# Bait shops.



## Snowfan (Nov 6, 2011)

I normally grab a fly rod when I go fishing, unless I'm going after catfish. A buddy I haven't seen in a couple years calls me up, we decide to go fishing. I go in to my fur shed and suddenly realize how much stuff I need for bait fishing. I grabbed a minnow bucket, minnow trap and an old bun. My leech trap and a couple beef livers and my leech bucket. My old cooler I keep worms in along with some fresher bedding and an ice pack. My floating fish basket. Glad we didn't want to use crickets because I didn't take that. Almost forgot to grab a couple of rod& reel combos. Had to figure out which Plano boxes to put in my tackle backpack. Good grief. We had fun, though.
Much easier to go fly fishing.
Then the big question. Are there any actual bait shops around? Actual bait shops, not gas stations or hardware stores that have a little refrigerator with containers of worms, but actual, old fashion bait shops. The kind where the old man or woman behind the counter knew what fish were biting where and on what. You can tell them what you're fishing for and they knew the best minnows or leeches or worms or whatever. I miss those days. There's probably not much money in that business.
I think I'm done now. Thank you.


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## Rodeo's Bud (Apr 10, 2020)

Back when I lived in Georgia there were honest good old boy baitshops everywhere.

To a kid from the west coast, it was awe inspiring.

Huge drums of live crickets, critters of all kinds for bait.

But what always stood out in my mind were the 20 and 30 foot bamboo fishing poles hanging on the walls for simple bobber fishing.

I always wondered how you would get a 30 foot bamboo pole to the river.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Store near by is a honest bait shop and the people who own the place and do the hireing know their bussiness depends on knowing what is biteing on which lake in the area. Have the live bait to use on each one and the near by rivers.

No I don't guess they make their money selling bait from that little 24x12 room. But they sell rods and reels for any type of rod from ultra light to big bait casting rigs, trolling rods for lake Huron.
And don't for get the fly fisher persons fly rods and reels lots of hakle and other tieing material.

For the river they also sell several tube or air floats to fish from. For a bit they sold canoes but only old town brand and were expencive.

There are waders from the cheap rubber cheast ones to the neprome ones.
Don't for get the bug spray and sun block. Maybe you are going after a spring turkey. they also have the gun and ammo plus calls to do so. About the only thing they don't sell is reloading supplies boats and motors.

You moved the 30 foot bamboo poles from home in the old days by tieing them to thr cars door frames and mirrors laying they thick end forward.
some even slid them under the car and tied them to the front and rear bumpers.

Don't see them today though as there are lots of low cost rods and reels for just a bit more than the old 30 footers cost back in the day.

Al


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## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

There is one left in my town and it's nothing special, but you can at least buy live minnows and the big containers (250) of bee moth, instead of those 25 packs that you burn through in an hour.

Hard for a bait shot to survive unless they are in a really high traffic fishing location. The stuff around here has always been at a guys house, where he's got a bait shot in the shed.


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## Esteban29304 (Apr 29, 2003)

There are some around here, but only located near the gulf or area lakes . If there is a local pond near you, you cannot find any bait.


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

The bait shop near us sold to another party that shortly went belly up. Fish disease regulations in WI may have played a part. Now, I need to drive an hour to get minnows, so I don’t. Instead, use worms, crawlers from the gas station, artificial, or frozen smelt if fishing Lake Superior. 

With all the lakes in our area it is surprising that no new shop has opened but I guess, the profit margin is pretty slim.


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## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

Seriously .... how much $$ are you gonna make off the average guy coming in to buy a little live bait, etc.?
Tough business.


