Fish-Hawk.Net

I arrived just after 10:30 on Wed morning. Paved parking lot was full. Store was fairly crowded - not much room with folks pushing shopping carts around. I checked a few items for pricing and was not impressed. The first two store representatives I asked about Cabela's Guidewear didn't know what I was talking about. Sure glad I wasn't buying anything - the check out lineup was extremely long. I'll probably visit the place again in a few months after they get the kinks worked out.

plowjock wrote:Was in the store tuesday afternoon. NOT IMPRESSED. Staff not very knowledgeable in fishing dept. Fishing dept. very poorly laid out. Theft was rampant.
Very narrow aisles for these huge grocery shopping carts. As I told the cashier, I've made my 2 trips to Cabelas, my first and my Last. Heard of many problems in gun shop area, crowds, poor service, stock not in. While waiting noticed 3 UPS trucks making deliveries, kinda figure you'd have all your stock in by now.
Cabelas flag would not stay up at top of flag pole, noticed it slowly fell down the pole 2 times just prior to opening at 3:00pm
Don't think any of the other tackle shops have much to worry about, this will be first box store fishing shop to go under.

Hooooly Brian. Eat a Snickers would ya?

The second largest outdoors retailer in the world arrives in town and you're already saying they're going to close...

Theft was rampant? hope ya said something!

I was there last night. Beautiful store, very hunting centric but I expected that as that is their bread and butter. The fishing department was well stocked with the main stuff that the casual angler needs and then some. Great Muskie selection for sure, tons of Walleye stuff too.

Cabela's isn't going to become many folks new "tackle shop" and take em away from any of the smaller shops in the area, those shops survive on service and do it well. What Cabela's is going to do is create a place for folks who are fairly new to fishing a great spot to shop to get them going into the sport. They'll find the other shops as they get more and more into it. I personally see it as a huge win for the area, anything that gets more people fishing/hunting is a GREAT thing.

I'm not sure what folks really expect? Senkos for 5 bucks? Megabass Jerkbaits for 10 bucks? A foot massage at the door?

RJ

RJ wrote:
I'm not sure what folks really expect? Senkos for 5 bucks? Megabass Jerkbaits for 10 bucks? A foot massage at the door?

RJ

I can't wait to get there. I 100% agree with RJ, I live in Stittsville and have burned more than a few bucks in fuel to go to the train yards. What they don't have in the store you can order on line and have delivered there for free. I think its fantastic. Did you say great Walleye selection???

GEEZUS People, it's a store!!!!!!

What do you expect????
Enter the door, the skies are gonna part, they pull you around the store
in a gold-plated Triton while Ashley Rae and Darcie Arahill (Darcizzle )
fan you with palm fronds while Marika Izumi feeds you grapes???!!??!!

No better or worse than any big box retail outlet, outdoors related or otherwise.

Certainly nice to get something in the west end, I for one will patronize it, and will more than
likely be disappointed from time to time, as well as pleasantly surprised at other times.
Never gonna go in with outrageous expectations, would definitely be disappointed with that outlook!!!!!

I haven't gone yet, but I certainly will given that I live in the west end.

As for many of the complaints, it's a massive store that has been open 1 day. I'm not expecting a well oiled machine, LOL. It's going to take a few months for things to smoothen out and and even then, it's a big box store. You can pretty much bank on the service being similar to what you get from other big box stores.

If you want a high end stereo, you don't shop at Best Buy. If you want a pair of hand made shoes, you don't visit The Bay. If you need someone to explain the differences in actions and graphite compositions when comparing rods, Cabelas might not be your best choice.

I had such high hopes and figured surely it couldn't be as bad as people say...

Wow, I really hope they get the staff some training.

I went in with a shopping list that had almost a thousand dollars worth of stuff to *possibly* get...

Gilleaf pants and jacket - What's that? was the response, I don't think we carry that (it's actually a Cabela's branded product).

I held up a floating goose decoy "I want to buy three boxes of these" - we don't know where the box is. Sorry.

In the end I walked out with NOTHING!!!

I really do look forward to going back in a few weeks once the staff starts to figure out where everything is, but WOW, what a horrible first impression.

THAT SAID - I am REALLY happy they are here. The fly fishing section is good, lots of lures and tackle and lots of fun stuff too. So it is a very good store to have here. Just frustrated when I really wanted to buy a bunch of stuff and use that 20% off... and couldn't.

I was there Monday. Nice store, lots of cool stuff but for the most part a bit over priced. Tryed to get a price on a shotgun which took close to 45 minutes for the guys behind the counter to figure it out and tell me they don't stock it.

I'm in no rush to go back.

For fishing ill stick to my friend in Winchester and firearms a local merchant.

Mind you I very seldom go to Sail or LB either unless I'm in town for something else.

I think they will do just fine and the online shopping will probably do quite well.

Foot Massage....
i'm in

I think a lot of guys have been to bass pro and based cabelas on that when they are geared differently in my eyes, Bass Pro is the meca of out door stores and cabelas to me is a oversized hunting store with a few extras. I haven't been to the store yet because...... its about an hours drive to Kanata but ill make the trip sunday

RJ

Where in the store do you get the foot massages? and are they done by registered foot massage therapists? I don't want n o back street massage. You never know where those hands have been.

I might head there tonight, but a buddy in Kanata says the parking lot is already a zoo and it's not even open yet....

I read on another forum that the Toronto LeBaron's is closing, liquidating as early as next week. If the main store that's been there since the 60's closes what's that mean for the Ottawa store?

Anyone else heard this?

All LeBaron stores are closing. Liquidation starts Monday. From what I've heard through reps, bankruptcy papers have been filed.

Ed

I went yesterday.
It's a nice store, but still a store. Regular prices are in-line with most outdoors stores in Canada - that is to say, sky-high above American prices.
I did purchase a Cabelas brand Gore-Tex rain jacket for $160, reg $200, due to yesterdays' "20% off all Cabela's branded merchandise". It was a great deal, and, comes in TALL sizes which I desperately need.
Fishing selection was ok, not fantastic, but I, too, think this is a "time of year" thing.

I hope the rumour about this being all the stock they have until spring isn't true, as many pegs were nearly empty (Jackall Crosstail shad, for example, had only a dozen packs left).

The wildlife displays were fantastic and museum-quality. The kids will love that when I bring them.

Staff were VERY knowledgeable, and I noticed many, many staff members were brought in from other Cabelas Canada stores, to pair-up with new/Ottawa staff. This was efficient and I asked where about 5 different things were, and was brought directly to each one, each time. One woman even mentioned that the flyer coming out tomorrow would have certain products I was interested in, on sale. Nice!

curls wrote:
Staff were VERY knowledgeable, and I noticed many, many staff members were brought in from other Cabelas Canada stores, to pair-up with new/Ottawa staff. This was efficient and I asked where about 5 different things were, and was brought directly to each one, each time. One woman even mentioned that the flyer coming out tomorrow would have certain products I was interested in, on sale. Nice!

That is also what I've been told at work from coworkers, that staff had been brought over from other stores, including state side.