Minnows are the best for catching them, IMO.
Posted on 02/25/2006 10:45:53 AM PST by Sybeck1
Bass Pro Shops megastore at The Pyramid could include an indoor hotel, a marina with on-the-water boat testing and an inclinator ride to the top of the building, according to conceptual drawings unveiled Friday. A 2008 opening is envisioned.
Advertisement Also, officials of the Springfield, Mo.-based outdoors retailer are talking with local proponents of an indoor theme park. "We will certainly entertain their concept," Jim Hagale, Bass Pro president, said after a Pyramid press conference attended by city and county leaders. "We're going to be very thoughtful about what goes in here. We want to make sure it's the right synergy."
The store, which would be among Bass Pro's largest, also could include multiple restaurants, an aquarium, mountain and waterfall, other water features, including a cypress swamp, and a giant scoreboard with video screen.
"I'm very optimistic at this point of working with Bass Pro," said theme park front man Greg Ericson, a local marketing executive who attended the press conference and private luncheon afterward, talking for several minutes with Hagale.
Ericson said plans for "Pyramid Park Memphis" would have to be modified, based on Bass Pro's conceptual drawings, but, "We're definitely interested in moving forward."
The Bass Pro project isn't guaranteed, despite a company press release headlined "Bass Pro Shops Coming to the Memphis Pyramid."
The company must perform due diligence on a facility built for basketball, concerts and other arena events. It's estimated the company will spend $75 million for redevelopment, and that figure could climb.
Also, Bass Pro's letter of intent with the city and county is nonbinding.
But if the plan becomes reality, it could give Memphis a major economic and tourism boost: Bass Pro's flagship store in Springfield draws 4 million visitors annually.
"Bass Pro is really a combination of many elements -- a tourist attraction, an amusement park, an aquarium, a cultural museum, a national history museum, a nature conservancy, a zoo and, finally, a very fine shopping experience," said Scott Ledbetter, chairman of the public-private committee that pursued Bass Pro.
After months of negotiation, the company recently signed the nonbinding letter of intent with the city and county. That's a precursor to a more binding development agreement.
Terms call for Bass Pro to receive $30 million in federal incentives, based on the company spending $75 million to redevelop the arena.
Bass Pro would pay a minimum of $1 million annually in rent or taxes.
Asked if anything could derail the project, Hagale said, "There are no guarantees of anything. I suppose something could happen. But frankly, I'm not aware of anything that would be a risk."
He downplayed similarities to a Buffalo, N.Y., project, in which Bass Pro is converting the city's old Memorial Auditorium and adding a hotel.
That project was announced in November 2004, but a formal contract has yet to be signed.
"That structure is pre-World War II," Hagale said of the Buffalo arena. "It's been vacant for 10 years. It's not the same type of structure with modern amenities, like The Pyramid."
Also, he said, Memphis' Downtown development is "further along on the curve" than Buffalo's.
Robert Lipscomb, chief financial officer for the city of Memphis, agreed. He also suggested Bass Pro would be motivated to move quickly for purely business reasons.
"This," Lipscomb said of Memphis and the Mid-South, "is their audience."
-- David Williams: 529-2310
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BASS PRO TIMELINE
Feb. 15: City unveils nonbinding letter of intent with Bass Pro
About April 1: target for signing a more formal development agreement
About July 1: target for Bass Pro taking possession of the building
2008: tentative opening
Bass Pro Shops had better take a close look at the demographics of the local area. I don't care how pretty or nice the place looks, if it is located in the middle of a cesspool, no one with any brains will go to it. The first time someone goes there and gets car jacked, robbed or their car stolen, it will taint them from ever repeating the mistake. Sportsmen are usually from the surrounding area and they aren't ignorant as to the dangers of entering Memphis.
Just don't let them put those tacky stuffed animals in the store. I don't go to Bass Pro, one because they're priced too high and two I hate shopping under the glassy stare of those stupid animals.
Check out this video. I think all fishermen can relate :)
This guy cracks me up. I have lots of stories about my own personal fishing bloopers, it's what makes fishing so unpredictable and fun.
LOL - Bill broke both rods. I've only done 1 rod at a time, lots of times.
Have you ever fished with an ultra-light rod for pan fish. It's lots of fun.
Bluegill, but mostly native trout on small streams.
If you hook a crappie with one of those, that's fun!
L
My EH called me "The Crappie Queen", because I always reeled in alot of crappies.
Dem are good eatin too--out of the water, scale 'em, filet 'em and fry 'em up! Mmmm. I'm making myself hungry. :)
Minnows are the best for catching them, IMO.
The French call them Sac Au Lait which translates to 'sack of milk' because of their sweet flavor.
Bar none they're my favorite eating fish.
I always thought the best fighting fish in the world would be a 5 pound bluegill. They're actually related to the pirhana which is being discussed on another thread.
L
Lol. That's pretty lame!
I'm not sure what Wisconsin's state fish is. I think I'll look that up now. It's probably the northern or muskie.
Can you please link me to that thread? Thanks.
It has its good points :)
Wisconsin's State Fish
I had a feeling it was the muskie.
I'd love to land one of these pigs. I'd need a guide though because I don't know the first thing about muskie fishing. I've been northern fishing so I'm sure it's similar.
There's a pretty famous musky lake not far from here. It's called Shabbona Lake and the Il State Record Musky came out of there. As a matter of fact that lake has produced 4 record fish.
L
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