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I don’t want to see the guy behind the counter in a bikini.
How come when I read the above quote; the chance that
“this could happen occasionally at Everts” immediately came to mind ?
the only person at everts that could pull off a bikini would be BK…it would have to be pink tho!
-k-
Pull off a bikini 
eeeekk
As if BK “putting on” a bikini isn’t a disturbing enough image. 
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The biggest pet peeves I have with bait shops are:
Counting out minnows(fatheads/shiners/crappie) or selling by the “scoop” then taking a scoop shaking some out and then dumping it in the bag/bucket.Selling “nigthcrawlers” that are glorified angle worms.
Not sorting leeches very well, if a guy buys a dozen large leeches that’s what he should get not 8 large and 4 panfish size.
I try not to go back to places like that if I can at all avoid it.
Beyond that having the basics and the things that people are likely to forget on hand are good.
Sunglasses, suntan lotion, SPF chapstick, cheap rain gear, cheap minnow buckets, good selection of pop and snacks. Fishing stuff for kids rods, reels tackle. The couple rods I’ve bought so far for my almost 4 year old have been at bait shops when we are getting bait for fishin off the dock.
Finally and most importantly….FRIENDLY service and willingness to provide quality info when someone asks for a push in the right direction. Most people are just out to catch some fish…if you help them with that they will definitely be back in the future.
X2
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One of the most important things is to have set hours and keep them.
This is another one that chaps my hide. Last summer I was heaading north. I called a bait store up the road to see what time they would open the following day. I was assured that at 5 am the doors would be open. At 6:30 the next morning I had enough waiting. I bought my bait at a different shop, and have never been bck to the original one.
WS
Alot of good advice here. Best I can give is to treat your customers like you’d like to be treated!! The old golden rule. Too many times I walk into a bait shop only to be made to feel like an outsider.
At a minimum, smile, ask them how they are doing, and BS a little! I’m going to return to the stores where I’m treated like I like to be treated whether or not you have jerky, batteries, beer, bikinis, etc!!
ET
Propane refills/exchange.
One thing our local shop does to get extra cash is sell fresh, quality Christmas Tress in season. They have built up a good reputation for that. So always be on the lookout for a seasonal opportunity to make some extra cash.
-J.
hmmm … propane and christmas trees
sounds familiar
Top notch customer service is always a huge thing. Just look at all the customer service rants on here 
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In first with bikinis
I don’t want to see the guy behind the counter in a bikini.
Whatever floats yer boat, though.
AHAHAHA! 
That was great, still chuckeling
+1 for customer service. Friendly, learn names and don’t treat people like they are an inconvenience. Trick is turning great customer service into revenue.
A frest pot of coffee is always a bonus as its one less stop on the way to the lake.
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, but I don’t know who spends more money on tackle than bass tourney guys.. As far as snacks go, as long as you had Little Debbies and Red Bull, I’d be content.
I can say from long experience that tourny guys, expecially bass guys, spend very little at the local shop. They get their gear in bulk, online and from their sponsers etc. If you cater to them you will quickly go broke. Stick with the average Joe and make sure he has a positive experience at your store and you’ll be successful.
Probably because most bass tourney guys have already purchased multiples of every sort of crankbait, jig and worm that the standard bait and tackle shop supplies. I do, however, agree with you on catering to the average Joe since we are a small group unless the shop is near a tournament destination. Like a lot of guys I know, I buy online ONLY because I can’t get the stuff locally. Just saying it would be nice to walk into a place and find some stuff that is outside the norm and I think a lot of guys would agree with that
Hire nice people. You can be the nicest guy in the county but if the person backing you up while you are out is a jerk to me, I wont come back.
Be humble.
Cockiness, rudeness and attitude are your worst enemies. It will impress a few but turn away many.
Open early……open earlier on week ends 
Talk to Dean Marshall, positive he will give you the best advice in the shop biz.
Oh and another thing.. figure out what the most targeted species is in your area and cater to them. So if your area is a big panfish area make sure you have tons of crappie tubes, grubs, small jig heads, and good live bait. If your area is walleye make sure you have good walleye cranks, plastics, jig heads, harnesses/lindy rigs, etc. If its catfish make sure you have all that stanky crap they use for bait and giant sinkers that spook the walleye.
