Sponsor Spotlight
By Louie Stout
It’s not exactly the Lunker’s from yesteryear, but JB Propane and Tackle is a bait and tackle store that would surprise you as to the fishing gear selection that this inner-city business has to offer.
And while propane sales are a big part of the business, the tackle shop offers more tackle for all types of anglers than most people realize.
The Mishawaka, Ind. propane store first opened in the late 1970s by Blaine Pickavet’s grandfather, but the avid angler decided to add the fishing division around 2010. It’s located at 423 S. Spring Street.
And it’s been growing steadily.
“We’ve steadily expanded the amount of gear that we offer,” says Pickavet. “We used to have only one aisle of gear, now we have three and the walls are covered with pegboard full of fishing items. There’s no place in town where you can get the fishing gear that we try to offer. I’m trying to serve the people of this community.”
Pickavet, an avid angler who fishes the St. Joseph River and area lakes, says he stocks baits and gear based upon local needs.
The shop offers several types of livebait (except minnows, which they hope to add soon) as well as trendy lures for bass, walleye, panfish and trout and salmon.
For example, he stocks a broad variety of Berkley and PowerBait products, tackle bags and boxes, fillet knives and planer boards.
Lures include Lucky Craft, Rapala, Crush City, River2Sea glide baits, an extensive line of Zman, multiple brands of A-rigs, Storm, D’s Lures, BiteMe jigs, Oslo Spinners, Whitewater Perch Pounder rigs, preserve baits, Mepps, forward facing sonar lures and more.
The shop also has become a Shimano Tackle dealer who buys direct from the factory.
And while one would think a locally owned shop in the heart of Mishawaka might be a bit pricey, Pickavet says he makes a serious effort to remain competitive with on-line businesses like Tackle Warehouse.
“We try to cover all types of fishing and we’ve even added some camping equipment and some boating gear,” says Pickavet.
The business is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 574-259-5240.