Fishing is serious business in Minnesota. And serious anglers require serious tackle—as well as their favorite bait for the fish they’re targeting. That’s why bait and tackle shops are beloved institutions in the North Star State. The proprietors know their home waters, what’s biting, and what you need to catch them. These are our favorite bait and tackle shops in Minnesota.
Recently voted the state’s favorite bait shop, Full Stringer Bait & Tackle has everything you need to tackle the big walleye, muskies, and pike on Leech Lake. This mom-and-pop shop carries any kind of live bait that you’d need, artificially, lures, rods, reels, and of course, ice.
Folks looking to hit the lakes in the North Metro or the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, should stop by Vados Bait Express on the way. A Twin Cities institution for more than six decades, Vados will likely have whatever you need to hook the fish you’re looking for—plus, you can pre-order your bait online.
If you’re going to fish Shagawa, Burntside, Snowbank—or head into the Boundary Waters with your rod and reel—be sure to stop by Babes Bait and Tackle in Ely. They’ll hook you up with whatever you need to catch the area’s walleye, smallmouth bass, and lake trout.
Big B’s Bait & Tackle is owned by a pro angler who has more than a decade of competitive walleye tournament experience. So, if you need to know how to get on the fish in the West Metro—Minnetonka, Medicine, Bass Lakes, e.g.—stop by Big B’s for your bait, tackle, and fishing report.
If you’re looking to fish Lake Superior, Devil Track Lake, or the Bruce River, you’ll need some gear and some local knowledge. And the Beaver House in Grand Marais is the place to get it. To find it, all you need do is head into dowtown and stop at the first building with a giant, fiberglass walleye protruding from it.
Whether you’re looking for a trophy muskie or just a tasty shore lunch, stop in to Stop Light Bait, Tackle & Guns on your way to the lake or the nearby Mississippi River. They’ve got gear, live bait, fishing reports, and whole lot of central Minnesota local knowledge to help you get the fish on your hook.
Blue Ribbon Bait & Tackle has been a favorite among East Metro anglers—whether they’re heading to White Bear Lake for walleye, the St. Croix River for smallmouth, or the Mississippi River for whatever’s hitting—since 1981. Now located in Oakdale, stop in for advice on how to hook anything from sunnies to muskies.
Whether you’re heading to the Brainerd Lakes Area for a languid afternoon of summer walleye fishing or for the Ice Fishing Extravaganza—the world’s biggest ice fishing tournament—you’ll find all the bait, gear, and supplies you’ll need for a day out on the water, whether it’s liquid or frozen.
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Mille Lacs Lake is probably the best known Minnesota lake among anglers. It’s a world-renowned walleye, muskie—and now—smallmouth bass fishery. When you head up to Mille Lacs, stop in at Tutts Bait and Tackle in Garrison to see what bite is on and what they’re hitting.
Anglers hitting the water in the Detroit Lakes area can find all the supplies, gear, and bait that they’ll need at the venerable Quality Bait & Tackle in Detroit Lakes. The only full-service, fishing-only store in the area, Quality Bait has kept anglers on the water and on the fish for decades.