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## Snowfan (Nov 6, 2011)

Oh, I know there's no money in an old fashion bait shop. It's a by-gone era. But they sure do hold great memories in my mind. I don't often use live bait but it's much easier to throw out a minnow trap or a leach trap or dig up some crawlers. I can't think of any more than 3 bait shops within 40 miles of me and I live in the land of 10,000 lakes. Maybe if I win the lottery, I'll open up a bait shop just to keep busy and throw money away.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

30 foot pole to the river 

walk , or roof rack 
back when cars had gutters roof racks were easy to mount 

I see people with canoes hanging way out the back of a truck bed these days , seems no one knows how to build a simple canoe rack that sits in the stake pockets a few 2x4 and a saw and a half hour and you have removable canoe rack for the truck then all the camping gear fits in the bed.

heck google images of canoe rack and it is just entertaining


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I learned when I was a pup a dozen crawlers were expencive and today I am 73 so gives an Idea when I was a pup. I learned how to harvest crawlers by the 100's keep them and make a little jingle from selling them them.
Today I have my home made crawler box ready to use if I want to start useing crawlers again.
I also bought a minnow trap and learned just how to place it to catch a days worth of minnows to use when we were fishing Canada regular where there were no bait shops. 

Traveling and spending two weeks far from a building let alone a bait shop with live crawlers is easy if you learn a few simple things. Keep them moist, keep them cool, and a little feed to keep them happy.
I used a old cooler started with shredded paper a month before the trip. Kept filling it with kitchen scraps of veggies, like celery leaves, cauliflower and others veggies. Kept the cooler in the basement.

At the fishing camp added a bit of ice every so often and tryed to keep in full shade. Be prepared to set some large rocks on the lid. We got raided by a small critter once that cleaned the box out.
No bear tracks either.

Al


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## Esteban29304 (Apr 29, 2003)

I know a few places where I can dig worms or catch minnows, grass shrimp, sweet bait, Helgramites, & leeches. Luckily it is not far away from me & a local pond I can fish in.


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

Land of 10,000 lakes but how many are near you? There are bait shops in areas of the state with lakes. Old fashion, stand alone, bait shops have a tough time since Walmart started selling tackle. Most have to have another business associated to make it. The bait shop in Emily has a liquor store in the other half. Fishing is really fun theses days.


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## Snowfan (Nov 6, 2011)

I want to go to Chucks Bait Shop. Like in Grumpy Old Men. Maybe I'll go to Slipperys and have a beer. I've had worse ideas. It's about a 2 hour drive, though.


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## Wyobuckaroo (Dec 30, 2011)

At one time I had a place on a lake.. My next door neighbors were 2 women who had an ATV, snow mobile, tackle and bait shop.. If I had a camp fire going they would stop for tea, hot dogs and marshmallows.. Or they would bring something saying, start a fire.. 

One evening Debbie stopped, not saying a word, limped into the house, got a cold soda, and parked in a chair by the fire.. She saying she was sick and tired of people asking her why she limped, and then wise cracking did you slip on a dead minnow on the floor of the bait shop... I almost fell out of my chair laughing over this. Turns out she strained her knee playing soft ball.. After that it was a joke between the 3 of us about the dead minnow. Best neighbors I ever had.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Fishingtacklegrabbag.bussiness.site

This place is near me and has been around since I can remember.

Al


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## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

Nimrod said:


> Land of 10,000 lakes but how many are near you? There are bait shops in areas of the state with lakes. Old fashion, stand alone, bait shops have a tough time since Walmart started selling tackle. Most have to have another business associated to make it. The bait shop in Emily has a liquor store in the other half. Fishing is really fun theses days.


Liquor/bait combo here, I get bleeding shiners from the creeks here, but can get crickets at the liquor/bait combo that's been there since the early 60s.


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## Snowfan (Nov 6, 2011)

I suppose I'd meet some resistance if I started a burgers, bait and bordello establishment.


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

From who?


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I answer the phone Al's bar & grill, famous place out back.

Get a lot of HUH.

Al


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## Snowfan (Nov 6, 2011)

Just a note. Went with wife lady to Walmart yesterday. I had no desire to shop for clothes for grandchildren, new towels or groceries, I went to the sporting goods section. The fishing tackle aisle was almost empty. Only a few rod/reel combos, bobbers, sinkers and lures. Kind of a let down.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Northern Bait in Park Rapids MN is an old fashioned sporting goods. They raise or harvest their own bait as well as carry everything from fishing rods to guns to camping gear.


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## Snowfan (Nov 6, 2011)

There's a nice all-in-one gas station just north of Hutchinson, MN I like stop at if I go that way. I think it's called The Outpost.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Been there. Daughter lived there for several years when hubby's 3 M job had them there.

Al


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