# Buying live bait



## Sr.Jigger (Feb 17, 2005)

Guy's help me out on this. 
Is it me ? or do I expect to much ?
Here in the Cambridge area there's few bait stops. Saltfork outdoors on the north end off I77 of Saltfork or Lakeside Carry out off SR22
coming in the main entrance.Both have live bait.....What's happen to the count and size live bait ??
I stopped at Lakeside and got almost $20 bucks of live bait.... 4 doz bass minnows + 2 doz crawlers.
I'm lucky if I got 3 doz Crappie minnows (mostly dead floaters) (small) and the worms were garden worms not night crawlers.
Now the thing is that this is the NORM around here....!!!!!And at both places....
( I just edited out a bunch of hellraising crap from this thread about 1/2 dead bait we buy).
I fish a ton.. I buy loads of other equipment and gear, beverage ,food while stopping for bait. Why short a customer on minnows or
have garden worms for night crawlers. 
They got this little cup with lines marked on to measure minnows in when selling and that's crap. Hell boy's they buy them things
buy the pounds. And the crawlers are getting smaller and smaller as time goes by.
From now on I'm stopping right there in front of the seller and counting and inspecting my bought bait and letting them know
what I think. I can put all the other stuff back on the counter I picked up to buy if the bait is not excepitable.
Sorry but I'm tired of getting taken advantage of when I give bait shops a lot of business.


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## ducky152000 (Jul 20, 2005)

dave at saltfork outdoors always treat me good on bait, i usualy only buy goldfish though, i pick and catch most of my bait but the few times i have baught crawlers and minows they were the size of garter snakes and the bass minows were always great size.


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## E- man (Jan 25, 2014)

Have had pretty good luck at salt fork outdoors. Best to check your bucket though. Was shorted on bass minnows a couple times but Dave made it right. You make a good point though about spending money on other things and in turn getting screwed on the bait. I wouldn't want the job of dealing with all the idiots that walk through the door but thats not an excuse for shorting people on bait. It's to the point where I take my dip net & count the minnows. Last time I payed for 3 doz. bass 3 doz. crappie got nine bass & barely 3doz on the crappie. He did make it right though. Shouldn't have to do that !! Never had any problems in the past. Wondering myself why so skimpy with the bait all of a sudden. Am considering setting up a tank and buying direct from supplier if this keeps up. Doesn't take long to go through a few dozen minnows and being short doesn't help!


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## WillyB2 (Dec 28, 2008)

The area around tappan lake has no bait shops left. The marina sells crappie minnows and they are so small its hard to hook them up. My wife couldn't do it. I'm sure its tough to run a bait shop and be successful at it. It's seasonal and takes a savvy person to make it work.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Face it; The quality Mom & Pop bait shops have slowly disappeared due to the lack of being able to sell items other than bait. Bait alone will not support a shop. You have to sell tackle, main and terminal as well as other hard goods associated with fishing plus food stuff and beverage. Just consider how many people prefer to get those items from the Big Box stores because they can save ten cents on the dollar. What can an owner do when bad weather shuts down the weekend fishing and 50% of the minnows end up dying in the tank? Worms are not the easiest to keep alive and healthy over a period of time and can be profitable only if purchased in quantity then boxed and fed. What you do is try to salvage what is left by watching the count to maximize the return on every minnow and worm because the other items on the shelves are not being purchased. 
How many times have you heard someone complaining about the bottle of soda he paid $1.25 for at the shop when he could get it for $1.00 per bottle buying it as a six pack form a supermarket. 
There are not too many individuals that enter the bait shop with the intent of purchasing items other than bait.


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

Try being in Athens. The only shop that we have is downs bait a half hour north at lake Logan. If you want minnows you had better find a creek.


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## Sr.Jigger (Feb 17, 2005)

All good points made. I guess were lucky to have bait shops around to go to. It don't happen all the time and there is guy's working at the bait shop that does you right. It's just frustrating when you open your bucket and see 1/2 doz 
floaters you bought 10 minutes ago. It can't be easy working at a bait shop.


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## multi species angler (Feb 20, 2006)

Sr.Jigger said:


> All good points made. I guess were lucky to have bait shops around to go to. It don't happen all the time and there is guy's working at the bait shop that does you right. It's just frustrating when you open your bucket and see 1/2 doz
> floaters you bought 10 minutes ago. It can't be easy working at a bait shop.


 I don;t care how bad business is or how tough it is to keep bait alive, a customer should always be given what was paid for. If the shop owner is smart they will even give a few extra minnows to compensate for the dead and dying. If I was shorted like some on here have been I would put everything back and let them keep thier bait. I wouldn't go back until the shop has a new honest owner. Enough said.


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## bill dowler (Apr 8, 2004)

Just like how we have lost a good one at senecaville, at the little hardware store, when the previous owners had it, you would get more than you bought...now with the new owners if you order 2 dozen you will get 23 minnows lol


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

So that explains it. Just bought 3 dozen bass minnows there today at 2.50 per dozen. It was pathetic what 7.50 got me. Used to buy them from the old guy with the beard there. He would hook you up. They don't have to worry about me going back there.


bill dowler said:


> Just like how we have lost a good one at senecaville, at the little hardware store, when the previous owners had it, you would get more than you bought...now with the new owners if you order 2 dozen you will get 23 minnows lol


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## TClark (Apr 20, 2007)

So Jim Cory's place is closed up at Tappen?


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## WillyB2 (Dec 28, 2008)

TClark said:


> So Jim Cory's place is closed up at Tappen?


Yes, Terry, I believe Jim's wife also passed away. There was a bait shop in a trailer right across from where Jim's old shop was at but he did not open up this year. I don't use live bait very much but when the wife goes she likes her bobber & minnows.


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## Sr.Jigger (Feb 17, 2005)

There's a new marina going to open at Seneca lake soon. Like this year. I read where a Buckeye lake Business is opening a place at Seneca . Sounds like they will have a full service business. bait ,boats, restaurant the whole nine yards. MWCD received millions in oil+gas rights and Seneca Park is going to totally be rebuilt or overhauled.
I saw the plans,,, really,,, this is going to be a massive improvement and that's great. New cabins,docks, lodge,camp sites, launches, on and on. I believe if you go to MWCD site they have the (SENECA MASTER PLAN)
shown by now. This area is going to see big changes and a good place to set up shop if starting a business.


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## fishgod (Oct 19, 2013)

Man,don't want to throw bait shop name out but I read this thread yesterday and took the kids blue gillen today stopped and got dozen crawlers for 3.50,half were dead and other half were super small just made me think need to start paying more attention!


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## multi species angler (Feb 20, 2006)

fishgod said:


> Man,don't want to throw bait shop name out but I read this thread yesterday and took the kids blue gillen today stopped and got dozen crawlers for 3.50,half were dead and other half were super small just made me think need to start paying more attention!


 Too many people don't complain about these problems so they just continue to do business that way. If you don't name the bait shops other anglers will just continue to be ripped off. It will only happen to me once and the shop owner will hear about and so will other anglers, including the name of the shop.


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## bigfish2012 (May 4, 2009)

Dad taught me from day one open your stinkin works and make sure they're lively and your seeing the right amount. Same goes for minnows. Tell the bait shop owner your going to have to pass and go elsewhere maybe they will straighten up or get out of the business. I highly recommend fishermans headquarters in Dayton for live bait. Honest shop I've been going to for a lifetime.


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