# Wholesale Bait biz



## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

Being an avid angler and living in michigan (do we have some fishing here!)
I would rather sell to shops and such rather then my own store front waiting on sales to come through the door. less overhead I have a polebarn at my disposal and a van for deliverys and could even scrounge or build most of the equipment I would need to get going. 
Ive been kicking this around for a few months now. My question is anyone here doing this or have done this? I know there is a ton of competion in this market but its huge. well the bait shops and vendors may not be loyal I think the end consumer can be. Ive looked around for bait cups and such everything on line seems high in price. I would also like to supply some basic tackle and cant seem to find any truly wholesale sources. Alot of this stuff seems to be almost retail. Which makes it hard to offer a value to the customer and show some profit still even doing a volume buisness.
I have to add my cut then my vendor theres and add in sales tax it starts looking pretty pricey. any leads to truly wholesale suppliers for night crawlers (canadian,african,european) and red worms as well as tackle (hooks,swivils,sinkers,line just the basic stuff) would be great and any other input from those that have been in this kind of buisness.

I would also be suppling leechs (found a place with pretty decent price) waxworms(can grow those just fine) mealworms,spikes,crickets (same as the waxys) Im also aware of the other market possiabilitys.


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

I am not in the business, but it sounds like a great idea!!!


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## PulpFaction (Jul 23, 2009)

It does sound like a great idea, in fact I've been toying with the idea up in AK too. The town I live in is on the ONLY road between the best fishing spots in the state and the biggest city in the state. So....who knows.


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

If you are having a hard time finding suppliers who have wholesale pricing, you might try to find a fishing lure association, or a live bait association. These are the not for profit groups that support each other in the industry, provide trade shows, a monthly magazine or newsletter, etc.

I recently found a trade group for an item I was looking for....and found about 600 suppliers in their online magazine.

I would start with google searches of 'live bait association', for instance.


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

I looked into raising worms a few years ago and it seems like it was pretty easy to do. I think there would be more profit growing your own than buying them and paying shipping. Of course that was just red worms I believe. I knew a guy twenty some years ago that was going to get a truck, maybe like a bread or UPS truck and make a bait shop in the truck. Then he was going to go around places where there were a lot of fishermen. Perhaps that method of retail along with a wholesale business might work. I think if someone showed up at the same spot every day at roughly the same time the fishermen would come to rely on them and buy their bait and tackle from them. There have been more than a few times when I was fishing and either broke something or ran out of something and just went home because I didn't want to drive miles to a bait shop. Just a thought. 

Nomad


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## seagullplayer (Nov 6, 2008)

I have heard of live bait vending machines, but never seen one.

I have found it pretty easy to find red worms and night crawlers, but harder to find "B moth", I don't know why?


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

seagullplayer said:


> I have heard of live bait vending machines, but never seen one.
> 
> I have found it pretty easy to find red worms and night crawlers, but harder to find "B moth", I don't know why?


Do you mean in the wild or in the bait shops.most shops here have meal worms and wax worms and in the wild you would find them in a bee hive eating honey. Ive seen the bait vending machines problem with them is they get trashed and robbed, and are pretty pricey too.


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## seagullplayer (Nov 6, 2008)

||Downhome|| said:


> Do you mean in the wild or in the bait shops.most shops here have meal worms and wax worms and in the wild you would find them in a bee hive eating honey. Ive seen the bait vending machines problem with them is they get trashed and robbed, and are pretty pricey too.


No, I mean finding them for sale.

The vending machines I have heard of are at boat docks, I said that I have never seen one, but now that I think about it, I did see one in the "off season" at a nearby lake. It was winter and the machine was empty. 

Location would be key, some remote boat ramp would not be ideal...


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

seagullplayer said:


> I have heard of live bait vending machines, but never seen one.
> 
> I have found it pretty easy to find red worms and night crawlers, but harder to find "B moth", I don't know why?


I would also think that you would need a power source for electricity, and a way to secure the machine so it cannot be tipped over onto someone trying to steal out of the machine.


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## Wildfire_Jewel (Nov 5, 2006)

Check MI rules and regs.....there is a fee for everything in this state:grump:


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## MoonMedic (Jan 9, 2009)

There is a live bait vending maching in Almont, MI at the sports store. Never used it though, just doesnt seem right!


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

The VHS infection of the Great Lakes by the irresponsible shipping industry is putting a huge burden on the fish business. Just to get one species tested for VHS on my farm for one season would cost $600. Next year would be another $600 per species. Testing on my farm is cheaper than testing wild caught fish because one test per season satisfies most states. Wild caught fish would have to be tested every batch or have the water they are captured in certified VHS free.

That is going to put a lot of small fish dealers out of business.

Some states are going nuts with the testing and requiring testing that serves no purpose. I believe my state requires testing between farms even when those same fish will need to be tested again before stocking. $600 here and $600 there and before you know it your profit has disappeared along with your business.


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

Did the OP ever find a wholesale source for bait and fishing stuff?


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## solidwoods (Dec 23, 2005)

I'm in N central Tn. The convience store has a coin operated live bait vending machine.
Crickets and worms.
No joke.
jim


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

clovis said:


> Did the OP ever find a wholesale source for bait and fishing stuff?


im more interested in tackle I can wholesale and packaging so i can wholesale my own bait. otherwise I dont see much profit unless I can do some real volume. 


you can also sell minnows in those bait machines.


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

What about those boat, sport and travel shows?

I went to one about 5 years ago because a friend asked me to go. I couldn't believe the number of small mom and pop tackle companies showing and selling their wares. Nearly all of them had "Dealers Wanted" signs.


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

Ive found a lot of sources but nothing I would consider really wholesale, though that might be the profit margin. still workin at it though. where theres a will theres a way right.


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