bait shop questions

[led hed]

Just wondering what questions are the most important to ask when visiting bait shops in areas around the lake or river your getting ready to fish. I know everyone has a different approach when talking to bait shop owners, just wondering the best way to gain knowledge from these gentleman/ladies. I know spending a little cash always helps, but what are the most important questions everyone asks and have found to be useful.

[trollinplaner247]

depends, just as you are paying ask if they are catching any and if the guy seems nice ask what lake and so on just kind of lead into it.

[Walizz 1]

While walking around in the store, note what cranks, etc. they are low on. Those are probably what's working. Buy a few things. Bait shop owners seem more willing to talk to cash customers.

[Tracker185]

Are The Fish Biteing?





Hey it's just a Boat!!!!!




T185

[shadowman]

i like to look and see if they have a board where they post photo,s on and than check dates and times and some will have written on them the bait the fish was caught at.

[SUPERTROLLER]

Ask them how deep. You can find your own spots if they just tell you 20 ft. on the west end of the lake. You usually have a hard time getting anything other than the community honey holes that are well pounded on any given day. If you know how deep, you can figure out how you like to fish a given depth and instead of doing what everyone else is doing, maybe you can show the fish something different than the usual offering or a slightly different way to get it there. Sometimes though, if you can find a reliable information source, it will pay off to do as the locals do. There might be a reason the locals all do it a certain way.

[SoDakBoy]

Pry open your tight-a$$ wallet and offer to PAY them for some info! Sound revolutionary? Hey, I bet you tip your barber, right? I bet you also tip your waiter or waitress, right? Then why not tip a bait-shop owner for some good fishing info? Afterall, what's more important, a good haircut, good service in a cafe, or a good fishing report? If you're on this board reading these threads then I already know the answer and so do you.

I guarantee you'll get a lot better fishing report than the average Joe gets if you part with some of your cash. I usually just strike up a conversation with the guy (or gal) and tell them that I'd like a fishing report and there's a $10 tip in it for them if they give me a good one. I also tell them that any info they give me won't be shared with anyone else, that it's just between me and them. You'd be amazed the detailed info you can get with that approach, and the nice spots you find out about as a result. Yeah, you can find the same spots on your own, but it'll like cost you more than $10 in gas looking for them and probably several days of hard fishing to figure things out. Especailly on shorter trips it can be the best money you'll spend and make the difference between a full live-well and a not-so-full one.

[Walleye Express]

Led head.
I ran my own bait shop for 4 years from 1980 to 1984. Heres something to remember about the guy who runs the joint, especially if its a ma and pa joint. He's probably there 12 hours a day from before daylight to at least late afternoon. He hears a lot about how people are doing alright, and sometime where they did it, but seldom gets out himself to actually lets say (test the waters). His information is just about always here-say. Now don't get me wrong. I also seen a lot of nice pales of big perch and heavy coolers of walleyes and other game fish the guys would stop back before going home and show me. Hard to discredit or call that story B.S.. But be careful. Telling people that the fishing is tough never sold many minnows or tackle for me.

I would put more credence in the (what to use) information he gives you versus the where to go.

[gpbrown]

led head,
I am more concerned with depth as was stated by Supertroller. I also believe what walleye express stated about the knowledge of bait shop owners. I never hesitate to ask the guys coming off the lake how they did and what depth they caught them in, as opposed to where.