Joe,
In the Portland Metro area the best among large stores are the 2 Fisherman's Marine Supply (N. Port. and Oregon City ... 503-557-3313). It's because they have the best fishing tackle inventories on hand and knowledgable sales people. The only other large stores with a big tackle dept. is the GI Joes chain (503-644-9932). They have less inventory, often leaving a fisher without one or two items needed. And their sales people in those dept.'s generally aren't real knowledgable fishermen. Third among large stores would be a combination of the 'one stop shopping' type chain stores such as Fred Meyer, Bi-Mart, Target, etc. Of those, Fredies is most fishing tackle complete, and often a good secondary place to look for what Joe's is out of.
Among Metro small tackle shops I think the best is Great American Tackle near Oregon City (503-250-2662), just off lower Hwy. 224, which takes you up to the north side of the Clackamas R. in places. Good fishing tackle inventory for a small shop. The owner Gary Waterhouse is a very good salmon, steelhead, and trout fisherman and is honest with his fishing reports over the phone (one of the most important aspects of tackle shops to me, and many others I would think).
There are a myriad of small shops with both grocery store goods and some fishing tackle all over the state around popularly fished rivers and lakes - such as the Carver Store on the mid Clackamas.
In and near the heavily fished coastal town of Tillamook the 2 larger stores are Kimmel's Sporting Goods (503-842-4281) and the relatively new Tillamook Sporting Goods. Kimmel's has always had the best inventory and knowledgable sales people. And they give fairly accurate honest reports. That new Till. Sptg. Gds. is big but by all accounts of many anglers they are poorly managed and not a good place to shop for fishing gear. They could use a better inventory of rods for a large store, and they have pushy sales people with limited fishing knowledge. The couple times I was in there, when they didn't have what I wanted, these limited people told me what I needed instead
. Unless they price war out the other shops big time, I don't see how they will last.
Of the small shops there is Tillamook Bait Shop (503-842-5031) right on the lower Wilson River loop road - south side. They have great bait, nice people, but limited tackle items. The Guide Shop (503-842-3474) up the road on the Wilson River a few miles by Mills Bridge has quite a good tackle inventory for a smaller shop - including a lot of rods; making it a good prospect for your goods Joe. An upside is the excellant resturant there. The downside is inaccurate phone reports about the fishing; often hyping the prospects when they do give one out (for as many years as I can remember). They also keep sandshrimp past good shape for sale before they will dump and re-order. The other small shops up the Wilson R. Road, one below Kansas Cr. area and the other at Lee;s camp near the bridge, keep their shrimp fresher but have small tackle inventories.
The Astoria/Seaside area used to have Link's Tackle stores in both towns. There has not been a good replacement in years. Taking up that slack is such as hardware stores and Fredies. If ever there was a good place to open a fishing tackle and bait shop it would be in Seaside Oregon. Most of the Metro anglers heading to fish out of Astoria to Hammond go thru Seaside on the way. And they come down to fish the Necanicum and Nehalem river systems bay thru there also. Someone please open a good shop there! Diversify it with a variety of goods for a potential little golden egg there. Just my opinion; I could be wrong.
Nestucca Sporting Goods in Hebo (503-392-4269) on the lower Nestucca River is like the Guide Shop in that they have quite a good inventory for a small shop. But Ron tells it like it is when you call for fishing reports (which makes me and my friends try to buy things we need while we are there; in return for his honesty). The sporting goods store in Pacific City (503-965-6410) has a decent inventory, but like many who fish the lower Nestucca river and estuary there they don't have the best 'tude from what I've seen.
'Willie Rower' Paul's wife owns the Kalama River Bait & Tackle shop on the lower river there. He commutes, living near Sweet Home on the S. Santiam River. If he doesn't see this post, e-mail him Joe for a rundown on the better shops in the Willamette Valley from Salem on down.
Up the Columbia Gorge off Hwy. 84 there is Jack's Snack and Tackle (503-665-2257) on the lower Sandy River, with fairly good inventory and accurate reports (Jack guides while his wife runs the shop - good coffee and donuts too
). Further up off exit 35 is the shop at the 'Fishery'. Inventory is mediocre and the fishing reports are even less accurate (more a sturgeon spot than s/s). I'm not up on the latest for Hood River or the Dalles. It used to be hardware stores for limited supplies in Hood River, but there was a good sized nice tackle shop on the east end of the Dalles. Likely still there, but I can't remember the name of it.
Steve