Old School Live Bait and Tackle Stores

[bconn]

I well remember Fall Creek bait and tackle at N. Keystone and Fall Creek it was an old mill. We used to ride our bikes from 56th st and Emerson way to get live bait to fish just downstream from the Emerson way bridge. That was back in the 60s

 

[Farmerjon]

Butch's Bait shop near Bass Lake on SR 10. Mrs. Gerstandt (sp?) was such a nice, friendly lady. She passed away this winter. Loved taking the grandkids there and they loved going and seeing all the live bait and getting a pop.

 

[WebSnyper]

I really liked Westside. Was sad to see them close. Took my son there quite a bit. Liked the idea of the treasure hunt aspect of finding what they had new on any given weekend, and you could negotiate a bit if you were buying any quantity. Not a lot of bass fishermen went in there so they would cut me deals on some of that stuff.

Honey Creek is a good modern shop. Higher end stuff, which you don't often see in a store of that size.

Tackle service center in Mooresville is OK, I went mostly to see what they had on consignment. Other aspects of the store are pretty limited IMO. Haven't been in a while due to Covid stuff.

 

[Winamac]

In Logansport there was Dicks Bait & Tackle. He also had a small firearms section as well. In the back along with the crickets, Beemoth etc... he had two huge freshwater tanks where guys would bring some of their bigger catches and put them in the tanks for a few days for folks to see. Then usually release them back into the river or lakes. I remember whenever Dick would have a guy bring in a big small- mouth from the river. Dick would have to put a weighted down screen over the tank because if he didn't in the middle of the night the small-mouth would jump out of the tank onto the floor and Dick would find them dead in the AM when he opened the store. I remember he would get in some real big small-mouths and some really big catfish. Again he always turned the big boys loose. he figured they got that big they earned it to go free. Dicks has been closed now for several years and Dick Omen has gone to the great fishing lake in the beyond. Miss that shop and the man.

 

[DEAIV]

I miss westside someone needs to open up there and carry on the legacy lol

 

[bdybdall]

Westside Bait and Tackle just west of downtown Indy closed most recently.
Fall Creek Bait shop just west of Keystone Ave, long gone.
Best my old memory can recall, I think one used to be up by Geist on Carrol Rd.. just south of 96th St./1000N...........I'm not 100% sure about location, but I can sure recall the "unique" smell there.
I steelhead fish the west side of Michigan, there's far more ma and pa shops up there, or at least there used to be.
Seems like there's one on SR6 just west of 49 in Valpo and can't forget Sleeze's in Lake Station.
I will truly miss these old places when they're all gone.

I remember all of those! That one on Geist, I stopped there a lot. Been to the one on Fall Creek a couple of times. Never went to Westside but I remember passing it a lot when I worked on the westside. There is still a bait & tackle store on Pendleton Pike in McCordsville if I remember right.

 

[jerrob]

I remember all of those! That one on Geist, I stopped there a lot. Been to the one on Fall Creek a couple of times. Never went to Westside but I remember passing it a lot when I worked on the westside. There is still a bait & tackle store on Pendleton Pike in McCordsville if I remember right.

Cap'n Hooks..............nope, gone.

 

[Winamac]

Just thought of another B&T that is still in business and it is old school. Twin Lakes Bait & Tackle owned by John Raines in Monticello Indiana by the dam. Neat old school shop with firearms, live bait, tackle you name it if it is hunting or fishing. They probably have it. They also have an awesome taxidermy display. John is also a veteran.

 

[trimman83]

Just thought of another B&T that is still in business and it is old school. Twin Lakes Bait & Tackle owned by John Raines in Monticello Indiana by the dam. Neat old school shop with firearms, live bait, tackle you name it if it is hunting or fishing. They probably have it. They also have an awesome taxidermy display. John is also a veteran.

I like that place also. Just a bit away from my Lil Sis's house. My summers were spent on Freeman. I've stopped in there and spent some money.

 

[Noble Sniper]

Yeah it’s sad when things change..... not usually for the best. The smells..... only in a good bait shop. Rods reels bait..... folks coming in and out..... lies bigger than the fish. You can’t get that in a Walmart!!!

 

[trimman83]

The tackle store east out of greenfield was a good place while they were there.

Also, that little place near the low-head dam in Edinburg.

 

[Bill2905]

I can't remember any specific place but this is bringing back memories of my Dad taking me and my brothers into those old bait shops when we were youngsters growing up in Ohio. Later on when I would fish the May white bass runs on the Portage River near Oak Harbor, OH, Pete's Bait Shop sat right on the river next to his house a quarter mile from where we would fish. He would give us the daily report and it was a good stop off for guys who were heading up to Lake Erie to walleye fish. Like all the others, he eventually closed up shop and it's all just a good memory now.

