Cheap A ## bait shops

[captain54]

Esox Slayer, I don't expect extra bait ,but it would be a nice gesture to get a few extra minnows when you buy 12 doz. at a time.Why do you think I buy large amounts of bait,because I KNOW I'm not going to get any extra.As for running a business I have since 1975 ,and I no how to treat my customers fairly and honestly. And I am anti Wal-Mart but just like everyone you and I do buy something there.And just like everyone else everybody looks for a deal. All you guys say you gladly pay a higher price, are really not ,$279.00 for a vex or $350.00.Gee let me think.....I'll take the one for 350.00 to help the little guy...I bet you would... To Bob with the bait shop,Whats your mark up on lures? I know It's big ,and they just sit there and never go bad,great shelf life.I'd like to buy a product for 5 to 7 bucks( minnow) and sell it for 27 bucks as you said you make on them.I know it tough to make a living being self employed but my post was really about being treated a little better by the bait shop owner.Sorry to all that I offended,but I'm almost positive that most of you guys have been ticked off at least once or twice at your bait man.I hope we can move on the better topics and let this one rest.

[crayfishbob]

The common retail markup goes as follows : Devide the price you buy something by .6. you should get a ballpark figure. For example, $1.00 equates to $1.66 Big ticket items get chopped a bit, but for small items this works well.

The prices I quoted on minnows reflect going price on fatheads last fall at aprox 225 to 275 minnows per lb.
Big shiners are different.

[scansy]

One question for the guys who have run/owned a bait shop - and I'm asking out of curiosity, not to make a point of any kind.

Do most bait shops "make money" off of their bait, or is it just a necessary thing to have or else most guys aren't coming in to the store.  Is it "bait" to get guys in and while they are there they buy a couple of lures, drinks, a net, rod, whatever?

The reason I ask is that there are two local convenience stores that are big here in PA (outside of the national chains) - WaWa and Sheetz.  Both of them started selling gas in recent years and are generally cheaper than the average gas station by a few cents a gallon.  I read somewhere that they only try to break even on gas or maybe make a little bit of money - have enough income to pay for the gas, maintaining the pumps, etc.  But that the gas has people come in and then they buy coffee, donuts, drinks, hoagies, etc. - and that's where they make money.

Is bait the same as gas?

[esox slayer]

One question for the guys who have run/owned a bait shop - and I'm asking out of curiosity, not to make a point of any kind.

Do most bait shops "make money" off of their bait, or is it just a necessary thing to have or else most guys aren't coming in to the store.  Is it "bait" to get guys in and while they are there they buy a couple of lures, drinks, a net, rod, whatever?

The reason I ask is that there are two local convenience stores that are big here in PA (outside of the national chains) - WaWa and Sheetz.  Both of them started selling gas in recent years and are generally cheaper than the average gas station by a few cents a gallon.  I read somewhere that they only try to break even on gas or maybe make a little bit of money - have enough income to pay for the gas, maintaining the pumps, etc.  But that the gas has people come in and then they buy coffee, donuts, drinks, hoagies, etc. - and that's where they make money.

Is bait the same as gas?

A lot of stuff in retail is, or was referred to as a "loss leader".  Some items for example were sold at or maybe even slightly below cost, something the competition didn't sell so cheaply, in order to draw people to "your" store...

Point of Purchase (POP) stuff that grabs your eye at the counter when you hit checkout/ the cashier is designed  specifically to draw your attention to the item in question.....Esox

[scansy]

Point of Purchase (POP) stuff that grabs your eye at the counter when you hit checkout/ the cashier is designed  specifically to draw your attention to the item in question.....Esox

Oh, you mean the stuff the kids beg for when you are leaving.  "Pleeeeeeease can I get gum.  Pleeeeeeeaaaaaassssee.  I promise, it won't end up in my sister's hair this time."

