No bait lol

[Togfather2530]

Left Pa this morning @ 5am on a 21/2 hour ride to the boat to go on a tog drop. When I got to the tackle box bait store I found it to be closed. When down to atlantic bait and tackle to find the same thing. I then proceeded to Julians and they were open. I go in and they say they have no crabs. He said they were getting some in at 10 am so I said ok Ill be back. I go to breakfast and kill a bunch of time and go back at 10 to find a locked door. Waited there 20 minutes and 4 people came trying to get in while I was there. Its like wtf. I then threw the towel in and drove home lmao. I guess I should pull the boat and go on a party boat lol.

[SandsharkPolar]

Same thing happened to me. LOL! I probably passed you on the highway.

[Joey Dah Fish]

The are plenty of bait shops around there google them and call

[SandsharkPolar]

You got 3 bait shops in a row on the way down to AH Marina and you gonna tell me 2 would be closed and the other bails on you.You would think they would corner the market on guys heading down to the party boats.Guys who drive 2.5 hours are not going way out of their way to search for bait. Like I said, guys going there to give them business and nobodys home. Then they wonder why we buy our gear at Cabelas. I know it's best we always call. We dropped the ball this time. It won't happen again.

[Tuna Tales]

If you love Cabelas so much how come you didn't buy your crabs there??

Why not contact Julians directly and ask what happened instead of bitching to everyone on here. Maybe something happened out of their control.

:rolleyes:

[Gerry Zagorski]

You got 3 bait shops in a row on the way down to AH Marina and you gonna tell me 2 would be closed and the other bails on you.You would think they would corner the market on guys heading down to the party boats.Guys who drive 2.5 hours are not going way out of their way to search for bait. Like I said, guys going there to give them business and nobodys home. Then they wonder why we buy our gear at Cabelas. I know it's best we always call. We dropped the ball this time. It won't happen again.

First of all business is very slow this time of year for local bait shops. Ask yourself this question.... If you owned a shop which you staff yourself would you open up every day at 5 am like you do in the summer when there are no customers? Would you pre buy live bait like crabs on the chance a few people might come in this time of year? I think not, I know I wouldn't.

As far as buying your gear from Cabellas instead... Cabellas is not open at 5am to sell you bait when you need it. They also won't be so quick and trusting to make alternate arrangements for you to pick it up somewhere if they happened to be closed when your are headed down to the boat... They are not going to reserve bait for you either.

It's not like I've never shopped at Cabellas or Bass Pro or I dislike those places. I do however prefer to buy my gear locally when I can because I want those places around when I need bait, a reel serviced, a rod tip or guide replaced etc.

Bottom line is if you want these places to survive you need to support them by buying more then just bait.

[frugalfisherman]

That's why God created party boats.

[Down Deep Sportfishing]

That's why God created party boats.

And charters that include whites and greens with a paid fare.

[Flukenstein]

So you went fishing without accounting for bait and it's everybody else's fault you had a bad day? Should these b&t stores be open on a weekday at 5AM just in case some guys drive 2 1/2 hrs? There are not a lot of guys fishing this time of year and it doesn't pay. Bad planning on your part does not mean everyone else is at fault.

[Adrenalinerush]

I was gonna make all the points made earlier this morning but declined. Thanks to all who responded. If your gonna fish this time of year and you don't call ahead for bait, when crabs are scarce and everyone is scrambling for them then don't complain when you get shut out. You as much as said you should have called but didn't and then still blaimed the shops for not having crabs. If they were ready available don't you think they would have them? Look self in mirror instead of blaming others for lack of dilligence when you should have been diligent planing your trip, enough said

[SandsharkPolar]

As I said in my earlier post. We dropped the ball not preordering bait, guess you guys don't read too good. And I only blamed Julians because they said come back at 10am. Leave a note on the door when you expect to be back. As far as gear Gerry, I saw some other guys show up and asked them were they looking for bait. They said no they were looking to buy gear which means they probably went somewhere else. Oh, by the way I don't buy bait at Cabelas I buy my bait at local bait stores. The party boats do a hellava job taking care of their customers and I appreciate all they do for me when I hop on one, and the tackle shops in AH actually have real good prices on their fishing gear and I have purchased stuff there on occasions.

