Bass Pro fishing around for Tulsa deal.

Could a big outdoors retailer be fishing for a location in Tulsa???<br><br>An Oklahoma City source says it's so; that Bass Pro is making a pitch for Tulsa.<br><br>Reporter Emory Bryan reports that

Saturday, October 12th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Could a big outdoors retailer be fishing for a location in Tulsa???

An Oklahoma City source says it's so; that Bass Pro is making a pitch for Tulsa.

Reporter Emory Bryan reports that they are the darling of the outdoors business - because their huge stores attract lots of people - who spend plenty of money.

The Bass Pro in Springfield, Missouri is only one within 150 miles of Tulsa - but the company signed the papers for a store in Oklahoma City - what is expected to be the retail anchor of Bricktown.

Bass Pro has stores across the eastern United States - 13 open now, with five more under construction.

Oklahoma City will open a year from now - and from that negotiation came the rumor of a store in Tulsa.

An Oklahoma City councilman wanted Bass Pro to pledge not to build elsewhere in Oklahoma - but Bass Pro refused. The Oklahoma City councilman said he heard Bass Pro wanted to locate near 71st and Mingo.

There is a huge empty store there and another Springfield company just built a big hotel across the highway.

The company's agreement with Oklahoma City - to not build within 75 miles of Bricktown - leaves Tulsa as a possibility. But their executives would not admit even looking in Tulsa.

Their response to people passing the rumor of a Tulsa store - "They're dreaming right now"

So at least officially - Bass Pro Tulsa appears to be just another fish tale, but something that could be a good catch one day.

That good catch would porbably come with a big prcie tag. Oklahoma City agreed to spend $17 million to lure Bass Pro to Bricktown.