My youngest son's birthday is Monday. He wants a bait casting reel and rod. My original plan was to buy it from my son's favorite store, Fishin' Frank's, which just reopened last week after the original store burned to the ground when a drunk driver landed his pickup truck on top of the building on March 24, 2020. True story. As of Thursday, just before I left to drive up to Michigan, they don't have any reels yet.

I'm in Lima, OH for the night and will be driving the rest of the way to our house in Michigan tomorrow. I'll taking US 23 to I-75 to the Indian River exit. My question is: Is there a good place to buy a bait caster on the way? The obvious answer is Cabela's in Dundee, but they don't open until 10:00am and I'll be an hour and a half past there. Jay's Sporting Goods in Gaylord is on the way as well, but I've never been there. Does anybody know if their fishing department is any good? Any other stores I should consider?

Bass Pro Shop in Auburn Hills.

There is a small Cabelas in Saginaw.

Only been to jay’s once and I’m sorry I was looking for rimfires not reels. Sure seemed like a full lineup of outdoor stuff though. Could also try this place nearby?? Opens at 7:00 Sunday while jays opens at noon. Good luck buddy.

Schafer's Bait & Sporting Gds
4.6
(45)
Sporting goods store · Weidman, MI

Closed ⋅ Opens 7AM Sun

Cabela's in Saginaw looks good.

Looks like the shortest way to Bass Pro Shop is I-75 through Detroit. I only brought my Mossberg 590A-1, S&W 686 2 1/2" barrel, P228 (thanks again Q), Walther PPS, and a few hundred rounds for each.

I hear there is construction on I-75 north of Detroit but don't have a clue to how much.

Jay's is massive. I've never looked at their fishing gear (I don't fish), but I cannot imagine you wouldn't be able to find something to suit your needs there.

Has fishing reels and anything else you might need. I mean anything...

https://northwoodsoutlet.com/

Same area, but much more fishing focused.

https://www.franksgreatoutdoor...HQFGZLhoCHcwQAvD_BwE

Otherwise as you mentioned Jays in Gaylord or Cabela's in Saginaw should have plenty of options.

Northwoods, get a free life vest and paddle with every kayak purchase. Never been there, but I've seen their signs once or twice. There's a cheese shop in Pinconning as well, so I could kill two birds with one stone.

I'm looking at Cabela's website and none of the reels I'm considering are in stock in Dundee, Saginaw, or the Auburn Hills BPS. I think I'm going to be spending some time on the phone tomorrow.

Sportsman’s Warehouse in Troy and there’s another Cabelas in Chesterfield.

Some of you guys are listing store locations the OP won't be anywhere near. He's taking US23 north to the junction with I75 just south of Flint.

I'd say Jay's has some fishing gear: https://jayssportinggoods.com/...departments/fishing/

I would suggest that he go straight to Jay's. I-75 north of 8 mile is a complete cluster fuck. SOP for Michigan. Most weekends one or the other direction will be closed intermittently. That rules out both Sportsman's Warehouse and Bass Pro. Note, I won't purchase even bubble gum from Bass Pro, they completely and totally destroyed Cabela's and I will never forgive them for that.

Cabelas in Dundee is in sight of the exit off 23.

Didn't read the first post? Any help from the 1 in the morning folks is still appreciated. It's clearly visible if you are southbound. Northbound you can only barely see portions of the roof as that water park hotel blocks the view of the southeast face of the Cabela's building. I might have been by there a time or two.

Since Cabela's is showing out of stock for what I'm looking for, my plan is Frank's Great Outdoors, Northwoods, the Pinconning Cheese Shop for real string cheese, and then Jay's.

Thank you for the help, folks.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Didn't read the first post? Any help from the 1 in the morning folks is still appreciated. It's clearly visible if you are southbound. Northbound you can only barely see portions of the roof as that water park hotel blocks the view of the southeast face of the Cabela's building. I might have been by there a time or two.

Since Cabela's is showing out of stock for what I'm looking for, my plan is Frank's Great Outdoors, Northwoods, the Pinconning Cheese Shop for real string cheese, and then Jay's.

Thank you for the help, folks.

If you like pepper jack cheese Williams cheese company's (from Pinconning) is once of my favorites. Not the rubbery Kraft jack cheese. More of a crumbly slightly dry jack, with some real bite. Let it come to room temp in a cheese keeper and try not to eat the whole block as you'll regret it tomorrow.

I lived just outside of Alanson for 25 years. If I were you, I would buy from Pat & Gerry's right in Indian River on 27. Shop local to help keep that money there, it will pay you dividends. While there, pick up a membership to Indian River Sportsmen Club, a great little outdoor range.

Jay's in Gaylord is well stocked with fishing gear.

quote:

and the buy sharp, not extra sharp

Too late!

Find a rod and reel?

Sure did. Wound up getting a late start, so I got to Cabela’s in Dundee right when it opened. They had a Bass Pro Carbon Lite 2.0 combo on sale. We stopped at that Northwoods Wholesale as well later on. That place is a bit different. It kind of makes WalMart look upscale. He’s been practicing with it, but is still fishing his spinning gear:

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
We stopped at that Northwoods Wholesale as well later on. That place is a bit different. It kind of makes WalMart look upscale.

They don't call it Pintucky for nothing