[Gerry Zagorski]

As I said in my earlier post. We dropped the ball not preordering bait, guess you guys don't read too good. And I only blamed Julians because they said come back at 10am. Leave a note on the door when you expect to be back. As far as gear Gerry, I saw some other guys show up and asked them were they looking for bait. They said no they were looking to buy gear which means they probably went somewhere else. Oh, by the way I don't buy bait at Cabelas I buy my bait at local bait stores. The party boats do a hellava job taking care of their customers and I appreciate all they do for me when I hop on one, and the tackle shops in AH actually have real good prices on their fishing gear and I have purchased stuff there on occasions.

Glad you are shopping local Sand... I and others here obviously saw the Cabellas line and assumed you did not. These local businesses are near and dear to most here so you can understand how we get a bit defensive about them.

[SandsharkPolar]

Understood Gerry. Now lets get back to the big tog reports. Maybe some of their good mojo will rub off on me.

[Jimmy in Point Beach]

I drove one and a half minutes to the Mimi VI this morning, paid my fare and they had all the crabs you could want. My boat is still in the water too :D

[Togfather2530]

Thanks for all the replies and offers to fish on charter boats. I appreciate everyones input. First I will say I already have 100k invested in boat, equipment and slips etc. I do go on charters or party boats occasionally but of course I would rather go on my own boat. I should have called ahead as well. One thing I will tell you Ive had crabs stolen that were tied off my boat in my marinas in your home town. Calling the bait shop so they can "put them outside" doesn't thrill me. I was there at 8 am on one of the only 3 days of the week worthwhile to sail imho. I get that it doesn't pay the stores to open. To finish I will say 4 people tried to get in in a 20 minute period and could not. Im not blaming anyone here just stating my day and what happened. Also I have bought reels tackle and bait and all of the local shops.

[Dupes]

Too many hating on the Togfather. He didn't dis anyone. He was just expressing his frustration over a wasted day. Lighten up.

[Capt Joe]

That's why God created party boats.

Where were you today, Bruce?
Wes had a thirty pounder right in your spot!:eek::D

[FISHGERE]

Fish on the lady m you wont be disapointed great captian and mate boat produces give them a try and catch fish.

[Capt. Debbie]

Agreed. You give up your life while serving us for most of the year. Maybe they don't open to sell $50 all day long. You want to work from 6am to 6pm for $4 per hour? Just because it's warm a day or two does not have then scurry back to sell some stuff in January or February.

Moral of the story is call ahead.

I got burned in season one year one I found Fred's B&T closes on Mondays after Labor Day and I was going to leave from Morgan. Drove down to Tackle Box and back. yes a pain in the ass. But now I know to check after Labor Day

Now you know and call ahead. Off season is very different. And frankly can we blame them for taking off?



First of all business is very slow this time of year for local bait shops. Ask yourself this question.... If you owned a shop which you staff yourself would you open up every day at 5 am like you do in the summer when there are no customers? Would you pre buy live bait like crabs on the chance a few people might come in this time of year? I think not, I know I wouldn't.

As far as buying your gear from Cabellas instead... Cabellas is not open at 5am to sell you bait when you need it. They also won't be so quick and trusting to make alternate arrangements for you to pick it up somewhere if they happened to be closed when your are headed down to the boat... They are not going to reserve bait for you either.

It's not like I've never shopped at Cabellas or Bass Pro or I dislike those places. I do however prefer to buy my gear locally when I can because I want those places around when I need bait, a reel serviced, a rod tip or guide replaced etc.

Bottom line is if you want these places to survive you need to support them by buying more then just bait.

[CCMPmonmouth]

Who goes Bottom fishing without getting or arranging for bait the day before. Im guessing a Fluke fisherman, who just got a GPS for X mas.

[Capt Sal]

Agreed. You give up your life while serving us for most of the year. Maybe they don't open to sell $50 all day long. You want to work from 6am to 6pm for $4 per hour? Just because it's warm a day or two does not have then scurry back to sell some stuff in January or February.

Moral of the story is call ahead.

I got burned in season one year one I found Fred's B&T closes on Mondays after Labor Day and I was going to leave from Morgan. Drove down to Tackle Box and back. yes a pain in the ass. But now I know to check after Labor Day

Now you know and call ahead. Off season is very different. And frankly can we blame them for taking off?
Freds is a joke!

[Irish Jigger]

It's been posted by sponsors.


http://www.njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86094

[Gerry Zagorski]

OK - I think everyone got the message, lets move on... Closing this post.