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A frest pot of coffee is always a bonus as its one less stop on the way to the lake.
I think you touched on something there.
Anything added to the store that helps an angler with convenience and efficiency is a plus. We want to be on the water not stopping at multiple stops to fulfill the needs for the day. On occasion, more times I like to admit, I forget something or something flies out of the boat be nice to not have to hunt something down like say a life jacket or minnow bucket even a cheap cooler for the snacks..
Like others have said; open and close on time. Have real good healthy bait and a tackle selection that is well organized. Take suggestions from customers as to what they would like you to carry.
The best looking bait tanks in the area and you will do well. Sell large and small minnows and be generous with the minnows, everybody knows night crawlers are a dozen and maybe put those in a styrafoam cup to keep them alive longer, that makes a good visual for crawler sales.
I don’t know if you can build them or have a concrete floor but concrete block bait tanks are a favorite in this area, and keep them full of minnows so when you go in with a bigger minnow net you pull out a few hundred, then use the small minnow net to give your customers a dozen or a net full. If a customer wants a dozen minnows give them atleast 15 too 18. If its a scoop give them a full scoop. Price hooks sinkers etc. so you can make some money but don’t over price them, or the minnows and crawlers.
An ice machine and bag your own and sell them a little cheaper then the local store, good selection of soda pop and mybe a few snacks. Get a winder to fill guys reels with line and have about 5 or 6 diffrent big spools of good brand name lines in 1/2 dozen diffrent lb. tests. If I can put 100 yrds of line on my reels for a reasonable price I won’t bother doing it myself and you’ll make a few bucks.
The bait business is a good business but get ready for long hours, but you’ll always know where the fish are biting, your customers will tell you. Put up a couple cork bulliten boards so guys can show thier catches. Put a tablet of paper and a pencil on the counter and ask guys to write down what they would like to see, that will help a ton. Good luck.
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One of the most important things is to have set hours and keep them. A guy tried a baitshop down here and the hours just said “close at 5:00pm”. He opened the shop whenever he got out of bed, usually around 9-10 am. I’d stop in there at 8, closed. Stop back at noon, out to lunch. Next day I’d get my bait elsewhere and when I drive by at 7am he’s open. Next day he opens at 10am.
Needless to say he didnt last but about 3 weeks. I also heard he counted out minnows which is a big no-no around here. $2.75 gets you about 40 crappie minnows or around 25-30 walleye minnows at the good shops here. Others will give you 12 and go out of business in weeks.
I went to a shop once where it was $3.50 a scoop for minnows. I thought that price was pretty high but he had a pretty big net laying there so I figured what the heck. He took the big net and netted up a bunch of minnows (probably 40-50) then reached under the table and pulled out a little tiny ice scooper and scooped out of the big net. About 8 fatheads made it into the bucket. Never went back to that shop again.
you talking the one by the mall?
River
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Big g is that ur garage if so that’s nice
Thanks ! It is the shack I am building up by the Pond 
There is a bait shop in the area you are talking about and parking there with a boat is a pain in the a$$, So I hope your parking area is plenty big.
Do you plan to operate it only as a bait shop? How much room inside and outside do you have? The guy that runs the baitshop by our cabin has a Uhaul rental center, sells used boats, docks, lifts, etc. on consignment for a nominal fee. He also has built several polesheds (offsite) and stores boats in the winter. He sells daka docks and lifts. He also sells TMC pontoons (doesn’t inventory many of these). He sells beer. You can do everything right, but if your not in the right location, it won’t matter. Good luck.
well there have been some real good points, and some not so good.. one.. LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION.. if you are on the WRONG side of a busy highway, and people are going to die trying to get into your parking lot, that’s not a good location..
two.. you are STARTING A BAIT SHOP.. not adding to one..
so a lot of this “extra stuff” is great, once you have money in the bank… but not at first.. BUY WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD.. Pay CASH.. so if you have to start out with HOOKS SINKERS LINE, BOBBERS, and minnow tanks.. then that’s what you need. You can’t get into a price war on rods and reels, not at first at least.. get some LOW END, low priced “quality ” rods.. no more then a $25 price point.. if not less.
Find out who has the good bait. ask. is there more then one bait dealer? get the good bait even if you pay more.. does your dealer separate the minnows.. how many sizes.. two, Pike and crappie? or three.. and then you have your winter shiners or suckers for summer..
