Do you shop online? Fishing related

[Ed Carlson]

Even though I buy off the net, I also like to buy local first to support the local economy where I can.

It often can be the easiest way to get what is needed locally from smaller shops as they can react to the local trends and market requirements more quickly than larger box stores can.

Tell "Joe" at the local shop you need X-Y-Z baits and odds are good he may be willing to stock them for you. Much harder to do at Big Box because the buyers far above the sales associate make those calls, and they have no room for flexibility in the required store stock set.

This is a largely overlooked benefit of the local smaller "Mom & POP" retailer, flexibility in stock. The smart guys react quickly to trends and if they watch inventory so they don't get stuck with anything, they do better on average than the big box store does. But they lack the volume buying power to get prices down, so we do end up paying a bit more to get what we need, I can live with that to get what I need now and not wait.

[Hawg]

I'm 100% local. Every good product the catalogs have will be a knock off next year with their name on it. It's the same for tackle, boots, everything they sell. You want to support big guys do it, I'll keep the locals going or we won't have a choice much longer.

[mrklean]

it depends on what im looking for i buy lots of different things online, if i cant find it local, i found some raps online they stopped making a few years ago

[deadeye]

I do most of my research online (yes a lot of it is on here ) and then buy locally.

For whatever reason I really don't like to have to wait for something to be shipped to me. If there is a problem its a hassle to deal with shipping it back to get a exchange or refund. I did get some bait shipped up to me in Ely when I lived there as euros were not available there.

Once in a while there is a deal online that I cannot pass up but its few and far between. I think the last fishing item I got online would have been my Frabill ultralight back in 01. I got my vexilar from Vados in 98'. Both my otter and my quickfish were from FF in the past few years.

If I see something I like I get it. If it happens be at a bait shop and costs a couple extra buck so be it. Usually they stock stock a selection of stuff that actually works. You don't have to sift through all of this years latest and greatest gizmos. They are also more likely to stock a locally hot item too.

I guess if I were living in Ely still I would probably order more stuff online. With all the options around the cities its tough to wait for it when I can pick it up myself though.

[rodmoen]

i try to spend as much money as possible in the local bait shops, so they are still around in 10 years, but on some things the online pricing is just so much better I can't justify spending the extra money on the same products.. I'll usually stock up on atleast food and drink at the baitshops that sell that stuff, all my line and jigs and stuff comes from local shops..also alot of the online retailers i purchase from our local to the minnesota wisconsin area too...

[LightningBG]

I buy most of my gear in stores. Mostly because I cant seem to plan far enough in advance to have it shipped to me. Living 3 miles away from Cabela's doesnt hurt either. Ordering online and picking it up in the store is free. They have some pretty amazing deals every once in a while ($250 hunting coat for $40)

[OnAFly]

I'll buy jigs and lures online if I can't find them in a store, or the Cabela's ship to store is nice too for things you won't find in stores around here. I just wish I lived 3 miles away

[bikeoutback]

I buy all my bigger stuff like rods and reels at the box stores cause I can ususally shop the end of season sales and or clearance sales at the right time and get some great deals. Jigs and lures ice fishing I usually want to touch and look at them so I get them at local bait shops alot and the box stores.

I'm not sure why cause HSO has what appears to be a pretty good deal on jigs but I've looked at them all year and simply can't bring myself to pull the trigger just simply cause I can't touch them, stupid isn't it?? I've even thought of trying to get someone else to go in on them with me but then figure how do you split them? Well maybe by next year I'll buy an Illuminator and a set of jigs, who knows.