After nearly 30 years of working in a factory, Doug Bender, of Lancaster, Wis., was ready for something different.
When a hunting and fishing supply store in Lancaster came up for sale two years ago, Bender and his now-fiancée, Stacy Allbee, decided to take the leap and open their own store, Bender Outdoors.
“He just took a little time to himself, and I was kind of doing the same, and this place came available,” Allbee said. “We kind of just jumped on that.”
Another factor was the couple’s personal love for outdoor activities. For Allbee, being outdoors is a meditative experience.
“For me, it’s really peaceful, being outdoors, and (hearing) all the animals, it’s just so relaxing,” she said. “Your awareness becomes so much higher, like just listening to everything, the trains (going) by, the birds chirping, the fish jumping. It’s a connection.”
That personal connection to the outdoors is a common thread among many in the fishing industry, several of whom said they went into the business because of previous experiences in nature. Stores like the one operated by the Benders are typically in high demand during the summer months, though rainy weather this year has somewhat dampened summer fishing enthusiasm in the tri-state area.
Mike Shields, who manages Great River Sportsman in Cassville, Wis., said due to the recent flood-induced closure of the Mississippi River, fewer people are fishing and therefore fewer are purchasing fishing gear.
“This year has been very challenging,” he said. “We haven’t even been able to use the boat dock … the river has basically been closed. You can’t even hardly get on, and it would be dangerous to do so.”
But in other ways, recent wet weather has provided an opportunity for Great River Sportsman, which provides locals and tourists alike with information about fishing conditions and recommendations on how to catch fish.
“We actually have a kind of weekly fishing report posted on the counter,” he said. “Folks come in, not necessarily all tourists, but you know, they’re curious what to use (for catching fish), what’s going on, what’s working. And it’s nice to be able to help them out.”
Interest in recreational fishing has grown over the years and contributes roughly $51 billion in retail sales to the U.S. economy, according to a 2021 report by American Sportfishing Association. Owners of tri-state area bait and tackle shops say overall interest in the sport spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic as people were looking for ways to spend more time outdoors.
The report estimates more than 50 million U.S. anglers wet a line in 2021.
That was a positive development for local business owners, but for many of them, selling bait, tackle and fishing poles is more than a money-making endeavor. It’s a family tradition.
Mark Mihalakis, the owner of Cat Tracker, a Dubuque company that produces catfish bait, said his family has been in the local fishing industry for generations.
“We’ve always been a family that did a lot of fishing, the Mihalakises, and have been known in the fishing industry,” he said. “We got on to some catfish bait made by another company some 30 years ago, and we thought we could make it better.”
Now, Cat Tracker produces a number of items aimed at hooking catfish that can be found online and in local stores like Theisen’s Home Farm Auto in Dubuque.
Those online sales — and the conveniences that come with them — have contributed to the industry’s rise in popularity. But, they have also impacted local brick-and-mortar shops.
Though Bender and Allbee’s store in Lancaster has only been open for a few years, they have noticed more people buying fishing gear online. Bender said he doesn’t pass judgment on people who buy online, but he stressed the importance of folks supporting local outdoor shops.
“Support your local business, whether it’s me, (Great River) Sportsman Shop in Cassville … (or) wherever,” he said. “Because without that local business, it’s hard to do what you want to do.
“If you didn’t have a grocery store and you had to buy all your food online, how would that be?” he added. “It would suck, right?”
Allbee added shopping locally and in person allows buyers to obtain more information about a product before purchasing it.
“It’s nice to be able to help (customers) out and hopefully get them excited about it, catching some fish, bringing their kids, stuff like that,” Shields added. “That’s part of it. That makes it a lot of fun, and they’re not gonna get that online.”
All local shopkeepers said they ultimately stay in the fishing business for the same reason: the people.
“When I see those kids come through the door … just tickled pink, ready to go, that’s what I enjoy the most,” Bender said. “… I enjoy the kids coming through, just watching the smile on their faces.”