Starting a bait shop

You would be living the dream that most of us have. But, you have to ask yourself am I a people person. Sorry I have never met you. I will not mention names or towns but we had a local bait shop where you could tell when you walked into the shop if it was a bad day for the operator. He would give me a tounge lashing because he had to sell so many licenses and only made a $1.00 a piece off of them. I bought all my licenses from him and would buy bait and snacks from him. My average bill was usually between $15-20. If you are having a bad day and don’t like the things you have to do you CAN NOT show your flustration to the customer. I am sure you have thought this over already, but I thought I would say something. Good luck if you decide to do it!

A couple extra comments here:

If you have teenage kids or know some teens that would be thrilled to work in a bait shop, they can really help out.

Also, having an online store showing inventory would help too. Some guys will drive a long ways to get specialty items quickly. Let’s say you stocked Brovarney Swim Jigs and I needed them for a tourney, I know I could check online to see what you have and run down there to pick them up. I can help you with an online store that you can maintain yourself ata really low cost.

A specialty item to consider: custom walleye snells.

West End Bait Shop is for sale in Winona.

okay now you are talking about something that I know about. When Mac owned Mac’s ( d and j) he did enough business on minnows and crawlers alone to make a long term livelihood.

Jim Stahl worked for him. and it worked out. Jim bought the business, and for the most part it worked out. But things changed.
Jim didn’t own the wholesale business .that’s where the money is in that shop. being able to buy bait below what the other dealers have to pay for bait.

West end Bait, was a great store as well. when the Kid owned it.. but its changed as well. Back then you didn’t have Fleet Farm with a giant area of tackle. or Gander 20 miles away.

But now, things are changing as well. Wal-mart is getting out of the tackle business. Shopko doesn’t even have a sporting goods department to speak of.

Mac’s in Onalaska is the place to buy because of the parking. but the wholesale business must be part of the business or NO SALE.

lets just say that I have over 30 years worth of the tackle business and intimately know the LaCrosse/ Winona area for tackle sales or did at one time.

Tim,

are you sure. I know Brad and his dad, much better — mildly suprised becuse I know it has been a struggle.

I will see them next week

Brad at West End Bait was working partime for a company in Rochester this past winter when the baitshop was slow. They offered him a great full time job and he took the job. Len has been running the shop for him, but those are alot of hours to put in for a guy that is suppost to be enjoying his retirement. Long story short Brad decided to put the Business up for sale.