Bait shops with Live Bait near the Bay?

Anyone have a good list of bait shops or recommendations in the bay area? Also anyone have any recent reports for butts? can't decide whether to go to Paradise, ARW, Berkeley Flats or Angel Island tomorrow (25th). Rob

Anyone have a good list of bait shops or recommendations in the bay area? Also anyone have any recent reports for butts? can't decide whether to go to Paradise, ARW, Berkeley Flats or Angel Island tomorrow (25th). Rob

Try this link:

http://www.baitnet.com/states/california_baitshops.php

thanks for the link sonny, cameron

World's Greatest Bait Shop-- aka "Keith's" at Loch Lomond Marina in San Rafael...

he's a surly old guy, but the live shiners are top notch-- usually

surly is an understatement, but when he is in a good mood he will give great onfo

Thanks for all the replies,

Def got a good short list to hit,

Gonna launch at Paradise, looks like patchy fog with cool temps in the low 60's. Should be a nice day.

Rob

I am glad I am not the only one who thinks this guy's attitude sucks...
he was not only "surly" with me...but he was giving me bad advice...ie he tried passing off dead shiners to me.
I guess he sensed I was a newbie but he advocated getting the dead ones so that I didn't need to worry about aerartion etc...

this negative experience with this shop makes me think he is the opposite of
"World's Greatest Bait Shop-- aka "Keith's".

in fact, the hassle of detouring over to his shop really encourages me to find an alternative to buying bait.. I ran into Insaneduane and his crew on the way out of Paradise that day...and learned that others just catch their own at Lake Merritt in OAK.
now this may not be convenient for everyone....but I went online to Cabelas to research a throw net plus portable aeration and it is worth consideration.

I am weighing what is less of the hassle, cost effectiveness, to DIY vs patronizing "surly" shop owners.

dave

Keith's been around for a long, long time (i think its 40 year he's owned the baitshop). He'll be the first one to say "don't trust the baitman" for advice. Think of how many times he's asked where to go. Trust me, it gets old.
After he's seen you a few times the surliness subsides...and its well worth the "hassle" to detour over for a visit. Allow a few extra minutes, don't be rushed and you just might get some good info.
When sturgeon season resumes, there's nobody that i would rather visit for ghost/grass/mud combo...and the advice

We got live bait at the Richmond Marina a week or so ago.

Mark

Ah, we thought Keith was great, but didn't ask where to go either! We knew we were hitting Paradise. Bait was healthy, maybe one dead shiner at the end of the day but I had'em stay alive on the line for over an hour or more, I'd go back - R

steve,
thanks for sharing your insight.. guess I need to reserve judgement since it was my first time there..
I didn't ask where to go though, as was off to Paradise.

Mark...good to know about Richmond marina, I will look it up on GPS since it is probably easier for me since I will be crossing Richmond bridge.

anyone have an idea what shiners cost?

also, if I went to Berkeley marina to get live anchovies...are they harder to keep alive vs shiners?
thanks

steve,
thanks for sharing your insight.. guess I need to reserve judgement since it was my first time there.. I didn't ask where to go though, as was off to Paradise.

Mark...good to know about Richmond marina, I will look it up on GPS since it is probably easier for me since I will be crossing Richmond bridge.

anyone have an idea what shiners cost?
also, if I went to Berkeley marina to get live anchovies...are they harder to keep alive vs shiners?
thanks

Like Steve said, when you get to know Keith well, he's a great guy!  The Shiners are $1.50 each + tax at LL bait shop.  And yes, live Anchovies are harder to keep alive than Shiners.

Just curious, are you guys using bait tubes or SoCal-style bait tanks in the back of your kayaks? It would be interesting to find out what does better for all day fishing.

Just curious, are you guys using bait tubes or SoCal-style bait tanks in the back of your kayaks? It would be interesting to find out what does better for all day fishing.

I use a 2-piece bait bucket.  When I trolling, I put the smaller bucket (the one with drain holes) inside the large bucket.  When drifting, I put the smaller bucket in the water.  My Shiners stay alive all day.

I do the same as Sailfish, but supplement with a Frabill D-cell battery aereator for the drive to and fro....

a 3gal paint bucket (not the 5 gallon) is puuurrrfeect for the outer bucket