While in Oxford, England, I was absolutely amazed by the number of small book shops. At the time, there were two mega-book stores in the city who were competing with each other and with the small book shops, some of which are so deeply rooted in the town’s history that they are local landmarks. Interestingly, the Tourists tended to shop at the Mega-book stores and the Bibliophils shopped the small book shops.
On this side of the Atlantic Ocean, in New England, the same pattern that I observed in Oxford, holds true here as well: Googans tend to shop at the Mega-stores, while Fisherman tend to shop at New England Bait and Tackle Shops. Why?
- Great Customer Service
- Fishing Expertise
- Purpose Specific Tackle
- Local Fishing & Access Information
- Custom Plugs & Flies (by commercial and local craftsman)
- Custom Rod Building
- Rod & Reel Repair Services
- The Best Bait Possible!
I once organized a fishing trip with four of my friends. By the time everyone showed up at my house, it was 6:00 PM. The bait shop was closing at 7:00 PM. When we were 30 minutes way, I called my friends at Surfland Bait and Tackle on Plum Island, Massachusetts and asked them if they could stay open 15 more minutes. Ray Moulton said, “Tonight we can’t, but we can put your bait in a brown bag with your name at location “*********”. When we finally reached the shop, there were three other bags with names on them.
During one of the recent fall runs, I was trying to buy a last minute gift for a friend: a 9 ft surf rod with enough backbone to cast a 3 oz pyramid sinker and a high-low rig decorated with clams into the Atlantic. I went to a local sporting goods store (that shall remain nameless) because I did not have time to drive to a New England Bait and Tackle Shop. After browsing through the rods on display, I asked the clerk in the Fishing department for help. He replied: “I do not fish. I just work here.” I immediately called my friends at Surfland Bait and Tackle on Plum Island, Massachusetts and Kay Moulton responded “We have a lot of those. I will have one set aside for you the next time you are up our way.”
A few seasons back, I was on vacation in Wells, Maine. I traveled up and down Route 1 from Wells to Ogunquit (and back!) in search of a New England Bait and Tackle Shop. I found many great bait and tackle shops that specialized in fly fishing and fresh water fishing. But, no New England Bait and Tackle Shops. I ended up traveling back to Massachusetts to pick up fresh clams at Surfland. (No comment on the clams that sold for bait in the state of Maine.)
During the last fall run, I was up in Wells, Maine. I traveled up and down Route 1 from Wells to Ogunquit (and back!) in search of a New England Bait and Tackle Shop. This time, I saw a sign:
I immediately turned off Route 1 into the parking lot. As I walked towards the shop, the first thing that I noticed was a pair of waders hanging upside down just to the right of the front door. I walked in and said “Hello.”. Knowing how difficult it is to get good clams in Maine, I asked Robert Mirisola if he had any Mackerel. “Yes. I drove down to Boston this morning to pick them up.”, he replied. In fact, Seven Rivers Bait and & Tackle is the only shop in Maine that I have consistently found eels and custom plugs. Rob, a true outdoors man, knows first hand what is happening with the “stripah” bite in Maine.
The eight items above define and differentiate the New England Bait and Tackle shop from the X-Marts, Mega Stores, and eCommerce sites. But, they are not what makes a bait and tackle shop a New England Bait and Tackle Shop. It’s the people, the stories, the aged floors turned squeaky by the weight of the 50, 60, and 70 lb specimens, the original black and white photos, and the children asking countless questions. The New England Bait and Tackle Shop provides the products and services that we selective New England Fisherman require to successfully target the multitude of species that swim in our salty and sweet waters. And the good people who work in our New England Bait and Tackle Shops are pulling fish out of the near by waters with the very tackle they sell, and without getting their cars towed. What does that tell you?
Unfortunately, I have not yet visited all the New England Bait and Tackle Shops, but I have had the honor and pleasure of visiting many of them. Surfland Bait and Tackle and Seven Rivers Bait and Tackle exemplify and set the standard for The New England Bait and Tackle Shop. We are fortunate to have many more such shops and I encourage you to visit them, shop them, and talk to the good people there. And an amazing thing will happen: you will start catching more quality fish!
Fisherman wanted.
Resources
Surfland Bait and Tackle
28 Plum Island Blvd.
Plum Island, MA 01951
978.462.4202
Seven Rivers Bait and Tackle
1720 Post Road
Wells, ME 04090
207.646.0654
