For those that know me, the last thing you’d probably hear me say is “let’s go to Bass Pro Shop.” I do like to fish but don’t have a permit, it’s been years since I’ve even had one I don’t hunt and I’m not a gun totter. But when two different people tell you that you have to go to Bass Pro, I listen.

This past week I was in Springfield, Missouri, the home of Bass Pro. I was told it was big, but I was not prepared for how big. I’ve been to the locations in Reno and Dallas and that one is BIG, but Springfield, is HUGE. Let me just say that I was blown away at its sheer size, I’ll guess that five or six “normal” ones could fit under this roof and there would still be space.

 

 

 

Frankly each section of the store seemed like their own store. Plus all the fish tanks, taxidermy and stuff. Most stores have one big tank with a plethora of fish, this one had at least six, and in most cases they each had a theme, from Gar to turtles to steelhead and even alligators. Yes alligators. There were even ducks, and they were not caged in.

I called a friend of mine from the gun section, because I knew he would be in awe, since it was three stories tall and had handguns, pistols and rifles of all sizes. I know zero about guns, but I knew he  would be impressed, and I just had to share with someone. As he put it, as soon as you leave California, you see how much money there is in hunting and guns. No I can’t relate, but it was impressive.

Besides all the hunting paraphernalia, they also had an indoor boating center, camping, golf, fishing and just about any outdoor accessory you’d never thought existed. I can tell you I was there for an hour and I know I didn’t even walk through half the store, crazy.