Cabelas Hoffman Estates

[Mark K]

Figured I might pick up some of those nifty EWG tube hooks and try that truly cool rigging technique someone posted about. and where better to find such an oddball item? The Cabelas of course! Not.

 

This is a quick synopsis of my exerience. You pull of the expressway into this giant shopping mall/industrial sort of park. The have a little nature trail going thru a field. Thought it was cool at the time, but upon furthur thought a real wetland or natural area probably dissapppeared in the process and most likeley someone just forced them to build it.

 

Huge building. Was assaulted three times by stupid promotions before I walked in the door, Exuse me sir....I just smiled but was thinking, Ahh, a telemarketer in person. Stayed polite, but was thinking "get !@#$%^".

Interior similar to Bass Pro Bolingbrook, except better lighting. You can leave your headlamp at home. Similar design fishtank housing gamefish, stuffed animals everywhere.

 

Way more clothing than actual outdoor gear. Nice stuff too, unless you have any sense of style. Totally non-functional outdoorsy looking clothing, I suspose intended for yuppies to transform into psuedo rednecks on their way to wisconsin. Yeah they have some good stuff too but there is way more cheap cotton crap that will last less than year. No better than Walmart. I suppose the idea is to keep your old lady busy while you wade thru all the fishing crap. scary though she may spend more $$ than you.

 

I always thought the help at Bass Pro was pretty good. Hell, I used to just drive up to Gurnee to BS with Will V.

 

Not going to sink to insulting the help there, I'm sure they have good people but this was my experience: Looking for the jigs mentioned earlier. Th first guy I asked was totally clueless. He did however steer me to a young lady who knew what i was talking about. She told be they did not have them, but to check back.

In fact they had a pretty weak supply of jigs altogether.

 

Okay, I have to mention the "country music". Bad country music. Furthur evidence that they have unleashed a plot to retard your sense of taste. When you are irritated there is nothing wosre than modern pop country music.

At least at Galyans they mix crap with some good stuff. Once I even heard Robin Trower.

 

I was looking at some fly vests. I want one with a waterproof cell phone pocket so I don't have to buy a third Razor. A kid approached me and i asked if the Simms had one hidden. He looked puzzled and asked "Simmon's?" He tried to be helpful but basically did the samething I did, look thru all the pockets.

 

Lastly, on my way out I spotted some Charlie Brewer Walleye Grubs. A truly fine bait that you rarely see anywhere. Now I just need some slider heads. ha! (I know Jonn, my bad for not having them in inventory :-) ) At least the guy was honest when he admitted that he had no clue of what I was talking about.

 

No one was rude, in fact they were very nice tried to be helpful, I just got the feeling they stold all of Home Depots' employees. No substitute for knowledge.

 

Put the grubs down. Drove home.

 

Bottom line. Erase the image of these megastores having everthing imaginable. They don't. Buy your clothes there, especially if you think Elmer Fudd looks cool. God forbid you plan on stocking up on the way up north.

 

I miss Ed Shirleys.

[Jim Kast]

Thanks for the report, Mark. Not that I don't trust you, but I have to experience this for myself!

 

[Gregg S]

Nice report.

I was there for the pre grand opening, catalog customers only, sort of thing.

I asked the guys where to find Charlie Brewer jigs or similar. They did not know what I was talking about.

They had offered me $15 free on that day so I tried to find something. Tried to find nylon/quick dry pants. No luck.

So I spent my $15 gift card on a rod I didn't need.

It is just a store.

I left feeling a little pissed and dissapointed.

Go to GAT guns. Find what you need.

Gregg

[Bterrill]

Never been, I can't help but notice it's a new store. Give them a chance. Most sport fisherman make good livings that will disqualify them working the floor at Cabela's. So you are probably left with college students and second jobbers. Showing up for work clean and having a pulse gets one hired.

 

You need not be a fishing guide to stock the shelves.

[BrianA]

Mark......Thanks for the laughs - turning yuppies into psuedo rednecks I'm still laughing.

 

I had a similar experience w/ Bass Pro in Bolingbrook with finding things I knew the catalog has. Now I've been there

enough, I don't really ask for much help. I also got the "check back with us".

 

And if that guy near the waterfall/fishing walk-thru asks me about another time share I'll get 5 minutes for fighting and

a game misconduct penalty. I think I can take this guy!

 

I do however need to experience Cabela's for myself and get this, my wife already likes the clothing! I'm in, now how do I hide

a pair of reels under those close & check out w/out getting caught. Now that' a technique worth trying.

 

I need the overhead rod holder for my new/used van that retails for $19.99 and I'm looking to add panfish reels & 1 inexpensive

baitcaster........

