Who wants a bait and tackle shop on Route 11?

[bluegillslayer]

My advice is to ask what fishermen like/dislike about bait shops first and use that info to formulate a business plan.

My #1 "like" is fresh bait
           "dislike" is getting 12 fatheads for a "dozen"

Tackle selection other than jigs means nothing to me. You'll need jigs......lots of jigs......boxes and boxes of jigs.....a "jig bar" ......a jig smorgasbord with large take out containers........

  thats the truth amen brother

Oh, and no stools or chairs about the store.....last thing you need is a bunch of old fishermen sitting around all day swilling your coffee. you'll never get anything done.


And , you'll need a good alarm clock. 10 grouchy ice fishermen standing at the shop door waiting for you to open an hour late is an ugly scene.

RG

[Hocfish]

Another suggestion for making a tackle shop financially viable would be to make some of your own gear to sell.  Instead of relying on mark-ups of wholsale prices, seems like there would be more money in selling your own brand of items such as hand-tied jigs and worm harnesses.  Another possibility is to carry custom rods.  Sometimes it is hard to find just the right rod for some of the specific fishing methods on Oneida, or find good jigging rods for ice fishing.  Maybe you could also sell tip downs.  Or are tip-downs considered fishing rods?  Good luck if you do, sounds like your following here on MFF will support you.   

[nightfisher]

FM, ask yourself the question, what's my time worth? Our local tackle shop closed due to illness and I had an extra bay in my shop. Figured I was there 12-14 hrs a day anyway, why not open my own tackle shop. Put together the biz plan, inventory, bait suppliers ect. no overhead to speak of cause I owned the building. The numbers looked bleak. Then I factored in the impact it would have on the profitability of my shop, freeing up myself or an employee to take care of  a bait customer did'nt compute when our shop rate was a little under 100 coconuts an hr.  I decided not to do it. 2 years later Cabelas opened  a store 20 mins away. All the small shops closed within 2 years. I like to be around other fishermen too, on the water  or ice.  
Good luck in whatever you decide.

[OTIS]

SWOT analysis should be the first thing you do.  Make a set of cross hairs on a piece of paper sectioning it off into quarters, list the Strengths of the business, Weaknesses of the business, Opportunities in the market, and Threats in the market.  You can Google SWOT Analysis to get examples.  Be honest while setting this up and it will help you see the venture from a different perspective.

Another path to starting out could be just installing a bait vending machine (do they still make these?) in front of the shop and seeing how well this is received by the local sportsmen.  This could be a gauge to how well a full bait shop would go over.

[bluegillslayer]

Both good points!
Being there.....especially during the hours POSTED ON THE DOORS..
Which brings us to an important fact...FISHERMEN GET UP EARLY...i will drive 30 miles out of my way, to go to Woody's, because You can set your watch on the fact he is going to be open EVERYDAY at 5:30 am!  Then drive back down to Oneida lake, or Caz, or where ever I'm going !  5-5:30 am. is probably early enough for ice fishermen? Now salmon... every tackle shop in Oswego has come and gone complaining about lack of sales..as they are closed everyday when 40 captains /mates and countless personally boats drive by their shop everyday at 4-4:30 am ! and knowing they are closed..everybody buys their tackle elsewhere, the day before, somewhere else! YOU CAN'T GET IT IN THE MORNING! They would do better being open from 4-8 am, and again from 5-9 pm? 

As for tackle stocked? You certainly don't need a whole wall of $25 crankbaits.... A good ice jig selection to start. But what is MORE IMPORTANT is to RESTOCK the colors and size that is sold out!  the jigs that sell , sell for a reason. all the other useless fodder is just that. offering 100's of jigs that aren't selling doesn't produce income...you would be better off selling 100's of the ones THAT SELL!
Listen to your customers..if they are special ordering something, order it for them! and put a few extra in stock because others will buy that same thing! Hot items sell like hotcakes for the week they are hot....People like me will buy every one you have on the shelf, so the next guy doesn't get any... so have another dozen in back stock, to put up on the shelf after i walk out the door. 

[Flukeman]

Lance did one of the guys drop a wrench on your head    Usually when you take a pastime you enjoy and make it a customer service based business, it looses its shine really fast. You end up having to watch people like a hawk to prevent theft, it always takes more time away from family and your prime business than you think it will. Bait shops are just brutal businesses.

Now if you are just talking about doing something small because you are already up at 4am every morning like you are, and having some bait, a small selection of jigs under glass, and coffee to drink with your fishing friends, and do not care bout making a killing, maybe even draw some new shop customers, then maybe.

