Whatever happened to bait shops?

[Nicodemus]

The lower Flint River is full of gator fleas. Great bait too.

 

[NCHillbilly]

The lower Flint River is full of gator fleas. Great bait too.

When it rains in late spring, the road below my house is full of them crawling away from the river to bury up and pupate.

 

[sbroadwell]

Most salamander species are protected now.

Well, that’s terrible. So many things we used to do, we can’t do anymore. Or at least get caught doing it.

 

[kmckinnie]

Gators have fleas ?

 

[Nicodemus]

Gators have fleas ?

You from Florida and have to ask that question?

 

[kmckinnie]

You from Florida and have to ask that question?

Well BkW always caught the gator and got them. ?

 

[hdgapeach]

I remember two north of LaGrange. One on 219 just below the Yellowjacket creek access. Rice's Bait & Tackle. I used to buy a bunch of stuff from Mr. Cottle back in the late '70s and the '80s. That store is now and apartment!! Still has the awning on the front where the gas pumps used to be.

The other shop was on (old) Highway 27 north of LaGrange right where Hillcrest Road cut off to the right. That one was the Fisherman's One Stop. All of us that killed anything off the Hillcrest Hunting Club lease had our muggs pinned to the bulletin board with our hunting success critter. I miss ol' Wilber and Ruth....and especially ol' John. He was the one that talked like a duck because he couldn't really speak for some reason. I was one of the few that could actually have a decent conversation with him because, for some reason I could actually understand what he had to say.

I think it was the people that ran the establishments that made the places so special back then, no matter what was on the shelves. I think I spent about as much time in those two stores as I did in the woods and on the water.

 

[GTMODawg]

I remember two north of LaGrange. One on 219 just below the Yellowjacket creek access. Rice's Bait & Tackle. I used to buy a bunch of stuff from Mr. Cottle back in the late '70s and the '80s. That store is now and apartment!! Still has the awning on the front where the gas pumps used to be.

The other shop was on (old) Highway 27 north of LaGrange right where Hillcrest Road cut off to the right. That one was the Fisherman's One Stop. All of us that killed anything off the Hillcrest Hunting Club lease had our muggs pinned to the bulletin board with our hunting success critter. I miss ol' Wilber and Ruth....and especially ol' John. He was the one that talked like a duck because he couldn't really speak for some reason. I was one of the few that could actually have a decent conversation with him because, for some reason I could actually understand what he had to say.

I think it was the people that ran the establishments that made the places so special back then, no matter what was on the shelves. I think I spent about as much time in those two stores as I did in the woods and on the water.

It absolutely was the people who ran them that made them special. Even at most "bait" shops today the staff is a cashier just like a Flying J or Circle K. The folks at Pollards Corner are still pretty good though.

I remember both of the places above. If I remember correctly Rice's would open after hours most of the time. Hillcrest was always impressive in that they catered to hunters and fisherman. This was unique when Bass Pro Shops sent you a catalog and meant it.....

There was another one in that area on Ware's Cross Road (I think) that was ran by a black family and it was a proper bait shop also. I can't remember the name but the man that ran it was about as knowledgable about fishing conditions as anyone in the area...because he spent an inordinate amount of time fishing in the area LOL. He worked weekends but fished during the week almost every day year round. If he wasn't catching nobody was.

That area was a fisherman's paradise once upon a time. May still be for all I know...at least what passes as such today. All of those places were also convenience stores and served as grocery stores for the people who lived around them but selling bait and fishing stuff was what they were about. I suspect it has become difficult to make it with chain convenience stores and online tackle being so prevalent. Not a lot of money in crickets and minnows but they could make a little money on a Zebco 33 and an Ugly Stick back in the day....

 

[B. White]

Anybody remember Pete Smith?

 

[seabolt]

On lake nottely.you have the bait shack.thats self serves.and you have Jack's creek

 

[Batjack]

Anybody remember Pete Smith?

Only Pete Smith I remember taught auto mechanics at McEachern High in the early 80's.

 

[B. White]

Only Pete Smith I remember taught auto mechanics at McEachern High in the early 80's.

He ran a bait shop in Rex in the 60s. He was a round as he was tall.

 

[oppthepop]

Looking at the google for state line road I remembered another sure enough bait shop that is apparently still a bait shop. It is now called On Target Hunting Store on google but I don't think it was when I knew it well. There was a GOOD all you can eat catfish place across the road...none of those grain fed commercial catfish but straight out of the Chattahoochee with all that good Atlanta fertilizer. My mouth is watering now thinking of those fish, those hushpuppies and that tea that would put a diabetic in the grave with a smile the undertaker couldn't wipe off his face. But I digress.

That bait shop was the real deal. Honest to god cane poles hanging under the eves....anywhere from 6 foot long to 20. None of that bamboo with a metal feral crap either...one piece honest to god can poles the man cut off the side of the highway, laid up to dry and sold for about .10 cents a foot if memory serves. They had anything you could ask for. Minnows of every size and description, big bellied crickets you could flat line (honest to god....man fattened them up on sliced potatoes in the box...the smell was noticeable at the catfish place across the street if the wind was right), worms of ever description INCLUDING Georgia Jumpers....the ones that live in pine straw and can whup a 3 pound largemouth bass if they want to. They had chicken livers, gizards, hearts, beef and pork liver, ivory soap (for those who don't know real ivory soap is the best trot line bait ever....lasts forever and big channel cats love it) meal worms, wasp larvae as well as bee larvae, leaches that were caught in the creek just down the street by a kid with a rotting chunk of stew beef, this place had it all and did a BOOMING business. They even had chattahoochee suckers and shiners straight from the river. Talk about matching the hatch! They sold drinks in one of those machines you pulled one drink at a time from the door and they always had ice crystals in them. They sold home made fried pies....you ain't lived until you have ate a home made fried chocolate or lemon pie. None of that dang stuff mass produced but made by the hands of a good christian woman. This place was the for sure real deal.

But the truly interesting thing about this place was the plaque they had over the front door claiming it was the birthplace of....wait for it.....The Tom Mann Bait Company! Most people will say that Tom Mann started his business in Eufala and the companies web site says Enterprise Alabama. But there seems to be some truth to the fact that he grew up outside of what is now Valley in Chambers County and did indeed make and sell something close to the Little George in that very bait shop just outside Valley. Back when West Point first came to full pool and was so young it wasn't unusual to catch bass 2 at the time on a crank bait (the eco system hadn't settled in yet and bait fish were scarce and had a lot of places to hide) this was a widely held fact in Shawmut, West Point and what is Valley today. My uncle swore he bought some of those baits from Tom Mann himself at that bait shop. They had a letter from the Tom Mann Bait Company affirming that he had indeed sold baits at that shop but it could be a forgery....the company claims Enterprise as the companies birthplace and Eufaula is what the world knows.....

You are absolutely correct!

 

[oppthepop]

Anybody else remember Willis Hemming in Newnan? Hemming's bait and tackle. My goodness at the minnows, leeches, carolina pinks and red wigglers we got there. Vienna sausage and saltines and maybe a RC and a Moon Pie if we were good kids! I miss the old days myself.