By Justine Griffin for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune

In a deal that’s been rumored for years, sources confirmed Tuesday that Southwest Florida has reeled in another big retail fish: Bass Pro Shops plans to open a store in this market.

The likely location of the megastore — which sell fishing, camping, hunting, boating and other gear — is at University Parkway and Interstate 75, near the under-construction Mall at University Town Center, sources said.

The Springfield, Missouri-based chain — with a store in Fort Myers and another being built in Brandon — has been aggressively expanding into Florida.

It is unclear when the local store is to open or when construction might begin. Representatives of the chain did not return a call for comment on Tuesday.

Bass Pro Shops stores vary in size, but the company’s traditional model, called “Outdoor World,” can be up to 300,000 square feet and is usually situated at a major thoroughfare, near other strong retail plazas or malls.

In recent years, smaller-format stores — 60,000 square feet — have opened to “in fill” areas in between their larger stores.

The Sarasota-Bradenton store will likely be one of those smaller-store formats, common among expanding companies these days, said Phoenix-based retail analyst Jeff Green, who is familiar with the Southwest Florida market.

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