| My time managing retail is here and gone. I've dedicated my life to my guiding and my TV show. I don't have an answer for you Dominic, I don't know what your tackle box looks like and fully support anglers and their individuality. Perhaps it's just me, but most everything I have in my tackle box has come from Gander Mtn and I've always felt better equipped because of the expertise the company has employed over the years (i.e. Jeff Tague, Chris Gilman, Tom Keenan, Jason Przekurat, Phil Schweik, Josh Bovorsky, etc.) There is no doubt, my career has become a career largely in part because of the company.
As far as why you shop Fleet Farm? Square footage. That store is the size of a small country. The scenario is quite the opposite in Wausau, huge Gander, small Fleet Farm. It is a area by area issue.
I know when I worked at Gander Mtn in Appleton, I had an awesome team in the Fishing Dept. My employees genuinely cared about helping people and were true fishermen. They owned boats, they fished hard. They truly lived the Outdoors Lifestyle and I was proud of them. Most of that crew is still there and they still find joy in helping people. The same is very true in the hunting side. There is a very admirable staff of gun gurus led by a great guy (Marc) with a ton of hunting knowledge.
If these things are not enough to earn patronage then here is my email ([email protected]). If you need something from a Gander Mtn in Appleton or Green Bay, I will personally make it my responsibility to help you from my home. I still work at the Wausau store and will likely always will. If you have a general product need, something you would like to see in the store or just need someone to bitch at, I'm here for you. However, I nor anyone at any store regardless of name, can go the extra mile if you don't let us know.
In my opinion, all of these stores are awesome. They provide us with the tools to enhance our passion, our time outdoors. Each have items and characteristics that are admirable, but the most important thing is that the industry in whole continues to grow, to have anglers take the responsibility to introduce young people to the outdoors to make sure that there are waters to fish, fish to catch and retail store to supply the tools to do so. Hey, as a whole, there must be something special about this sport and it's retailers, you don't see shop-o-holics with JCPenny and Macy's stickers on their cars!
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