 

[Tim Hanford]

From my experience running a tackle shop for 3 years, live baits sales are a big money maker.  At least they were for us with our prices. 

Fishing rods, soft pastic lures and live bait were our big money makers.  Hard baits like Bandit crankbaits for example we didn't make squat on them, about a quarter, but carried them because they were popular.  Now high end lures like Lucky Craft and Megabass had BIG markups on them.

Rods are a big money maker with a huge markup but the profit on reels is very, very little.

[keva]

I only read the first page of post, but I am with crayfishbob. A dozen minnows means 12 and you have no reason to get angry at someone for giving you what you asked for. They are trying to run a business. They shouldn't be giving you dead bait, I agree completely there. It is nice when they give you a few extras, but they don't have to. The 20 minutes is too long, but I doubt she took 20 minutes. I would becareful of what you are doing to these baitshops, it sounds as if NY is giving them a hard time and they don't need the anglers giving them a hard time too.

[RLWagner]

If 12 allways meant 12, the it would not be such a big deal. But for most of our lives, a dozen meant a GOOD scoop! Two or three dozen meant an army of minnows. Now in the last year or so there is a transition going on that is hard to get use to. Weather itis based on minnows, donuts or anything else, there was a norm, and it is now evolving into something hard to deal with. The prices are soaring, and the count is declining.
I personally think the discontentwith 12 for a dozen is not that we cannot afford it, but we have been use to a dozen actually meaning more, for a reasonable price, one that allowed the bait shop to make a living, and fisherman to afford bait weekly.

[downRIVER]

Supply and Demand.

All this talk about back in the day, 18 miles uphill both ways.

GET OVER IT!
IT IS TIME TO COMPETE and SURVIVE!

Don't expect extras, be happy when you get them.
Be happy your local bait shop is still a bait shop.

[pembroke]

So you want 15 or 18 or 24 to be a dozen. If so you will have to help me out with some of my expenses.
1. because of A new law in NY I get my fatheads from the south west US at double the price of the ones I used to get locally.
2. emerald shiners I used to get from the Niagara River now come from Wisconsin at almost 3 times the cost.
3. We had 2 feet of snow in October and had no electric for four days. I lost all my minnows overnight as I could not even get to the shop. That storm shut most fishing down that month as people had to clean up after the storm.
4. No ice in Dec.
5. No ice until end of Jan.
6. taxes went up
7. insurance went up
8. The house I rent in front of the shop was vacant for 2 months
9. had a broken water pipe in the shop
10. Had a leak in the bait tank.
11. repaired refrigerator in the shop
12. Shop needs a roof
the above is just a partial list, then your have shoplifters, guys who think it's a good idea to take a leak in your driveway or think you should be open 24/7 or how about the guy who kicks the s**t out of your bait machine.

[RLWagner]

Not expecting anymore than 12, just trying to explain that the recent change in practice, albeit neded, may have confused some into angryness. If they understood your angle, as they may now, it should help. Thanks for sharing your angle.

[crayfishbob]

Having a baitshop is not a business, its a service to the fishing community.

[hunters08]

So you want 15 or 18 or 24 to be a dozen. If so you will have to help me out with some of my expenses.
1. because of A new law in NY I get my fatheads from the south west US at double the price of the ones I used to get locally.
2. emerald shiners I used to get from the Niagara River now come from Wisconsin at almost 3 times the cost.
3. We had 2 feet of snow in October and had no electric for four days. I lost all my minnows overnight as I could not even get to the shop. That storm shut most fishing down that month as people had to clean up after the storm.
4. No ice in Dec.
5. No ice until end of Jan.
6. taxes went up
7. insurance went up
8. The house I rent in front of the shop was vacant for 2 months
9. had a broken water pipe in the shop
10. Had a leak in the bait tank.
11. repaired refrigerator in the shop
12. Shop needs a roof
the above is just a partial list, then your have shoplifters, guys who think it's a good idea to take a leak in your driveway or think you should be open 24/7 or how about the guy who kicks the s**t out of your bait machine.

