Bass Pro Shops makes redundancies to be ‘more efficient’

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Angling International

Bass Pro Shops has shed jobs at its headquarters and laid off an average of six employees at most of its nearly 90 retail stores.

The company’s Vice President, Paul Shore, last week told newspapers out west that the retailer, which has annual revenues of over $4.2 billion, was making the job cuts as part of an effort to be more efficient and had nothing to do with its financial situation.

It is estimated that more than 500 jobs will be cut – around 2% of Bass Pro’s 22,000 workforce. The retailer is continuing with its plans to open eight new stores this year, including five in Florida.

Among private companies in the US, Bass Pro Shops ranks number 100 according to Forbes and was also rated on another Forbes list as one of the best companies to work for.

More than one million visitors went through the turnstiles in just 70 days after the opening of the Bass Pro Shops Memphis Pyramid in April. On the first day alone, more than 35,000 came through the doors.

After lying empty for years, the pyramid-shaped former home of NBA side Memphis Grizzlies has been transformed into a new national destination attraction and boasts restaurants, retail, a hotel and attractions to appeal to outdoor enthusiasts.

“From the outset we envisioned Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid as a ‘must-see’ destination and the enthusiastic response confirms our customers agree,” said General Manager David Hagel.

The brainchild of Bass Pro Shops owner, Johnny Morris, the ambitious Memphis project is the single largest investment the company has made outside its headquarters in Springfield, Missouri.

New Sneak Peak from Shimano, Jackall, G Loomis & Power Pro

Shimano and Jackall will be revealing many new products at the 2014 Bass Master Classic in late February. Well, IBASSIN has a man on the inside, and we'll have the first word on these new products.

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Visit us later in the week or weekend. 

Is Pollution Killing Our Fish?

Susquehanna River bass show spike in melanosis

By Rick DandesThe Daily Item

SUNBURY — Recent sampling of adult smallmouth bass on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River has shown an high prevalence of melanosis, according to a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission biologist.

Is this a result of pollution?

“We noticed it in a few of our sampling locations,” Geoffrey Smith said. “We were out almost every night over the last two months and once we started to see (fish with melanosis), we saw it in almost every survey.”

Smith could not provide information on the cause of the melanosis, the abnormal or excessive production of melanin in the skin or other tissue.

Pathologists from the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who examined the fish tissues agreed that the smallmouth had melanosis, Smith said.

“As far as a cause, I am not certain there has been any movement on that front.”

The concern is whether the melanosis represents melanoma, which would be skin cancer in wild fish.

“If it does,” said William Yingling, a retired physician and avid fisherman from Freeburg, “we need to know why they have cancer. We really need to know why so many wild fish in the Susquehanna have begun showing up with these black spots in large numbers since March 2010, almost four years ago.”

Yingling said he has fished the Susquehanna watershed since he was a teenager and never saw the condition in smallmouth bass until 2010.

Asian carp have reproduced in Great Lakes watershed, researchers find

The Globe and Mail newspaper has an informative article on what many fear is the worst species to invade the Great Lakes.

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