My Local Bait Shop

[Tuckahoe Joe]

Theres this bait shop about 2 miles from my house and Ive been in there about 3 or 4 times so far. It's small and they dont have the biggest selection but its convenient because it so close to my house and the lake. The only thing is every time Im in there I feel like they're really watching me hard. Like they're keeping an eye on me so I don't steal anything. Its actually kind of uncomfortable. Seems like if Im in there for more than a couple of minutes, they'll stop what they are doing and come all the way across the store to do something where they can see me. Its not like they come over and ask if i need help finding anything. They just watch me. I mean, I know Im probably 15-20 years younger than most of the people that come in there and maybe that sets off red flags to them. I try and make small talk with the people running the place but they all seem kind of cold and distant. The next nearest shop I know of is about 30 min from my house and 45 from the lake. I wish there was a BPS arond here. The nearest one is about an hour and a half. Ive only been in there once and I hadn't started fishing at the time. So I guess Im stuck with this shop unless I wanna order online, pay for the shipping, and then wait a week for the package.

Whats your bait shop like? Anyone else have experiences like this?

[tipptruck1]

Last time I was in a bait shop. The owner was a jerk. I should have turned around and walked out. But I needed a few dozen minnows. He acted like me even being there was a inconvenience to him. The whole time he was getting them for me. He was swearing and what not. Mind you this was after he knew I would spend over 10 bucks on bait. When I could have went to Gander and spent about half of that for the same thing.

[slonezp]

I only hit the bait shop when I fish with my father. He's not a bass fisherman and prefers live bait. There are 2 shops we go to depending on where I launch. One guy is disabled from diabetes and couldn't be a nicer guy.His shop burnt down a few years ago and, after a couple years, he had it rebuilt. This guy will talk about fishing all day with you if you let him. It's like he is living vicariously thru his customers. He gives a real good minnow count too. The other shop the guy is friendly but waayyy overpriced. Minnow count not so good.

[flyfisher]

I love my local shop. It is less than a mile from my house and they have a very good selection of stuff and their prices are comparable to the bass pro which is about 20-30 minutes away. I try and buy everything i can from them. I just wish they were a St. Croix dealer.

[roadwarrior]

I have two that I consider "special". Gray's in Sheffield, AL and Big Red's Bait & Tackle

in Lakeview, AR. Both carry a big variety of lures and gear at every pricing point. Big Red's

is a destination shop for anyone fishing Bull Shoals. He carries an assortment of high-end

brands including Rage Tail, GYCB, Megabass, Sebile, Sunline and Seaguar.

[SirSnookalot]

The Boynton Fisherman is 2 minutes from the ocean and on my way home. Pretty much geared for saltwater but has a limited amount of soft plastics and live shiners. Small selection of rods, reels and lures and not cheap, sometimes a sale. This is place for information, rod and reel repair (on the spot if possible) and I can buy lead, hooks, swivels by the piece. Lead weights are an important item here, by the piece it figures out to be $4.00 lb, places that sell package are 8-$9.00, about every type available. They open at 7 am, 6 am on weekends. Another shop down the street opens at 5 am 7 days, it's ok for a quick fill in, spoons, jigs, etc.

[gramps50]

I have a place near me, I really wouldn't call it a bait shop but it's a family owned sporting goods store that sells live bait as well as lures and gear, for the most part they are competivitive wth Walmart. 1/2 mile away, and BPS & Cabelias. They have a good assortment and I try to buy there when I can.

They have always been friendly and helpful and I've never had the feeling that I was being watched or wasn't wanted there. It's so close sometimes I just got there and browse for something to do.

There are people that think everyone is out to get them and don't trust anybody, so TJ I wouldn't take it personally, I am like you though I wouldn't like being watched every minute I was in a place and might consider spending my money somewhere that it was appreciated.

[Scorcher214]

One was a hardware store but had a semi decent selections of tackle. I always got watched and asked if I needed any help with something several times while I'd be in there looking at tackle. I was like...really? I was in there a lot too for various other things.

[MCS]

I wanna order online, pay for the shipping, and then wait a week for the package.

Gander mountain online is always free shipping no matter what. Their online selection might not be the best but it is decent and have some good online deals

[Scorcher214]

Tackle warehouse does 2day shipping for 5 if you order $50 worth of stuff. You also get free sticker! I got like 10 of them lol

[Fishes in trees]

I feel like we are lucky in the KC area to have a bait shop like Rogers Lures in Liberty, MO. They have a decent selection of everything - high end and low end stuff. Over the years, I've spent enough money there that most of the staff knows me by name and says hi. Sometimes, I will go there just to walk the aisles for half hour or so, just to get ideas for me next fishing trip. I don't always buy stuff but most of the time I do.

