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It’s rare in today’s world when you find a business that operates under the seemingly vanishing doctrine of “quality over quantity.” Many preach this overused phrase, but few actually follow through. Bill Buckland never envisioned a career in the fishing-tackle industry. Yet over the past four decades he’s built one of the most recognized names in the big-game tackle world with his shop, Fisherman’s Center, and has outfitted some of the top boats in the world along the way. He’s done that not by franchising out his name to the highest bidder, but because he prides himself on providing the best possible customer service. The Forbes list can wait.
Q: What was your introduction to fishing?
A: I didn’t really come from a fishing family, so my introduction to fishing was probably much like other kids growing up in Fort Lauderdale in the ’70s. We actually used to go water-skiing and fishing in the New River, which runs through downtown Fort Lauderdale! We didn’t have a boat or anything in my family, but occasionally I would get offshore when friends would invite me. As a kid I remember riding my bike to pick up bait and tackle at Carl’s Bait & Tackle Shop and Bill Boyd’s Tackle Shop. Those were probably the first tackle shops I remember going to, as well as LMR.
Q: How did you get involved in the tackle business?
A: After graduating from the University of South Florida, I took a sales job selling plastic foam cups on Florida’s west coast. But after doing that for a while, I realized I wanted to return to the east coast. A friend who was in law school at the time suggested buying Fred Heidi Custom Tackle near the West Palm Beach port. Heidi’s had been doing custom rod building for over 30 years and had outfitted boats worldwide, including most of the Rybovich boats at the time. I agreed, seeing that I needed a job and thought the ownership aspect was appealing from a business standpoint. In hindsight, that first year of working at Heidi’s was where I really learned how to properly build a rod, and that’s something I’ve used ever since.
After a year at Heidi’s, my partner and I saw potential for expansion beyond just custom rods into retail and tackle sales. However, the shop’s location was in a rough area with no parking—so no matter what we were selling, people were not going to come. When first exploring the future location of Fisherman’s Center on Blue Heron Boulevard, I hesitated because it was between two iconic tackle shops: Murray Brothers and Bob Schneider’s Tackle. I ended up running the idea past a few captains that I knew from the shop. All but one of them said, “They’ll eat your lunch.” But one captain was encouraging and said, “Look at all the car dealerships. They all stick together, and there’s enough for everybody.” For some reason that stuck with me.
So in 1987, my partner and I moved the shop to Blue Heron Boulevard and officially renamed it Fisherman’s Center. I initially signed only a one-year lease, thinking that I didn’t want to be too invested if our grand plans didn’t work out. Thankfully, the new location, the addition of retail, and service diversification boosted business within the first year. After seeing the success after that first year, I bought out my partner and have been fully invested in Fisherman’s Center ever since.
Q: Why have you succeeded with Fisherman’s Center?
A: I think our success stems from several key factors. Being in South Florida, a fishing epicenter, and near Sailfish Marina, a hub for sport-fishing transit, positions us perfectly to outfit boats, which is the core of our business. We may start with rods and reels, but our goal is to then expand to kites, lures, hooks, lines, leaders, dredges and tackle, offering a comprehensive “full-service” approach.
However, I really feel that the heart of our success is good customer service. I was never really interested in expanding to a second store, catalogs or aggressive online sales to maintain our personalized service—quality control, if you will. Word of mouth remains our best advertisement, and I’m a firm believer that bigger is not always better.
I’ve also been fortunate to receive guidance from experienced captains such as Jack Lance, Gary Stuve, Tom Furtado and Jack Morrow. Their mentorship, combined with our focus on quality service and having the gear that teams want, has been instrumental in building a loyal customer base and sustaining our success.
Q: What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in running a tackle shop?
A: We’ve been very lucky in that ever since opening in 1987, Fisherman’s Center has experienced slow and steady growth, year over year. We originally started with just two bays in this plaza, and we now have five. During COVID, everyone thought business would die, but just the opposite occurred. From 2020 to 2023, the fishing business boomed. The only dilemma was we couldn’t get product. No one was producing, so we had to beg, borrow and trade with other tackle shops to fill orders. Normally we have an offseason from September to November when business slows down, but for three years we stayed busy year-round.
Q: What are some of the biggest changes you’ve observed in fishing?
A: Well, naturally, I’ve seen firsthand how the tackle has evolved over the years to match the fishing techniques and technology, first with dredges and circle hooks, and now sonar. In the past, tournaments were fished with heavy gear, 80-pound tackle and lures. Nowadays, most tournament guys that I’m outfitting are dredge-fishing with natural baits and 30-pound outfits. Everything is geared more toward lighter rods and high-speed reels.
Q: What’s next for you and for Fisherman’s Center?
A: Well, for me, I’m hoping more fishing, diving and traveling with my wife! My son Michael has been working in the shop for five years now and does a great job. He gets out on the tournament trail quite a bit and interacts with the clients and crews from that angle. It’s great marketing and helps to keep us knowledgeable about product trends. As a result of that, I see younger crews that like to deal with specifically him, while I still mainly deal with the older crews. It’s great to see that transition happening. But although I say I want to start stepping back from the business, it’s hard to envision myself not working. Sure, I’m not logging the same long hours as I was at the beginning, but coming into the office is just part of my routine, part of my life. I truly enjoy waking up and going to work. So, in terms of what’s next for Fisherman’s Center, I’d say just more of the same things we’ve been doing since 1987!
