Wayzata Bait & Tackle

Would be a shame if this place closed up shop, especially for another friggin’ car dealership.

https://www.startribune.com./wayzata-bait-and-tackle-suburban-bait-shops-modern-fishing-dennis-anderson/600170959/

They should start looking for a new location if they want to stay and keep it going, not wait till they get the eviction notice. But the way it sounds he is looking for an out.

Cool little shop, but terrible location to get in and out of. Honestly was never impressed with the minnows I got either.

I spoke with the owner last fall to see if he wanted to carry the Ice Defense and he told me he was trying to close. Sounded like he was tired of the tackle shop game.

ive been hearing that this place has been closing for years now. wouldn’t surprise me if they did. bad location for sure but nice people. If it closed there would be exactly 1 bait shop on all of lake minnetonka. By bait shop i mean a dedicated fishing store not just a gas station with minnows. Crazy to me to think that a lake as big and popular as tonka cant support more than 1 bait store but i guess thats a sign of the times…

crappie55369 wrote:

ive been hearing that this place has been closing for years now. wouldn’t surprise me if they did. bad location for sure but nice people. If it closed there would be exactly 1 bait shop on all of lake minnetonka. By bait shop i mean a dedicated fishing store not just a gas station with minnows. Crazy to me to think that a lake as big and popular as tonka cant support more than 1 bait store but i guess thats a sign of the times…

Not sure which one you are referring to, but lots of options in the area still. Carver Bait and Cabin Fever are both good bait shops we have south of Tonka.

BigWerm wrote:

Not sure which one you are referring to, but lots of options in the area still. Carver Bait and Cabin Fever are both good bait shops we have south of Tonka.

I was referring to DH Custom in Navarre. Yeah that Carver store is an awesome store!!!! Honestly cant say enough nice things about them. I guess i just didnt consider them a “Lake Minnetonka” store since its a little ways away from the lake but youre right they are a great local option

crappie55369 wrote:

eah that Carver store is an awesome store!!!! Honestly cant say enough nice things about them. I guess i just didnt consider them a “Lake Minnetonka” store since its a little ways away from the lake but youre right they are a great local option

Yeah definitely not a great option for you, or anyone not south of Tonka. Cabin Fever is great too, and very close to the south/west side of Tonka.

It’s interesting to think about the need for a well for a bait store. I never thought about that. How do you think the gas stations, etc do it? Just have a system to let water sit until everything is gone and it’s good for the bait?

I hate to say it, but they are stingy on their minnows and always have been. 20 years ago I literally would get 12 minnows if I asked for a dozen. I was in a couple weeks ago and asked for a scoop of crappie minnows and got maybe 20. I get they have slim margins, but it’s hard for me to go in there when I can go into Long Lake Ace Hardware and get a very healthy scoop of more minnows I could ever use in an outing for the same price or even less.

And I don’t buy tackle at bait shops or anywhere else much at all. I have everything and it takes me years to go through it before I have to restock on anything. So I haven’t supported them that way, either.

I am sad to see them go, but as stated in the article, less people are using live bait. The people still using it are a lot of the older guys.

It used to be on a Saturday, you’d see two boats always out front of guys getting their bait. But you don’t see that anymore.

I’m always sad to see a true bait shop close, but it’s just a sign on the times. Even if they weren’t pushed out of this location, you wonder how long they would’ve held on. As others said, it wasn’t the easiest location to get to either. Not like most outstate lakes where you can pull right in to the shop on the same road you are taking to the launch.

Apparently one of the owners has a son who is involved in the business, so I’m sure any decision to re-open at another location would involve him. I don’t see a couple of guys in their 60’s relocating.

Wheres Carver Bait? Is that the little bait place across from Lisas Bar?

Love tackle stores and have driven past that one several times, as someone else said hard to get in and out of that one. Not smart to be stingy with minnows it gives you a bad rep. your profit comes from other stuff anyway, owner of Mikes Bait on 8 told me how many propane tanks he sells and I was shocked.

JEREMY wrote:

Wheres Carver Bait? Is that the little bait place across from Lisas Bar?

Yeah, right downtown across from Lisa’s. They have some odd hours but pretty well stocked with all sorts of stuff. They carry Mad Kats rods, and a bunch of catfishing stuff too.

This is a bummer but I get it. I live on 394 so it was the closest to me especially if I’m launching out of Gray’s. Those other bait shops are a bit out of the way for people coming from the east, but I agree it was a pain to get to. I would always go the day before and it was a hassle (luckily it takes me right by total wine haha). I always wonder about guys who run bait shop cause I always saw that same guy there, so it seemed like he never actually got to go fishing? Do they ever get out? Maybe that’s why he’s ready to close up shop. I will echo what others that said you got EXACTLY what you paid for, not any more, but thats fine with me as long as they don’t short me which I never felt they did. I also remember bringing in a rod once where I snapped a couple inches off the tip and asked to have it repaired. He said it would never be as sensitive again so it wasn’t worth it to fix. I always wondered if he was really saving me or if he just didn’t want to fix it… I never really asked for a second opinion and just bought a new rod.