Cabelas Fish Eagle Caster(Daiwa in disguise) Cardinal 100 or 300, decisions,decisions.

[Nickk]

If you happen to go again try to find a guy named Brian, he's very knowledgable in bass fishing though wade/river fishing isn't his forte. He's knows his stuff though.

[jamie]

Gotta support the local shops. They might be a little more expensive but the Big Box fishing stores are lacking in 1) knowledge and 2) what we use.

If they were trolling the local websites they'd stock what we use. How many times do we have to go into these stores and ask for Charlie Brewer Slider Head Jigs, Tals packs, Exude Hellgies. Salmo Bullheads. Lunker City Salad Spoons. Swimmin' Charlies. Storm Subwarts. Go in the Big Box stores and asking for that stuff is like Ben Stein asking "Buehler?.....Buehler?....Buehler?......"

Kolar B&T has the stuff. GAT has 'em. Waterwerks II has 'em. Plus they have everyting else all of us use. I wasted gallons of gas going to the Bass Pro Cave in Bolingbrook and walked out empty handed. They had nothing and knew less. Meanwhile I've made a call to Ken at GAT, Walt at Waterwerks II and Rob at Kolar and had stuff waiting for me when I got there....and if they didn't have it they ordered it.

Donations are great. But unless they're donating some Charlie Brewer jigs....oh wait. Nevermind. They don't have those.

[Jim J]

Jamie,

 

All good stores and add Strictly Fishing to that mix.

[Mark K]

Jamie,

 

All good stores and add Strictly Fishing to that mix.

 

and One More Cast. Stopped in there on saturday, what contrast to my other experience.

[Jim J]

Oh yea, I almost forgot the "fly boys"

 

Great shop also.

 

I guess we just have a plethora, surplus, glut, and surfeit of excellent shops in and around the greater Chicagoland area.

[Scott Ferguson]

I've been to Cabela's stores around the country and they are as nice and big as any other store you could find. The thing that most people assume when they hear Cabela's (or Bass Pro) is coming is that the store will carry everything you find in the catalogs or online. As you have seen, it ain't so.

Just a couple of years ago, we had no big outdoor stores now (including Northwest Indiana), there will be 3 Bass Pros, 2 Cabela's and about 5 Gander Mountains. None of them carry all of the things I'm looking for but I can get a lot more locally than I ever could before.

[Mark K]

and One More Cast. Stopped in there on saturday, what contrast to my other experience.

 

except for the owner being a Cub fan and vocal about it. Other than that it was a great experience.

[Steve S.]

except for the owner being a Cub fan and vocal about it. Other than that it was a great experience.

 

HA!

 

I'm Southside, but have always been a Cub's fan first. I can't imagine the Sox being any worse than this year. Next year should be better. Go Blackhawks!

 

My weighted EWG's just arrived today from an online vendor - one business day too late! Backordered; R.B.! The weighted EWG are hard to find. BP has them in their catalog and it seemed like a no brainer item for in-store stock, (at least to me) but no such luck. Maybe they base their in-store stock on sales or ordering history, I don't know. All I can say is I have no interest in the majority of their stock items. Lately, I have been carrying less and less, so its easy to walk by the aisles of "bling". Anyway, I left for my weekend "outing" with only (4) in hand and lost (2) very quickly to the toothy critters that get active in the Fall. That put me in quite a panic, but imagine my surprise when I was able to find them in a dink "Mom & Pop" shop, somewhere north of the border.

 

The superstores are nice, but sometimes they lack that instant gratification factor I seem to need.

[Guest One More Cast]

except for the owner being a Cub fan and vocal about it. Other than that it was a great experience.

 

 

Wait a minute.

 

1) You drag your kid into my shop.

 

2) He's wearing a Bass Pro Shop hat.

 

3) He tells me he's not a Cubs fan.

 

4) Begrudgingly, your kid tells me he might root for my Cubs during the playoffs, but he shoots you a wink that tells me he won't.

 

....and you want service??!!????

 

Joseph

 

 

 

.....and he is a cute little kid

[Jim J]

Yea, and those damn kids put their hands all over everything!

 

Including the windows.

 

Pass the Windex

[Mark K]

Yea, and those damn kids put their hands all over everything!

 

Including the windows.

 

Pass the Windex

 

HANG ON THERE DAD...

That ain't just any kid. That kid will grab onto the first thing that makes a move under a fifty pound rock that I flip. He'll rewrite your sally-boy man laws.

 

For the record- I was just kidding...GO CUBS!

[Jim J]

HA

[jamie]

Oh...don't even get me started on a Cubs rant.

