Thanks for the suggestions....

[akpls]

Originally Posted by Dakster

I hope they change / cater to the area.

I've been in 5 or 6 different Cabela's and a couple of Bass Pro's. They looked to all pretty much sell the same stuff with very little regional variation. But that said, I hunt in many places other than Alaska and appreciate their wide selection and being able to pick up things before I leave.

[Dakster]

HOPEFULLY, they will have locals working there that will be able to direct people accordingly.

In Cabela's I have noticed that you can get lucky enough to find knowledgable people, but it does not always work out that way.

The issue raised here was that the normal store barely sells stuff that is applicable to Alaska - at least that is the impression I am getting. I have no idea of what worksi n AK and what doesn't. In fact, when I went to central florida and started fishing I took the advise of the local bait and tackle store when what I was doing wasn't working. Once I got their advise I started catching fish....

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Dakster

HOPEFULLY, they will have locals working there that will be able to direct people accordingly.

I am certain they will be hiring locally. They are not like the big oil companies that can afford to send people all over the world. I do like the fact that it will mean more jobs for Alaskans, but it will be seasonal and tied pretty closely with tourist season, and not very good paying jobs. Still, more jobs is better than fewer, regardless of what they pay.

Originally Posted by Dakster

In Cabela's I have noticed that you can get lucky enough to find knowledgable people, but it does not always work out that way.

The issue raised here was that the normal store barely sells stuff that is applicable to Alaska - at least that is the impression I am getting. I have no idea of what worksi n AK and what doesn't. In fact, when I went to central florida and started fishing I took the advise of the local bait and tackle store when what I was doing wasn't working. Once I got their advise I started catching fish....

Guys, generally speaking, have a more difficult time asking for help than women. When I first arrived in Alaska, I found a lot of help from everyone I asked. If someone asks me what rig I am using, I have no problem telling them. There is no perfect method for catching salmon (except maybe explosives), which is why they call it "fishing" and not "catching."

Spin-N-Glows are very popular in Alaska. Vibrax lures are also popular, when you cannot use bait. I also have a few "Seward Dry Flies," which are legal in Seward. However, most Alaskans use cured salmon roe, where they can. You can buy it cured and frozen (and I am sure both Cabela's and Bass Pro in Anchorage will carry it), or you can make it yourself with two quarts of water, 1.5 cups of powdered Borax, 2.5 cups of canning/pickling or sea salt (non-iodized), and 0.5 cup of granulated white sugar. Smaller eggs only take 15 to 30 minutes to cure, larger eggs take about 45 minutes to cure (use a non-reactive container, like a plastic bucket, and wear gloves).

You place a blob of the salmon roe on a single or treble hook (depending on what the regulations allow) and put your weight about 18" up the line from the hook. You want just enough weight to stay on the bottom, but allow it to bounce with the current. Salmon are not interested in eating, they stop eating when they hit fresh water. They are picking up the salmon roe and attempting to bury it in the gravel bottom of the river. You have to set the hook between the time the salmon picks up the bait and before they spit it out. That is the real trick. Understanding what to feel for as the salmon strikes.

[AlaskaNana]

Originally Posted by Glitch

I

Salmon are not interested in eating, they stop eating when they hit fresh water. They are picking up the salmon roe and attempting to bury it in the gravel bottom of the river. You have to set the hook between the time the salmon picks up the bait and before they spit it out. That is the real trick. Understanding what to feel for as the salmon strikes.

I did not know that. This would explain why I have yet to get a Salmon. Anything else, I am OK but not Salmon. lol Now that I know the secret maybe I'll have better luck next year.

[dcbrewmeister]

Cabela's is geared more towards outdoor stuff in general, Bass Pro, at least the one local to me, seems to carry a LOT more fishing stuff, and a much wider range, than what is on the website... the (number) items you listed wouldn't even fill half of one isle, so what you see online will be different then what's in the store. The camping section is small because well most people camp in air conditioning because it's just too hot in the summer to try and sleep in a tent, but I suspect it may be bigger for the one in Anc... They "adjust" the stores for the area they are in... it's called marketing.

But both places are geared more towards "outdoor" activities in general, and not towards "fishing" wholesale... and for the most part, unless you buy stuff "off-season" and on sale are to pricey for "everyday" use as a store anyway.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by AlaskaNana

I did not know that. This would explain why I have yet to get a Salmon. Anything else, I am OK but not Salmon. lol Now that I know the secret maybe I'll have better luck next year.

That was my point. It is no secret. You can ask any Alaskan that has successfully caught salmon and they will tell you how they did it. Knowing how to catch salmon and catching salmon are two very different things. It can be difficult to distinguish between the weight bouncing on the river bottom and a salmon strike. However, once it happens a couple times you begin to feel the difference.

Just keep the line taunt as the weight drifts downstream, and lift the rod high to set the hook. Look for eddies, or deep water "holes." Salmon like to bunch up in those spots to rest up after fighting the current. Compared to other fish, like trout, walleye, and northern pike, salmon are not big fighters once you hook them.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by dcbrewmeister

Cabela's is geared more towards outdoor stuff in general, Bass Pro, at least the one local to me, seems to carry a LOT more fishing stuff, and a much wider range, than what is on the website... the (number) items you listed wouldn't even fill half of one isle, so what you see online will be different then what's in the store. The camping section is small because well most people camp in air conditioning because it's just too hot in the summer to try and sleep in a tent, but I suspect it may be bigger for the one in Anc... They "adjust" the stores for the area they are in... it's called marketing.

But both places are geared more towards "outdoor" activities in general, and not towards "fishing" wholesale... and for the most part, unless you buy stuff "off-season" and on sale are to pricey for "everyday" use as a store anyway.

A few lower-48 sporting-good chains have come and gone over the last 20 years in Anchorage. Some good, some not so good. Even those local sporting-good stores can really suffer if there is a low escapement and rivers are closed, like with this past King season. I heard estimates of $39 million in lost revenue on the Kenai Peninsula, and $80 million in lost revenue in the Mat-Su Valley. The bulk of their revenue is going to be made from May through September, peaking in June and July. Between October and the beginning of May they are only going to have locals visiting their stores, and that is not enough for most lower-48 chain stores.