The KC area also has a couple of Bass Pro Shops (Independence & Olathe) and there is a Cabelas in the western part of the Dot, out by the Speedway. Don't forget Burton's on the fringe of the Metro area in Smithville, MO. Competing with Rogers and the big boys is tough, but he manages to keep the doors open year after year.

That would really suck if all you had was a bait shop where they stared and acted like they couldn't wait for you to steal something.

[retiredbosn]

The baitshop that I like that is a mom and pop shop is called Tackle 1, stopped in one day looking for rage tail products. The guy was really nice said I was the third or fourth one that day, long story short he let me help pick out what to order!!! We sat down went over the baits and colors, it was a lot of fun, stopped in a week later and bought some stuff.

[Scorcher214]

The baitshop that I like that is a mom and pop shop is called Tackle 1, stopped in one day looking for rage tail products. The guy was really nice said I was the third or fourth one that day, long story short he let me help pick out what to order!!! We sat down went over the baits and colors, it was a lot of fun, stopped in a week later and bought some stuff.

That's pretty cool! I wish I could sit down with DICKs, and tell them what rage tail products to order lol. All they ever have are craws and toads. The occasional space monkey. Not that there are problems with those, but I like anacondas and rage shads too.

[The Rooster]

I had a couple places here like that but I figured it was because I was young and they thought I was full of attitude maybe. One place acted like they were bothered to help me or even talk to me and the other made me feel watched constantly. Over the years they have both gotten much better and I am recognized when I come in but I'm 38 now and I probably act different than back then. Who knows why they did it. I've heard others say the first place was rude to them also, and a few said the second was suspicious of everybody but I don't notice it anymore when I shop there. We had a third place but the owner got caught messing around with his female employee's under aged daughter. That place closed and I think he went to the big house!

[Olebiker]

We have a sporting goods shop here in Tallahassee, Kevin's, that carries a good selection of bass tackle and will match Tackle Warehouse prices. The guys that work in the fishing section are knowledgeable and friendly.

Academy Sports just opened here and when I first went in a gentleman who said he is responsible for the fishing departments in this part of the country asked a couple of us what they didn't have that they needed to carry. We used to have a Sportsman's Warehouse that never seemed to understand that concept. They stocked the store as if they were in the Pacific Northwest. They didn't last a year.

When I first moved to Tallahassee over twenty years ago I did a lot of bicycling. There was a shop that treated everyone as if they were criminals trying to shoplift the whole store. Until the day they went out of business I tried to explain to the owner that he was running people off with that attitude.

[Tuckahoe Joe]

Realy enojyed reading all the responses. Sounds like most of you have some good shops. Thinking maybe Ill try tackle warehouse. That $5 2-day shipping sounds pretty sweet.

[whitwolf]

There used to be several tackle shops In the Immediate area and now it's down to one.(I don't consider Walmart, Dicks, etc...Tackle shops) I absolutely refuse to enter this establishment because the owner, who I have known for years, said something quite personal to a buddy of mine about one of his children.

I truly miss going to the one that closed 6-7 years ago. They were helpful, I knew everyone there, and on cold Winter days It was awesome going In there and listening to stories(lies?, lol) about fishing......

[Sam]

We are fortunate to have a number of excellent bait and tackle stores in the greater Richmond, Virginia geographical area.

Tackle Express

Castaways

Dance's

Green Top

Bass Pro Shops

Hookers towards Williamsburg

Other than for the owner of Castaways everyone is very friendly, will talk to you and extremely helpful. And that goes for Lonnie and the gang that work at Castaways. Lonnie is a great guy and he makes his own line of crankbaits.

Castaways and Dance's have outstanding selections of Zoom products.

Green Top has a very good selection and the guys who work there are very informative about bass fishing. Prices are lower than Bass Pro Shops on many items.

Tackle Express has some outstanding deals on rods and reels plus very fresh live bait. If you go into Tackle Express ask for Craig and remind him of the LSU crawfish boil. This is the shop where Hookingem used to work.

Personal service and a good selection of baits makes a tackle shop a nice place to shop.

As for the owners of Tuckahoe Joe's local tackle shop, they seem to be very worried about shop lifting. Or maybe law enforcement watching them. You never know.

[Tuckahoe Joe]

I actually went in there the other day to pick up a few things. The guy was really nice this time and I didn't have the 'being watched feeling'. Maybe I had just caught them on a bad day the other times.

[deep]

I actually went in there the other day to pick up a few things. The guy was really nice this time and I didn't have the 'being watched feeling'. Maybe I had just caught them on a bad day the other times.

Maybe they happened to read this thread!

[Tuckahoe Joe]

Maybe they happened to read this thread!

HA!