Between the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and all the awesome angling in the Ozarks, the Show Me State is fishing paradise. But those fish aren’t going to catch themselves—you need the right gear and enticements. These are our favorites spots to get bait, tackle, and fish stories in Missouri.
The bait shop at Ozark Thunder Marine, OTM Bait & Tackle, is no afterthought. It’s a full-line shop with all you need to hit the lakes and rivers of southwest Missouri. They have an extensive selection of live and frozen baits, as well as rods, reels, lures, and tackle.
Whether you drop a line in Timber Line Lake or head over to the Harry S Truman Reservoir, you’ll find all the bait and supplies you’ll need at Bakers Bait & Tackle in Lincoln. The shop has a great inventory of gear, and the staff is extremely knowledgeable. They’ll get you what you need and put you on the fish.
CB Stoney’s Bait & Tackle carries an awesome selection of live and frozen bait. Whether you’re looking for minnows or chicken livers, this shop is sure to have them. More than live bait, CB Stoney’s also has a good selection of tackle, including hooks, soft baits, and lures.
If you fish the Meramec or the Missouri, or maybe head east to the Mississippi, be sure to stop by Eddy Boys Bait & Tackle in St. Clair to get the gear you’re going to need. Deep knowledge and excellent customer service keep anglers coming back to this bait shop.
Not matter what they’re angling for—bass or walleye, crappie or catfish—anglers have relied on Bud and Gloria’s Bait and Tackle to hook them up with bait and gear since 1962. They have a super selection of everything from live bait to lures, rods, reels, and all things in between.
Folks fixin’ to fish Bull Shoals Lake have to stop in to Mom & Pop’s Bait & Beverage in Ava for, well… bait, some beverages, and whole lot of local fishing knowledge. They carry a wide array of live and artificial bait, along with just about any other tackle you may need.
Between the nearby Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and Lake St. Louis, there’s a lot of fishing to be done in the O’Fallon area. You can get everything you need to do it right at Bullseye Bait & Tackle. Whether you need a tough rod that can take a flathead or something with light action for scrappy crappies, you’ll find it at Bullseye.
Before grabbing your rod and heading for the Mighty Mo, stop by 224 Bait Shop to gear up. They’ve got all sorts of live bait on the menu, from shad to shiners, skipjack to crickets. The shop also carries rods, reels, line, lures, and good assortment of other tackle.
For nearly 40 years, Forty Woods has kept Blue Springs anglers in bait and tackle. If you’re fishing Lake Jacoma or heading up to the Missouri River, Forty Woods Bait and Tackle can get you the live bait, lures, or line that you’re looking for. How serious about bait are they? Email them at “shadguts@sbcglobal.net” and find out.
Anglers hitting the water on Smithville Lake can find all the supplies, gear, and bait that they’ll need at Burton’s Bait & Tackle. Not only will you find the tackle you need, they’ll happily offer you a fishing report and tell you what the bass are eating. You can get “fishing lies and tall tales” there, too.