sounds like you better close your shop

[crafty1]

hey hunters08 what is the site you order from for the spikes and wax worms...and how long is it for delivery.just curious,and thinking of doing it too(good idea)

[shrub]

there is 3 or 4 bait shopsin my area, all but 1 are anywhere near all the local bodies of water, so this is the bait shop i give my business to. he does not sell a lot of tackle and stuff like that, he has bait nets, buckets terminal tackle and a few tip ups and jig rods. but the bait is his major business, me and my buddies spend allot of money their during the winter. and we always get extra bait, a dozen of the smaller bait tends to  equal 2 dozen. a dozen of the more expensive bigger baits tends to equal a dozen and a half. is this whey i go there? no i go there because it is close to where i fish,the bait is reasonably prised, there is always someone there, and the owner are really nice. but getting more bait than you pay for is nice to

[walleyeslayer]

can you order wigglers online? lol  i had a guy this morning give me a real deal, 2 dozen dead rotting wigglers for the low price of 3 dollars.  got to the lake, and i was able to get 4 wigglers on the hook....only 2 were alive, and all the rest melted in my fingers before i could get them on the hook, man was i pissed, i call the store, some dude answers and tells me to bring back the dead ones, and hed swap with me, i guess that was a half assed effort to make it right.  thank god im the walleyeslayer, and i overcame by sheer willpower, and caught the fish.  it woulda been better to just offer me a free dozen friggin wigglers (alive) which is all i wanted in the first place, instead of pawning off his garbage to me, 2 dozen rotting wigglers...i feel like i was hustled..i prolly bought 100 dollars in bait alone from the guy this short winter, not including numerous lures trying to support his business, damned if you do, damned if you dont

[crafty1]

that cracked me up walleyeslayer,thats why i wanted to see if you could buy the spikes and waxes on line..and the main thing i was wondering was how long until they were delivered to the house

[hunters08]

hey hunters08 what is the site you order from for the spikes and wax worms...and how long is it for delivery.just curious,and thinking of doing it too(good idea)

www.jadabaits.net Free shipping   1-800-861-4415 Faster if you call in your order usually around 5 days

[crafty1]

thats perfect im going next weekend.thanks for the info hunters08

[pikeking]

Order them online 1000 for 5.99 put them in a paper bag in your basement or fridge if she will let you. Fish smarter not harder.  Cabela's has them or find a garden shop online.

[crafty1]

yea thats what i want to do,hunters08 is going to get the web site for it,and believe me she'll let me put little worms in the fridge,every year i have bags of squid and spearing stinking up the freezer sometimes when im go fluke,flounder,and striped bass fishing down the road from me,so little worms are a walk in the park for her...lol

[hunters08]

the corrected site is www,jadabait.net same phone number

[crafty1]

thanks good luck to everyone, and hope everyone has a great & safe time of catching the big ones...
                                  p.s. just let me post the biggest one after next weekend lol

[buttlesdog]

yea thats what i want to do,hunters08 is going to get the web site for it,and believe me she'll let me put little worms in the fridge,every year i have bags of squid and spearing stinking up the freezer sometimes when im go fluke,flounder,and striped bass fishing down the road from me,so little worms are a walk in the park for her...lol

Yo Crafty, I live on the other side of the LI sound in Mamaroneck... nothing, and I mean nothing, smells worse than a nice rotting bunker!! If you come up this way to ice fish, through Westchester, we have some very good bait dealers in this neck, PM me and we can discuss...

[keva]

Think of is as you will, but it is a business. They may be helping you a lot, but they are still looking for a profit. There is nothing wrong with running a business.

[BASSandICE65]

For mealworms buy them at a pet store I get 500 hundred for 7.95! They use them for lizards. As for shiners throw out some minnow traps until you find them well worth the effort to catch your own bait. The bait stores in my area suck they know nothing about the local fishing just want to sell you bait!!!