I will miss it just because of the constant it has been in my fishing life. It’s been there as long as I can remember and I have so many memories of stopping in there. Even when I’m not going fishing and driving by, just looking over and seeing it and a boat or two in the parking lot is a reminder of my hobby and glad that other people are going out doing it. I remember when they had one of those vending machines out front for people needing to get worms when the shop wasn’t open.

Stopped there this morning at 7:15am to get crappie minnows. He said if they do indeed close up shop at the end of the year, he would continue his reel cleaning business on the side.

“…he would continue his reel cleaning business on the side.”

This is a good thing, been taking reels to Tim for years ~

S%W Bait in Brainerd has hung on for many years. Great live bait. Open at crazy hours. Great staff. Feels like a step back in time. Hope it stays around for many years.

ssaamm wrote:

S%W Bait in Brainerd has hung on for many years. Great live bait. Open at crazy hours. Great staff. Feels like a step back in time. Hope it stays around for many years.

And on call and delivery lol Love that place.

They have been there forever and there always busy.

If I’m not mistaken, Roy’s Bait in Excelsior closed after Ike was murdered. I live close to it and would go in there just to shoot the $hit with him. Boy, did he have some stories. The guy who shot him during a robbery was tracked by leaking antifreeze to his place of residence.

I stopped in there yesterday to get some minnows. Talked to them for a little bit too. Right now they are planning to stay open through June. There is a slight chance the real estate deal to buy the strip mall they are in could fall through, and in that case they would continue to stay open until TBD.

This is literally the only place relatively near me that has live bait. I’ll be perfectly honest, I do not use much live bait. But I do usually get some crappie minnows in the spring and right now I can’t find anywhere else even remotely in that area. You’d think a Holiday or BP would sell minnows in that area near the lake, but I can’t even seem to locate that anymore either.

Any thoughts on where to get some? I normally come from the east on 394 and launch at Gray’s Bay.

I don’t know for sure but there was a gas station on the lake or close to tonka that had minnows. Also check DH Rods they sell bait at the Elk River location. They are right by the Sherriff

gimruis wrote:

Any thoughts on where to get some? I normally come from the east on 394 and launch at Gray’s Bay.

I’m on thr west side of the lake which, as we know, isn’t close to the east side. DH sells bait as does the BP in spring park. There is also a brand new tackle shop in mound that sells a lot of bass gear it seems. They said they will be having live bait soon.

I think the speedway (formerly freedom station) off of 101 and hey 7 sells bait. At least they used to but it’s crap bait out of a mini fridge.

There’s a bait shop off bass lake road in MG/plymouth. Not sure if they are still open. That guy was hanging on 15 years ago when I lived in the area not sure he’s still around

You could try the BP station in Wayzata. They may sell bait but unsure.

Considering that it seems like 95% of the fisherman who fish tonka come from the east it’s surprising that there aren’t more options

ARCO gas station at Highway 7 and Christmas Lake Road sells bait.

Thanks netguy, I will check there. I will also check those other spots too crappie.

crappie55369 wrote:

There’s a bait shop off bass lake road in MG/plymouth. Not sure if they are still open. That guy was hanging on 15 years ago when I lived in the area not sure he’s still around

That’s Big B’s bait/tackle and he’s closing up in August.

crappie55369 wrote:

Considering that it seems like 95% of the fisherman who fish tonka come from the east it’s surprising that there aren’t more options

It is shocking to me that there aren’t more options available coming from the east, as that is where most come from, just as you stated. Just a sign of the times I guess. The lake is primarily a bass fishing/recreational lake, and you don’t need live bait for either of those.

The Ace Hardware in Long Lake does as well. I know it’s not a small bait shop, but small hardware store trying to compete with the big guys so similar concept. they always give me big scoops when going there.

The shop mentioned on Bass Lake Road in Plymouth is Big B’s. Great place as well.

Gas station in Bryn Mawr just north on Penn Ave from 394 has/had bait. Last time in there they were remodeling the bait section so I would call ahead to see if it’s up and running.

No good parking tho, might have to walk a block, smells like Northside potporrui, but nice folks in there. Ain’t cheap either!

That guys that make the Line Cutterz fishing line cutters are opening a second shop in Savage. Will be a full tilt tackle shop. Not sure about live bait though. Just an FYI for another option. Should be open in a month or two.

I stopped in Yesterday on the way to Tonka and got a scoop and asked him what the plan was. He said he is going fishing, he has a place up on Shamineu probably spelled that wrong. Anyway he said there done and probably have 2 months left, said we will be here until to Dozers come.