No More Minnows

[pureinsanity]

I stopped in at Lakeville GM to get some stuff and noticed their is no more bait tanks there. The Lakeville GM is putting in a pistol range, and took out the bait tanks for minnows. Now all you can get there is worms and such. Just a heads up to anyone who gets their bait at GM in Lakeville. Looks like your next closest bet is Prior Lake Bait and Tackle or the place in Shakopee.

[CarpinMNRiver]

GM bait is spendy. Went there once and never again.

[pureinsanity]

GM bait is spendy. Went there once and never again.

You know it is all how you approach the guys and talk to them. I have always left with extra bait in my bag, and a few dead ones in another bag. Now I never by bait except in desperate measures.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

Prior lake bait shop is the worst when it comes to bait prices.

[pureinsanity]

Prior lake bait shop is the worst when it comes to bait prices.

They are a bit more expensive than some shops. I found out why too. Terry in Shakopee. You ever go there to get bait you either see Terry or his wife working. I have never seen anyone else. They do not have employees to my knowledge. That is why they have cheaper prices on most bait. They don't need to make any money to pay employees. They simply sell bait and run their business to get by.

PL has employees who they need to pay. This is why you see a little bit higher price. I bet they are/were still cheaper than GM, and not much more expensive than the sports stop.

In my honest opinion, I've gone to them all, shakopee, prior lake, the GM's... I don't buy bait often but I like to change it up when I do. I prefer to go to the bait shops over the GM's to support a local business. Id rather pay a little more, and have better quality bait that is tended too daily, then go to a GM that has dead minnows floating around all the time.

I also like knowing that the person at the bait shop handling the bait knows what they are doing. Too many times I have had a guy at GM drop a sucker on the floor when trying to get it in the bag. They then still put it in the bag seal it up and then by the time I get to the front of the store its already belly up. Cut bait then

[rushing]

You can either spend time or money on bait.

If ya choose to be lazy then ya should be thankful you have somewhere to buy bait. Not many places sell cat bait and if they do they sure aren't making much money off of it.

[Quetico]

Gander was always horrible for bait.

That GM store is nasty mess. They keep changing it around. It started out with a pool for testing kayaks and canoes. They refused to hire <censored> to help customers with that.

Their bait shop was always difficult expensive and their minnows never lasted long. Why put in a seperate bait shop door that was always locked?

They carried scuba gear for a while there. They Stihl yanked their dealership license.

Now take out the bait shop for a gun range? Ah another <censored>?

[Quetico]

Go to the Clark gas station just west of Cedar Ave and Old Shakopee Road in Bloomington. Great people, great prices and they always had a far better selection then Gander anyway.

They guys in there said they bought a lot of stuff from Moore's Bait when they went under.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

Buddy was talking with some of the gander guys and it looks like they r looking into buying the old Sinclair off of 35 and 50 and turning it into a bait shop. Better pricing and more selection!

[Quetico]

That Sinclair used to be an amazing bait shop. We'd go in there all the time when I was in junior high. The old guy in there was always really good to us.

I would welcome it becoming a new bait shop. A bait shop where u dont have to walk thru a massive retail store just to get some minnows.

[nsnutter]

Nick I will agree with you - I like to catch my own bait, but in a pinch, store bought bait will suffice. I have had adequate results with GM, most of the time I get more than I ask/pay for ... it helps to be friendly and chat up the attendant. I have also have had positive experiences in Shakopee - Terry is a pretty good guy!

[pureinsanity]

Terry is a great guy, He's been a family friend of my fathers, has been a supporter of the local PF Chapter as well. When you talk to him or first seem him he just rubs people the wrong way. But all in all when you get to know him hes a great guy. His wife is a sweetheart too!

[Ed Carlson]

Buddy was talking with some of the gander guys and it looks like they r looking into buying the old Sinclair off of 35 and 50 and turning it into a bait shop. Better pricing and more selection!

That would surprise me greatly.

Since Gander also owns the Holiday Gas Station chain, it's feasible they might do a Holiday station that may also deal bait...but not just a bait store.

A baitshop alone at a location away from the main retail store would be a unique retail sales model for Gander. I'm not seeing anything like that model likely happening at this time.

[pureinsanity]

It wouldn't surprise me if they do. The beauty of companies is no one knows what happens until its said and done.

Yah I don't think they will do it...

Revenue $1.06 billion (2008)

Net income -$15.4 million (2008)

I heard they were doing bad. Didn't realize it was that bad, and that was in 2008, hate to see the numbers for 2010...

[Quetico]

It doesn't surprise me that Gander isn't doing well. Like I pointed out earlier they have made some... shell we say business follies. What the heck does scuba have to do with Hunt Fish Camp? Does Stihl fit into Hunt Fish Camp?

Then building stores around certain features only to remove them. In order to do being forced to do a massive remodel on building that's fairly new.

Yeah sounds like a wasted pile of cash to me.

They are starting to act like another outdoor retail chain I used to work for before that chain took a nose dive. That chain went out of business like 10 years ago.

They should have kept the bait shop over some of the other follies they have committed.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

Ed they were talking about opening up a ma and pa bait shop nothing affiliated with gander as far as I heard. Interesting to know that gander is holiday though.