Keith

[CHICKENFOOT]

THERE IS ONE ON 23 IN NJ IS THE CHEAPEST!! COUNTS THE BAIT WITH A DIP NET AND YOU ASK FOR A PARTICULAR SIZE IT IS LIKE PULLING TEETH. GOT TO RES TO FISH AND THREE HAD DIED TOLD HIM,TOLD ME HE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE MORE INTERRESTED IN DOING THE CROSSWORD PUZZLE THAN HELPING A FISHERMAN

[Big Burk]

the gas stations where i fish always have dead maggots, meal worms, leaches or worms when you buy them but the tackle shop in the same town right next to the one gas station goes through his bait every few days and if you have dead ones he will replace them if you bring them back within half an hour. i hate buying bait at the gas stations but till the tackle shop opens up in april looks like im stuck buying crappy bait. tell me in 30 maggots, only 13 were alive? they were good when they were put in the fridge was all i was told when i complained about the bait. me hates that place

[cold_feet]

All I got to say is get over it. I mean come on you go to buy bait and if they sell Minnows by the dozen then you get a dozen, not 24 not 18 not 13. Why is it everyone thinks they should get something free. As far as buying grubs and such well do as I do Open the container in the store and look at them before you purchase. If half are dead well Say so right there and then. If the owner has a problem about it well then Leave them right where ya found them and do yourself a favor and order 5,000 from a bait supplier and split the costs. One other option is Open a shop yourself. These people who do this for a living are living on pennies the Ma and Pa shops are about done for because of the big businesses who have enough money to purchase products and sit on them a year before someone  purchases them. Not the ma and pa shops who have to dig into their bank accounts and purchase  everything and sit on the there inventory until someone decides they need to buy a bag of split shots for a buck. No one is telling you you must buy from these people so why complain if you are too cheap to drive that extra 15 miles to the next baitshop well thats your problem not the owners. For me If I get lousy service or someone sells me dead bait Ill never go back period! Yet if I can talk to the owners or people who work there and feel I am important to there business well I guess I will go back many times. As a owner being rude to customers is no excuse. But expecting a gas station attendant who sells bait to know where the fish are biting well Doh what would you expect. I look at it this way, These shops are comming into a slack time of year where all the bait and tackle they bought is either going to die or lie on the shelf for at least a month or two just because of the weather. That relates to a loss. In a month or two they have to restock there bait supplies which is another hit on there pocketbook until that bait is sold. Until the time where they start selling regularly they must keep the shop open which cost money for elect to run the lights, coolers, Aerators, and gas for there vehicles to get to work. To basically sell nothing. Not much profits if you ask me. So before you complain about a guy not giving you those extra minnows look a little more deeply into his situation, it surely isn't a pretty one if you ask me and again if you don't like it Take a ride 15 miles down the road to the guy who gives them away free.
Just My .02

[IceholeFisherman]

For mealworms buy them at a pet store I get 500 hundred for 7.95! They use them for lizards. As for shiners throw out some minnow traps until you find them well worth the effort to catch your own bait. The bait stores in my area suck they know nothing about the local fishing just want to sell you bait!!!

Keith

My bait dealer is the only one in town. The owner was hospitalized and his wife said they didn't think they would be in business much longer. Bummer. Didn't have any live bait in stock. I took a chance and went to the local pet store. They had waxies and mealworms as well as other things. The waxies were 50 cents cheaper per 50 then the bait store was. Now I'm not one to cry over 50cents, and would gladly pay it for the conversation value. The pet store people don't get the info the bait dealers get. Pet stores are another small business alternative to Wal Mart but your not going to get lures there.

I can get live bait without even having to leave the house. My wife has a "critter" problem and is at the pet store at least once a week. So I just have her pick them up for me. I am thinking of getting her professional help but that is another subject. Any one have a reference to a good therapist? LOL