Gus’ Discount Tackle keeps its doors open for more than 60 years in Outer Richmond
By Gui Oliveira
It may be difficult for anyone to believe that the current owner, Stephanie Ernst Scott, of Gus’ Discount Tackle has never been fishing a day in her life. Scott said “I’m very established in the fishing community having never, ever, ever, ever been fishing, and it’s no secret, all my customers know that” she explained. Ask her what the local catch is? when does crabbing season start and end? And how you can obtain a fishing license? Scott has the answers.
Scott is a first generation born American who grew up in the Richmond District. Her father Gus Ernst was an Austrian Jew who, in 1939, fled a train bound for a Nazi concentration camp trekking his way on skis destined for Switzerland. He later immigrated to the United States eventually ending up in San Francisco. Her mother was Russian. She worked as a hematologist and passed away in 1969 from lung cancer.
Ernst originally opened the shop more than 60 years ago as a general store in the Richmond neighborhood. It’s one of the original shops on the Balboa Street corridor that’s still operating to this day, furthermore, it’s a family owned business making it truly a rare gem. Gus sold a small stockpile of tackles in his general store. The need for fishing and crabbing gear grew due to customer demand until inevitably it would seem the shop became Gus’ Discount Tackle.
“So it evolved due to demand not to desire, and I love fishermen because they’re not working, they’re doing the passion of their lives, they all love the sport and I love them” Scott said.
The shop is much like any other neighborhood hub where people come in either to buy fishing gear, tell fishing stories, or just chat with Stephanie about everyday life. Her customers come from all over the City, not just the Richmond District, and Bay Area. They’re an eclectic group of multiracial people of all skill levels from seasoned commercial fishermen to current newbies and the collection of photos on the walls adds to the interior decor, photos of family, friends and that days catch. She could tell you a little story behind the illustrations.
Scott explains “it survived because like I said people have a great deal of loyalty to the store, which is very unusual. Our number one thing is to make it affordable tackle. We never wanted to get very expensive stuff in here. This is where people who want to fish; they don’t have to spend a lot of money. They can afford it, can do it and enjoy it. That’s it. That’s our mantra sort of.”
Stephanie has kept the shop open during the Corona Virus pandemic by abiding to six feet apart and mandatory face mask rules. Not to mention, among the fishing community Gus’ Discount Tackle is an essential business. “It’s a tremendous hit for any business” Scott continued “but it makes me feel very good. Anybody who comes in here says thank you for being here. I have nothing else to do. I can’t do anything. You can’t go to a playground. Where are you supposed to take a kid to do anything? Fishing is still a viable thing till they shut all that down.”
Keeping the shop open has also helped Scott cope with her late husband’s, Bill Scott, death. He passed away in November 2019 and the two had worked together in the shop for the last 10 years, married for 45 years and known each other for 50 years. They met at San Francisco State University where they both studied English as undergraduates. “I’m very lost right now. The reason I’m here is it’s better than a psychiatrist. If I stayed at home I don’t know what would’ve happened. Fifty years we were together. It just saved me” she said. He also designed the mural on Gus’ exterior wall, which features a fisherman with a spinning rod and a fly reel- made to be humorous.
Matts Madsen, a local fisherman, has been going to Gus’ Discount Tackle since High School, for about 20 years. “She always greets everyone with such enthusiasm” Madsen said. “Right when you walk in the first thing you notice that there’s tons of pictures on the walls of everyone she knows and the fish that they caught.”
“The main thing about Gus is that it’s fun. It’s fun for the customers and it’s fun for me” Scott said.