 

[Hatin Since 87]

IT makes me remember Hillmans Bait and Tackle in Mooresville , I think it opened up in the 50`s . I can relate to the unique sights and smells . It was just a bikes ride from our house . We had a small creek behind our house that we caught crawdads in . Hillmans would pay us a penny a piece for the small ones and up to 3 cents for the big ones . That shop had every square inch accounted for with merchandise . It`s where all the locals would take their catch of the day and pose for a polaroid to go on the wall . It changed hands to Kings B&T , but has since been closed for quite a few years .
Tackle Service Center also in Mooresville since the 70`s is still in business and has that same Olde Tyme atmosphere .
The owners are top notch . Though I don`t do much fishing anymore , they will get all of my business over any big box store .
They have quite a selection of gear , with live bait , rod and reel repairs , Boat accessories , FFL transfers ........
Far too many of the Mom and Pop stores disappearing .

Kings was awesome. They used to carry AC Shiners, wooden hand made lures that were awesome for small mouth fishing in white lick creek by the house. If I knew they were going out of business I would have bought 50 of them. Any time I think of a classic bait shop that’s the place that comes to mind. It had the perfect old time bait shop feel to it, and about everything you’d need there. Even had a couple AR’s for sale on the wall by the live bait. Now that they’re gone I don’t even know what’s back there now. Think I heard a vape shop is over there now

 

[***Ironhead***]

IT makes me remember Hillmans Bait and Tackle in Mooresville , I think it opened up in the 50`s . I can relate to the unique sights and smells . It was just a bikes ride from our house . We had a small creek behind our house that we caught crawdads in . Hillmans would pay us a penny a piece for the small ones and up to 3 cents for the big ones . That shop had every square inch accounted for with merchandise . It`s where all the locals would take their catch of the day and pose for a polaroid to go on the wall . It changed hands to Kings B&T , but has since been closed for quite a few years .
Tackle Service Center also in Mooresville since the 70`s is still in business and has that same Olde Tyme atmosphere .
The owners are top notch . Though I don`t do much fishing anymore , they will get all of my business over any big box store .
They have quite a selection of gear , with live bait , rod and reel repairs , Boat accessories , FFL transfers ........
Far too many of the Mom and Pop stores disappearing .

Can’t go wrong at TSC. Bobby is a good guy.

 

[indyartisan]

I took my Grandson to Schwartz’s last spring to buy him a fishing license and some bait to go fishing.
A young lady (about 9?) was running the register.
I asked her where was a good place to catch a fish and what was a good bait.
She took us down to the pier on White River and acted as our fishing guide.
She showed my Grandson (age9)
how to set up his pole, how to hook the minnow, how to set up a slip bobber, and gave him some casting lessens.
Within ten minutes he caught a really nice bass, bigger than Grandpa has caught in a couple decades.
Great experience and Great Service!

 

[stocknup]

Kings was awesome. They used to carry AC Shiners, wooden hand made lures that were awesome for small mouth fishing in white lick creek by the house. If I knew they were going out of business I would have bought 50 of them. Any time I think of a classic bait shop that’s the place that comes to mind. It had the perfect old time bait shop feel to it, and about everything you’d need there. Even had a couple AR’s for sale on the wall by the live bait. Now that they’re gone I don’t even know what’s back there now. Think I heard a vape shop is over there now

I never realized how much of an icon that place really was to me . You just always assumed that it would always be there .
I went to school with Perry ( King) He has always been a great guy and had no doubt he would run a great shop .
( I know , can`t believe a vape shop has taken it`s place )

 

[stocknup]

Can’t go wrong at TSC. Bobby is a good guy.

He is at that .......Have had quite a few conversations in there with him and Karen . Very good people ..............
Pretty sure they know me better for my FFL transfers , than for my fishing needs .

 

[***Ironhead***]

He is at that .......Have had quite a few conversations in there with him and Karen . Very good people ..............
Pretty sure they know me better for my FFL transfers , than for my fishing needs .

Been a few years for me but that was the same for me. Had a few interesting conversations with an older guy named Charlie. He may have passed by now. He was a funny man. Will be seeing them soon and getting reacquainted. Good friend bought a bass boat and I am retired now so I need some new tackle.

 

[Brad69]

Gatchel market!
You could sell ginseng buy ammo and guns. Then get groceries straight old school Ol men smoking around the stove.
You could also sell furs when the buyer came around made $85.00 in 1985 for a #1 beaver pelt.

Gatchel, Indiana

 

[Poncho53]

MAAAANNNNN!!!! The guys and I were just talking about how there used to be a ton of local bait shops on the IL/IN border up near Chicago. You has Vet's Bait & Tackle on the East Side, Jerry's in Hegewisch, Great Lakes in Whiting, Stan's by the Cabela's in Hammond, Ed Shirley's in Harvey or Markham. Now.... to get fatheads for perch and salmon you gotta hike into Chicago to go to Henry's on 31st or into Cedar Lake. Both locations are inconvenient when fishing Lake Michigan in North Hammond.