Bait pricing

[fisher02]

Now that we have a good list of bait stores. lets gather a list of live bait prices, or at least averages around the metro so we can control the prices. We all praise the mom and pop shops but lets face it...we are getting ripped off.
I personally use the Blue Ribbon establishment and get taken $8/doz for shiners that just make it to the lake.

Thanks....and good luck!

[Guest]

I think Gander Mountain is the place to go for bait, especially the one in Bloomington, (98th & Lyndale) They have pretty good prices, and they definetly take care of you.

[Pig_sticka]

i know little bear is 7.50 for small shiners and 8.50 for larger ones (a dozen) and half of them dont make it to the lake and that is the fact on em. my friend has been there twice and each time half of them died, 10 minutes to the lake.
personally i like to go to larrys live bait in white bear lake. they should have great prices. crappie minnows and fatheads i know are real cheap and they are very generous. shiners should be the same way. they are nice people.

[Harmonica Bear]

I'll tll ya this - There gets no better live bait then FISH LAKe BAIT in Harris/ Yah, I guess it is far away from the metro, but I was born and raised in the metro and there is no comparison. Fatheads. crappie minnows, I wish you could say they are a dime a dozen... for the the most part they are... When it comes shiners?!?!? I get them there and they last a week minimum (with some care). When you start to add up .50 a minnow, it becomes almost cheaper to drive the extra mile these days....

[unclejake]

i go to blue ribbon bait in oakdale and always have very good luck with the bait i get there. to keep shiners alive longer (or any bigger minnow) i find it's better to keep them seperate from your crappies and fatheads. most of the baitstores in town do get there minnows from fish lake bait... so if you can find a baitstore that turns over there minnows frequently chances are you'll find the freshest bait. like i said i think blue ribbon is the best around. and all the baitstores are relatively the same in price. start tipping the guy who gets the minnows for you... you'll find he'll be much more generous the more you come in.

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someone was smoking newport cigerettes on my spot.

[Crawlerman]

The Ace Hardware stores are generally been a good place to get bait-- espically in areas that don't have many "Bait" stores left. They have a pretty good selection, and I have found all the bait I got from them to be pretty lively (except for some waxies-- but that was my mistake for not looking first. Next batch was ok) Everytime I've been to Gander mountain (woodbury)-- all they had were Crawlers and leeches (just like fleet farm) I have NEVER seen minnows. And both Gander Mountain and Fleet farm (both Lakeville and N. St Paul for fleet farms) only seem to have it "seasonally" They didn't have anything for the fall fisherman this year. Fleet farm has great prices for leeches, ok for crawlers-- but the Leeches aren't the freshest. Theyre big and juicy-- but I bought a container once from FF where 75% of them were dead! Ick!

[slenz]

I would have to agree about Ace Hardware In Prior Lake. A dozen shiners for $6.00 Thats a pretty good deal in the metro. RIght down the road from there; M&K fishing is a rip off for bait and plus that they are jerks in there.

[G_man]

I've had good luck witht he Frabill Aqualung product. I just open the little bag and drop in two capsules (1 tablet conditions the water and 1 oxygenates the water). I bought crappies and fatheads on Saturday and as of this morning, they are all going strong, zero floaters. I plan on keeping them around until Wednesday. An aqualung dropin is alot cheaper than buying two more scoops of minnows and I save myself a trip to the store.

[Whiskeywalleyes]

Slenz,
Your right about those guys in M&K.
If they were a little more friendly they would have my business, but there is nothing like a guy with "PMS"

[Fish On]

i went to M&K for the first time yesterday he seemed like a cool guy very helpful have any of you guys ever got bait from the sinclair in lakeville when she was took over by that short bald little ***** if you did you know why they went out of buisness

[Duffman]

I just wish the metro shops would be as nice and generous as the up north shops. I picked up a dozen shiners for $3.50 over the holidays up north. I lost count trying to count them; somewhere between 36-42 minnows was a dozen. They were all sizes though, from two to seven inches. Picked up another dozen later in the weekend and I got gipped, only 28 shiners this time. LOL

[Ozzy169]

Southren Metro? I'd have to say 169 Sports in Belle Plaine, They have ALWAYS had bait that would live "forever" with a little care. Assortment of tackle that compete's with the BIG boys at prices that also compete's with the BIG boys!! There service is top notch, If they don't have it, They'll get it. Tom and Jason are very knowledgeable about the Minnesota River, Metro Lakes, and the big lakes "up" north.

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Get 'er done

[Ice Hole]

Blue Ribbon Bait all the way!!! Next best is 65 Bait ...but thats a ways away.

[fleeced]

I've had great luck with Gimp's on Rice Street. A great place to stop for metro lakes. I can't remeber prices off the top of my head, but great minnows. The golden shiners lasted for numerous days in my bait bucket.

[Michael8129]

Duffman where were you up north? I got my minnows in Outing and the same thing ...way more thanma dozen... a lot ob big (northern size) shiners.... 3.50 dozen and man they live all weekend ...I brought 3 dozen home to fish tomorrow and next weekend... somebody should go on a run every weekend for em...

Michael

[Guest]

I like that 169 Sports in Belle Plain.They have really good bait and will help you get on fish.A lot of bait shop owners get their info second hand but I know the guys at 169 Sports get thier info first hand.Good bunch of guys and good bait a fair prices.

[Crawlerman]

I've never had a problem with M&K actually... I rarely buy the bigger minnows; just crappies and occasioanlly some fatties. I think that tank setup he puts some crappies and bass on occasion is a neat setup. He seemed to be a nice enough guy to me, he answered my questions about Spring and Prior when I first started to fish those lakes this year. I'd have to Disagree...

But then I'm not over the Shiner war. I think $6 is ridiculos for them even.. i really wish I could figure out a way to catch wild ones myself through the ice...

[Zdaddy76]

Wayzata Bait has good minnows, their rainbows live for ever. Check em out they aren't afraid to give you real advice you can use. Also stay off Gleason Lake in Plymouth now the aerorator is on and the lake is open in the middle.

---Zdaddy

[rascalP]

Good thing WalMart doesn't have minnows

Mom and Pop all the way

[slenz]

ABout M&K; all of my neighbors who have lived around the area for years told me flat out never to go there cause he was a jerk after the first time I went in there to get bait. Just my two cents; I will never return there.

[Pannyraid]

Vados!

Small Shiners = $5.50/dozen

Medium Shiners = $6.50/dozen

Typically they are very generous when counting.

[Duffman]

Michael8129.....
Another hour up hwy 6 from Outing, at the Bowstring Store. Maybe they charge us less because the minnows don't have to transported far from where they were caught?