Joz...should I copy and paste?

You make that call.

[Guest One More Cast]

For the record- I was just kidding...GO CUBS!

 

No worries.

 

Tell his Mamma the little guy's gonna have to stay up late tonight to watch the Cubs.

 

Joseph

[Mark K]

No worries.

 

Tell his Mamma the little guy's gonna have to stay up late tonight to watch the Cubs.

 

Joseph

 

 

Mamma is a rabid White Sox fan and does not aknowledge the Cubs. She's not even keeled...like me.

[Guest One More Cast]

Drop him off at my house, the game starts right after 9 p.m.

 

It'll give me the chance to give that child proper parenting; such as which baseball team to root for, chosing the proper headwear, chasing off Terriers and casting an 8 weight.

 

 

Joseph

[Jim Bubis]

Check out Angler' International Resources at 1272 Dundee Rd in Palatine (the old Ed Shirley store but by no means Ed Shirley). I think you'll br pleased.

[ronk]

I've been to Cabela's stores around the country and they are as nice and big as any other store you could find. The thing that most people assume when they hear Cabela's (or Bass Pro) is coming is that the store will carry everything you find in the catalogs or online. As you have seen, it ain't so.

Just a couple of years ago, we had no big outdoor stores now (including Northwest Indiana), there will be 3 Bass Pros, 2 Cabela's and about 5 Gander Mountains. None of them carry all of the things I'm looking for but I can get a lot more locally than I ever could before.

Whatever the local Cabelas doesn't carry can be ordered thru the catalog and shipped to them where you can pick it up without paying a shipping charge

[gordon p]

Figured I might pick up some of those nifty EWG tube hooks and try that truly cool rigging technique someone posted about. and where better to find such an oddball item? The Cabelas of course! Not.

 

This is a quick synopsis of my exerience. You pull of the expressway into this giant shopping mall/industrial sort of park. The have a little nature trail going thru a field. Thought it was cool at the time, but upon furthur thought a real wetland or natural area probably dissapppeared in the process and most likeley someone just forced them to build it.

 

Huge building. Was assaulted three times by stupid promotions before I walked in the door, Exuse me sir....I just smiled but was thinking, Ahh, a telemarketer in person. Stayed polite, but was thinking "get !@#$%^".

Interior similar to Bass Pro Bolingbrook, except better lighting. You can leave your headlamp at home. Similar design fishtank housing gamefish, stuffed animals everywhere.

 

Way more clothing than actual outdoor gear. Nice stuff too, unless you have any sense of style. Totally non-functional outdoorsy looking clothing, I suspose intended for yuppies to transform into psuedo rednecks on their way to wisconsin. Yeah they have some good stuff too but there is way more cheap cotton crap that will last less than year. No better than Walmart. I suppose the idea is to keep your old lady busy while you wade thru all the fishing crap. scary though she may spend more $$ than you.

 

I always thought the help at Bass Pro was pretty good. Hell, I used to just drive up to Gurnee to BS with Will V.

 

Not going to sink to insulting the help there, I'm sure they have good people but this was my experience: Looking for the jigs mentioned earlier. Th first guy I asked was totally clueless. He did however steer me to a young lady who knew what i was talking about. She told be they did not have them, but to check back.

In fact they had a pretty weak supply of jigs altogether.

 

Okay, I have to mention the "country music". Bad country music. Furthur evidence that they have unleashed a plot to retard your sense of taste. When you are irritated there is nothing wosre than modern pop country music.

At least at Galyans they mix crap with some good stuff. Once I even heard Robin Trower.

 

I was looking at some fly vests. I want one with a waterproof cell phone pocket so I don't have to buy a third Razor. A kid approached me and i asked if the Simms had one hidden. He looked puzzled and asked "Simmon's?" He tried to be helpful but basically did the samething I did, look thru all the pockets.

 

Lastly, on my way out I spotted some Charlie Brewer Walleye Grubs. A truly fine bait that you rarely see anywhere. Now I just need some slider heads. ha! (I know Jonn, my bad for not having them in inventory :-) ) At least the guy was honest when he admitted that he had no clue of what I was talking about.

 

No one was rude, in fact they were very nice tried to be helpful, I just got the feeling they stold all of Home Depots' employees. No substitute for knowledge.

 

Put the grubs down. Drove home.

 

Bottom line. Erase the image of these megastores having everthing imaginable. They don't. Buy your clothes there, especially if you think Elmer Fudd looks cool. God forbid you plan on stocking up on the way up north.

 

I miss Ed Shirleys.

I agree completely.............!!!!!!!!!!!!!