Bait and Tackle Shop Startup Checklist

Print this, tape it to the wall, and cross things off. It is the order we see shops actually open in.

1. Location

  • On the route to a ramp, pier, bridge or beach access
  • Truck-and-trailer parking that works at 5am
  • Visible from the road, with room for a sign
  • Power and water for bait tanks if you will run live bait
  • Every competitor within 20 miles visited and noted

2. Legal

  • Business entity formed (an LLC is typical) and EIN issued
  • State sales tax permit, then resale certificate (how to get one)
  • Local business license
  • Certificate of occupancy for the building
  • Live-bait dealer permit from your state's fish and wildlife agency, if required
  • Insurance: general liability, property, and workers' comp if you hire
  • Business bank account and card processing

3. Money

  • Lease deposit and the first months of rent
  • Build-out: counters, slatwall, pegboard, shelving, signage
  • Bait systems: tanks, aeration, filtration, chillers
  • Freezers, coolers, and an ice machine or ice supplier
  • Opening inventory
  • Point of sale and a basic website
  • Working capital to reach your first strong season

4. Suppliers

  • Bait supplier lined up, live and frozen
  • Ice supplier
  • One national distributor account for the big brands
  • One or two direct-from-maker tackle accounts for margin and for products the shop down the road does not carry
  • Resale certificate sent to each supplier
  • Opening orders placed three to four weeks before opening day

5. Opening inventory

  • Six target species per season written down
  • Full hook size ladder in the styles your species need
  • Sinkers, swivels, snaps, and leader in every test
  • Pre-tied rigs for your water
  • Jig heads and lures in local colors
  • Cast nets if your customers throw for bait
  • A small combo range at the price points customers ask for
  • Register rack: pliers, knives, dehookers, sunscreen, bug spray
  • Counter displays set up (what sells and why)

6. Marketing

  • Google Business Profile claimed, with hours, photos and the bait shop and fishing store categories
  • A phone number a person answers
  • Weekly fishing report on a whiteboard, Facebook or Instagram
  • Tide chart and regulations posted
  • Relationships with local captains and guides

7. Launch week

  • Open before first light on the first weekend
  • Bait tanks running and stable for a week before opening
  • Reorder on day seven on whatever sold out
  • Ask every customer what you should carry that you do not

Need the tackle side handled? Florida Tackle Supply ships wholesale to bait and tackle shops in all 50 states, with dealer pricing and low minimums. For the long version, read the guide to opening a bait and tackle shop.

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