If you really think this is something you want to do (still think your nuts), this is what I find to be the best quality of add on shops. The better half is from the Northeast kingdom in Vermont, they only have tiny tackle add on stores without bait (hardware store with an aisle type). Bait is usually a vending machine or fridge. They never have a lot, but somehow they always have the basics that work in that area. Not being from the area I always appreciate that. They are always up front about it too. "This is what works here, if you wanted your own special lure, you should have brought it with you" is what they will tell you. They give honest tips on how to use what they have and direct me to where I should go to try it out. Of course as stubborn as I am it's always the last place I go, but their info is always spot on. Fishing up there does not even compare to what we have here, but I always enjoy the experience.

Did I tell you I still think your nuts

[bluegillslayer]

[/quote   r you kidding me yall never show up @ 4 0r 5 or 6 am..we sat n watched for 11 yrs maybe a few but 40 boats lol......good luck havin a bait shop hope u find sumone who will wrk n not steal from u..and hope u never get sick or hav any problems what so ever....welcome to the real world...n to our world!!!! this is blueslayers wife speaking........

[adam2000]

bottom line is this last yr during first ice someone  wasnt open at 630 when he said hed be open at 6, like 25 guys showed up to gander mtn bad mouthing him, he screwed up there day of fishing. thats all it takes. i went one morning and not open when they said. game over lost my business

[fishingjason]

Hey FM,
I hope your baitshop idea comes together nicely for you.
.*** everyone has already said being there when you say is key. Buisness cards will go a long way. No need to state the hours of operation. A phone number boldly typed on the card with a brief description of what you sell. Everyone has a cell phone now. It's easy to call ahead just to make sure you have items in stock. There are a couple wholesale tackle/supply dealers in upstate NY and a few wholesale live bait farmers also. Get another thread going on what everyone's favorite tackle size, color etc. That would get an idea of popular items quickly. You already have regular shop hours so that's going to help significantly. Ideally you would be open 24 hours right? Just keep your regular hours and see what happens  You already have a sense of buisiness seeing as you are running one. If you have hired help already even better. Then maybe you could get away to fish.

Minnows and Crayfish- Speaking from personal experience selling these things;
Those are obviously the toughest issue with the shop. An area that can be kept cool is ideal and easy access to fresh water and a place to drain water. A carbon filter for pre filtering the water going into the tanks is a must if you are on municipal water.
According to all of the registered NY users on MFF and Ice Shanty, there are many people willing to buy bait.
I hope all goes well.

 

[troutman19]

fishing mechanic I live right around the corner from the shop. about a mile. I'd spend all my money on bait and gear at your place before I'd go to Gander.

[KingPerch]

Lance, Back when I started my business. I had a plan all drawn up to start another business. I went to a good friend of mine that is one of the best businessmen I know. When I told him what my plan was, he simply looked at me and said." Stick to what you do best"!! END OF STORY!! I would love to have easy access to a baitshop, but, opening one up after a successful business is already rolling??.....NO!! The quality time you spend with your family would certainly take a HUGE hit!! Just my .02! I would certainly buy from you if you decide to venture into this though! --KP

[bluegillslayer]

bottom line is this last yr during first ice someone  wasnt open at 630 when he said hed be open at 6, like 25 guys showed up to gander mtn bad mouthing him, he screwed up there day of fishing. thats all it takes. i went one morning and not open when they said. game over lost my business

thats rite adam we try to hire people to work and it never turns out . they don't show up on time not even a phone call. fired yes but the damage is done. i agree with you 100% and don't blame you. this year i am not going south this year for that reason, i ll be here fri, sat and sunday early like the person i hired last year was suppose to . i was on vacaction and had people calling me when i was 3000 miles away.

[Santo180]

My local baitshop guy never fishes at all.  Can't fish and run a store at the same time.  Could be a good idea, but it would put a damper on your hobby.

[raate]

[/quote   r you kidding me yall never show up @ 4 0r 5 or 6 am..we sat n watched for 11 yrs maybe a few but 40 boats lol......good luck havin a bait shop hope u find sumone who will wrk n not steal from u..and hope u never get sick or hav any problems what so ever....welcome to the real world...n to our world!!!! this is blueslayers wife speaking........

for 11 years YOUR SHOP has the WORST reputation for being open when your posted hours say it's going to be! Even when we are in the shop the night before, and Larry says"I'll be here at 7 to sell you bait" we eat breakfast at the ritz, waste our time until 8:30..AND STILL NOBODY IS THERE TO OPEN..  Your hand written sign on the door says"if we are not open , there's a good reason"...   well if we don't try to spend $$ in your shop, WE HAVE A GOOD REASON ALSO.

I don't know what YOU WERE WATCHING.....but everyday from May- Sept there's at least 20 boats out of Oswego, twice that on weekends. I know, I'm on the water out there. Oh, and the docks in both marinas are hopping with potential customers AT 4-5 am....and EMPTY by 5:30 am...Why are they empty?  BECAUSE WE ARE ON THE WATER FISHING ! Not sitting in the Post office parking lot watching people go up to your closed door....
Not that you have ever restocked what sells either....

[filetandrelease]

 he's safer in the bait store  , no blue water in the bait tanks