New owners carrying on legacy of longtime Jasper bait and gun shop
Jeff Miley and Bernie Main both remember stopping in to Charlie’s Bait and Guns with their fathers to stock up on bait for a day of fishing.
Charlie Uebelhor was sitting behind the counter to meet them back then. He took over the shop from his father, who started it in 1955.
Eventually, Charlie’s became Jeff’s. And for the past 33 years, Jeff’s been the one meeting folks as they walk through the doors nearly every day.
But, on the verge of 63, Jeff has decided he’s ready to spend more time on the other side of the counter in the woods, fields, lakes and streams he loves.
“I’m still young enough and able enough that I can enjoy myself,” Jeff said.
This week, Bernie and his partner, Steve Kluesner, took ownership of the business.
Jeff will be around for a couple of weeks to smooth the transition, but he’s looking forward to an upcoming vacation. One that doesn’t include carrying the weight of his store on his shoulders as they have for so many years.
It’s a burden he won’t miss, but Jeff said he will miss his customers. “Some of the kids that I held in my arms when I first started, I’m selling guns to them now,” he said.
Over the years, he’s built a reputation for knowledgeable service and helpful advice. Those years behind the counter, troubleshooting and repairing equipment, mean that very few issues coming through his shop doors are unsolvable.
That wisdom comes with a forced responsibility, though. Whether someone is stopping in to pick up a few items for their next excursion or just to sit and talk, everyone wants to “see ole Jeff,” he laughed.
In the end, Jeff hopes he’s left a mark on the lives that passed through the door.
He leaves behind a legacy that reaches well beyond inventory. He watched children learn to love the outdoors within those walls. He helped beginners properly rig a rod and reel before letting them walk out the door. Jeff also received the kind of loyalty that doesn’t come from advertising.
Charlie is the one who mentioned the store might be for sale to Bernie, prompting the two men to start talking last October. After completing the licensing and transition process, Bernie took ownership of the shop this week.
Bernie is no stranger to running a business. For 27 years, he has operated B&B Extermination. He knows what it takes to build something from the ground up. He also knows how to sustain it.
While he and Steve will be involved with the business, Shawn Kluesner will manage the daily operations.
According to Bernie, not many changes are planned. The name will change to “Cast and Blast Outdoors.” They will add some inventory and make some small refinements to operations, but the spirit of the place won’t change.
“It’s new faces,” Bernie said, “but basically the same friendly atmosphere.”
No major changes for the regulars who have been stopping in weekly and sometimes daily for decades.
Jeff, for his part, is glad the shop will carry on. Seventy years is a long time for a corner shop to mean something to a community, and he wanted to make sure it would continue to mean something.
