The History of:
| American Tackle was started by Jay DeVries and
Dennis Ende in 1982. At that time it was located in
West Olive, Michigan. They began by specializing in
tackle for salmon fishing and inland lake fishing. In a
short time they decided to open another shop due to the
popularity of the store. They chose a spot on the way
to the Holland State Park. They thrived on a market of
mainly salmon and perch fishing, with winters that had
lots of ice and perch.
In 1986 Dennis Ende decided to persue other options, and sold his share of the store to Jay DeVries. Soon after, salmon fishing began to have trouble. In a market shrinking year by year, American Tackle moved more towards inland fishing and archery to survive year round. In 1990 an employee, Michael Atman, bought the Holland store from Jay. Two years later he purchased the West Olive store as well. In late 1993 the West Olive store was closed and the small Holland Store moved into a much larger building with a bow range located at 360 Douglas Ave. In July of 2004, the store was sold to Harald Kronemyer. Under new ownership, the appearance as well as the mission of American Tackle Outfitters changed. With a new a professional look, ATO strives to be the premier West Michigan outfitter. |