From 11/23/00</font id=blue>
Many of my childhood memories of fishing include the preparation the night before the trip. I would tag along with my dad and his buddies to John’s Rod & Reel, which at that time was owned by John and was located in his garage at his house. There were always plenty of stories swapped and you could always find out where the fish were and what they were hitting. The actual purchase was secondary to the experience.
Today the options for how we buy our fishing supplies and tackle are endless. Large corporations like Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and the Sports Authority all carry fishing tackle. Every day there is a new catalog company popping up promising the best prices and best products. Then there’s the Internet, which allows consumers to buy products from just about anywhere in the world with the click of a button. You would think with all of these options the small local tackle retailer would be a thing of the past, but amazingly they are still here and in many cases thriving. While you may save a dollar or two ordering from catalogues and shopping large discount chains, there are still some great advantages to shopping at local tackle shops.
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Sandy Barton of Barton and Burwell Fishing Supplies in Charleston. I asked Sandy how they are able to survive in the face of such fierce competition and shrinking profit margins. The first words to come across his lips were “service and knowledge”. Sandy said, " the large corporations and catalog companies cannot provide the level of service and knowledgeable sales staff we provide. Particularly when it comes to knowing the needs of the local angler and being able to provide them with the right mix of product and knowledge of the local waters." The local shop goes far and above just selling you a product, we also have the ability to give you first hand knowledge of how to use the products and can share success other anglers have enjoyed with the products." Another point Sandy made was t