Bait Shop
 

Just heard that Behere Bait and Tackle closed, This sad news happening
too often. Meltzers after 101 years , Behere only after 5 years. Getting
almost impossible to get bait anymore. Is there a bait shop open near
RV and Spruce.

Re: Bait Shop
 

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Yea, go see Tommy at the sporting life. He's got plenty of bait. And he's got solid open water tackle and gear to outfit you for just about any freshwater fishing in NJ. He's on eastbound rt 22 in white house. Same plaza as white house flooring and just before The Farm mall construction site.

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Saltwater too!!!!

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Has he changed his hours at his store or still open at 9 or 10 weekdays?

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Seems like a good shop, I just do not understand why a bait shop
is opening at 9:00 or 10:00 a.m., 6:00 or 7:00 a.m. should be the time
to open. As far as Behere always sad to see a shop close and he had great hours, opened by 5:00 and 6:00.

I would love to give a local shop business but when it opens at 10, I am on
the water (as many fishermen are) 4 hours already.

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Sporting Life hours will change during the "in season". Tom has gone above and beyond to accomadate me. Stop in and talk to him!

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Sounds Good.
Sporting Life sounds like a shop that cares about their customers and
all Sportsmen as well.

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That sucks that Behere closed. It was very convenient to Round Valley and other area waters. But it always seemed they were operating on a shoe string. Great place to buy bait, but limited selection of tackle. I guess there isn't enough profit in largely selling worms, shiners and herring.

But as for their competetiion in the area, their hours suck. I see now that their website calls it "winter hours" but those were the hours last summer if I recall correctly.

A lot of Round Valley and Spruce Run anglers are about to call it a day by the time they open mid week.

It's a tough business these days with BPS/Cabelas, Dicks and Amazon, but there should be a place for a full service tackle shop that is also open early enough to serve the the fishig public. Right now there are few options in the vicinity to buy bait if you want to go ice fishing early in the morning. Hoping the new place can fill that niche as well.

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That is my biggest problem, hours of operation. Yes some local shops
provide great service but they need to be open. I hope they realize this and
give us the opportunity to support their business.

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Again...guys he is very receptive! Stop in his shop, meet him and talk. Posting on an internet forum about it wont change anything and may even go un noticed. In small business face to face communication and customer feedback go a long way in helping the customer AND the business owner. This is our ONLY shop left in our area. No more Round Valley bait and boat, no more Behre, no more Sportsman Rendezvous. Lets support this one ore were screwed. He has a good amount of tackle and will order you what he doesent. He just ordered me 2 Avet EXW 30s. I could have got them anywhere and saved 20$ but I went to him because hes there when I need him. SUPPORT small business, go and talk to hi.!!!

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I would like to support the local shop also but the opening times are not good for many fishermen that I know. Hopefully the hours get better but the owner has to do what he considers is best for business, I wish them luck 👍

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Someone needs to modify a cellphone charging locker that you open with PIN to accommodate live bait. Preorder bait the day before and get a a locker number and code messaged to you to pick up anytime after 10pm. That would help night guys and early risers. Accept you'd probably end up with a locker full of dead herring. Sharktank?

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Tommy Scotty myself and all the guys that help Tommy out down there we all came from efingers we seen it all..... Tommy was there for long time and knows the business and sport very well. When we first opened he was open 530 am while word was getting out just to clear that up, he just recently changed the hours because of the winter, if you ever worked in a sporting goods store in winter you know it could make you wanna jump off a bridge.... Just like Gary said support the little guys... If you guys are really worried about getting bait talk to tommy! There was talk of putting a bait machine in front of the store with worms and butter worms and that kind of stuff. Hell he's such a cool guy if you called him up and paid and said leave me 2 dozen shiners outside ahead of time I bet you he would do it! Stop in talk to him and check em out, all topshelf items Shimano gloomis St Croix avet etc....

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This is a great idea...have it setup with aerated bait buckets that would work like the propane exchange systems at Home Depot...you would buy the bait bucket initially and leave the empty one with your new order....Mark Cuban??

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I will surely give him a call to set something up for an early pickup.
In addition want to support his business like I said before not too many
around anymore.

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I made my first trip to Dows on Sunday for some ice fishing gear and bait and have to say, that place is great. Not only did they get me fully outfitted but after I sliced my finger sharpening my auger blade the woman working there took me in the back and helped bandage me up. Good people there, I will be back for sure.

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Dows has always been a great shop. They provide info on conditions
and try to put you on the bite, stocked, they have everything, and
hours of operation - open early close late.

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Sportsman Rendezvous is gone?!?!?!

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Laurie at dows is the best...i go out of my way when possible to buy stuff there. Mustonetcong bait and boat isn't bad either. It is what it is.

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Yes, also x four on Dow's! Laurie is the best!

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Laurie and Joe will be the last ones standing. Great people

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Yup Dows is great. I went to buy a deep cycle battery there expecting to pay a little more but didn't care because I like them and wanted to support them. Turns out I got a better price from them than anywhere else in the area...Charlie

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.

I didn't know they closed. That sucks.
I can't say I'm surprised, though. There was never a time I was in there that I wasn't the only person in the store. Even the guy working there seemed surprised when I brought tackle up to the cash register.

To accommodate the wide range of hours that people want to purchase live bait, perhaps the bait store can put a bait tank outside along with an "honor box". Behre did that once where they left the shiners in a big cooler along with a net and a box where people could drop in money and make their own change.


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Haven't had the chance to get there and renew my licence yet, but Tommy at the Sporting Life is good people. Can't recommend them enough.

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Laurie and Joe at Dows are awesome !!!

Someone mentioned Sporting Life Stocks St. Croix - do they actually stock a reasonable selection of the higher models such as Legend Tournaments and Legend Elites?