YOU DIP THE BAIT.. WITH YOUR BUCKET.. not the clients.. you know where you bucket has been, YOU DON”T KNOW where THEIR BUCKET HAS BEEN.. a dozen minnows is a minimum of 18.. closer to 24.. 13 crawlers per box.. if one dies. there is still a dozen in there.
a great point was made.. have MORE COLORS and less depth.. 12 colors of Bomber 6a’s is better then the big box stores, 3 or 4 colors.. buy in three’s.. ONE TO SHOW , one to go, and one to hang on the wall. so for a dozen, you get four colors..
know your clientel. if your clientel is kids and old folks, there is NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.. there money is good.. and EVERYONE IS WELCOME..
be willing to tell a clean joke, and hear one back and laugh at it.. even if you heard it 200 times that week..
go to Goodwill and buy the big coffee pot.. but .. if you aren’t going through the coffee.. get a smaller one for a buck..
rent a coke machine.. and GET THEM TO GIVE YOU A SIGN.. if Coke says no , call Pepsi.. one of them will give you signage…
again.. there are some real good suggestions here, but not when you are FIRST STARTING OUT.. spend your money on terminal tackle.. bait tanks. a cheap refrigerator.. a couple of rods. a variety of lures..
I wish you well.. Oh and if you think you are going FISHING.,, guess again.. cuz you are not.. that’s a simple truth..
A lot of guys mentioned open and close on time. Along those lines have the bait shop phone answering machine set up with your opening and closing times including days with different times. I do not understand ANY business that does not do this today put not many smaller biz joints do this…one of my pet peeves.
Have a simple board with pictures of local catches (the name of the lake/river/creek included is a great hook). “Simple” contests can be a draw (you don’t have to give all that much of a prize to make most people happy) and along with the pic board can stimulate a little conversation and keep folks in your shop and browsing.
See if any taxidermists/rod builders/etc in the area are interested in advertising in your shop. Might be able to get a small cut down the road (even a couple/few bucks can help in long run) or you can “trade” ads with them if they have a shop.
Here’s some more ideas.
Network – start talking to people in the community now. And I’d suggest going beyond the guys that fish. Try to find people with business’s that you and they can mutually benefit from each other. Curmudgeon suggested taxidermists, that’s a good one.
Take a look at the list of suggestions here and now start to think about talking to the people that sell this stuff and would like to see you succeed for no other reason than you’ll sell some of their stuff.
Beer wholesalers
Food distributors
Tackle Manufacturers, all obvious ones.
Some of the perhaps not so obvious.
Local Paper – where you’ll advertise
Local Radio – same
Guys that make signs for small business
Guys that plow snow, mow grass
Local lawyers and tax professionals
I would find 3-5 local business champions, to help you spread the word that you’re opening. Check out the local business clubs and become a member.
Just some ideas…….
ET 
Lot’s of great suggestions here.
The biggest thing for me is to make sure your you and your employees never touch the finiky minnows with their hands. I’ve been in places that count every shiner minnow by hand. By the time I get to the counter two are dead and four are dead by the time I get to the lake. You don’t need to give away the farm but if you can’t scoop/estimate out 14-16 minnows for a dozen I won’t be back. Good Luck!
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One of the most important things is to have set hours and keep them. A guy tried a baitshop down here and the hours just said “close at 5:00pm”. He opened the shop whenever he got out of bed, usually around 9-10 am. I’d stop in there at 8, closed. Stop back at noon, out to lunch. Next day I’d get my bait elsewhere and when I drive by at 7am he’s open. Next day he opens at 10am.
Needless to say he didnt last but about 3 weeks. I also heard he counted out minnows which is a big no-no around here. $2.75 gets you about 40 crappie minnows or around 25-30 walleye minnows at the good shops here. Others will give you 12 and go out of business in weeks.
I went to a shop once where it was $3.50 a scoop for minnows. I thought that price was pretty high but he had a pretty big net laying there so I figured what the heck. He took the big net and netted up a bunch of minnows (probably 40-50) then reached under the table and pulled out a little tiny ice scooper and scooped out of the big net. About 8 fatheads made it into the bucket. Never went back to that shop again.
you talking the one by the mall?
No he was out in pleasant valley by the valley inn.
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