Photo by Martina Marchese By Anna Olson and Leah Ede
As you enter the small, shed-like building, the
aroma of mucky water and fish quickly flood your nose and pictures of people and
the fish they have caught cover the walls.
Tom’s Bait and Tackle is the place to go to get your fishing, hunting and outdoor supplies, according to married couple Rob and Jessica Steele, who have owned the shop since 2005.
“He [Tom] was the previous owner, but he passed away in 2004,” Jessica said.
Rob had worked for Tom during his high school and college years, and when Tom passed away, the Steeles took over the business.
“I pretty much did the same stuff we’re doin’ now,” Rob said. “The only thing that is different is back in the day, we used to be able to net our own bait, but the state changed the regulations.”
Although the shop tends to be pretty busy at most times during the fishing season, there is an upside to that.
“I like seeing all the locals,” Jessica said.
Most of the business comes from the locals in Castleton and the surrounding areas, as well as people who have summer homes on Lake Bomoseen.
Local resident Brandon Barrett is very familiar with the shop.
“I’ve been going there for about eight years,” Barrett said. “I get all three fishing, hunting, and trapping combo
licenses.”
And he’s not alone.
“Last year we sold 940 resident fishing and 510 combination licenses, which is a hunting and fishing license together. It’s cheaper. We sold 410 non-resident fishing licenses. Another big one for residents is the three-day fishing license. We sold about 590 of those,” Jessica said.
Licenses and fishing poles aren’t the only things you can find at Tom’s. They even have live fish to purchase for bait.
“On average, in the summer we probably sell 150 pounds [of live fish] a week. We sell anywhere from 400 to 6 00 pounds a week in the winter, usually in February,” Jessica said.
Rob said that working at Tom’s has one major benefit -- listening to his customers.
“My favorite part of working here is getting’ to hear everybody’s fishin’ stories,”Rob
said.
The locals also enjoy customers’ stories as well as the services that Tom’s has to
offer.
“My favorite part about Tom’s Bait and Tackle is the service,” Barrett said. “It is
excellent there, and the staff is awesome. All the hunting and fishing stories
that go through that place are unbelievable.”
As you enter the small, shed-like building, the
aroma of mucky water and fish quickly flood your nose and pictures of people and
the fish they have caught cover the walls.
Tom’s Bait and Tackle is the place to go to get your fishing, hunting and outdoor supplies, according to married couple Rob and Jessica Steele, who have owned the shop since 2005.
“He [Tom] was the previous owner, but he passed away in 2004,” Jessica said.
Rob had worked for Tom during his high school and college years, and when Tom passed away, the Steeles took over the business.
“I pretty much did the same stuff we’re doin’ now,” Rob said. “The only thing that is different is back in the day, we used to be able to net our own bait, but the state changed the regulations.”
Although the shop tends to be pretty busy at most times during the fishing season, there is an upside to that.
“I like seeing all the locals,” Jessica said.
Most of the business comes from the locals in Castleton and the surrounding areas, as well as people who have summer homes on Lake Bomoseen.
Local resident Brandon Barrett is very familiar with the shop.
“I’ve been going there for about eight years,” Barrett said. “I get all three fishing, hunting, and trapping combo
licenses.”
And he’s not alone.
“Last year we sold 940 resident fishing and 510 combination licenses, which is a hunting and fishing license together. It’s cheaper. We sold 410 non-resident fishing licenses. Another big one for residents is the three-day fishing license. We sold about 590 of those,” Jessica said.
Licenses and fishing poles aren’t the only things you can find at Tom’s. They even have live fish to purchase for bait.
“On average, in the summer we probably sell 150 pounds [of live fish] a week. We sell anywhere from 400 to 6 00 pounds a week in the winter, usually in February,” Jessica said.
Rob said that working at Tom’s has one major benefit -- listening to his customers.
“My favorite part of working here is getting’ to hear everybody’s fishin’ stories,”Rob
said.
The locals also enjoy customers’ stories as well as the services that Tom’s has to
offer.
“My favorite part about Tom’s Bait and Tackle is the service,” Barrett said. “It is
excellent there, and the staff is awesome. All the hunting and fishing stories
that go through that place are unbelievable.”
RSS Feed