Sometimes I wonder what a guy like me with a business degree, decades of experience in high-tech industries, owning and operating a charter business and ownership in various businesses is doing owning a bait & tackle store.
Heck, I’ve even got two locations. One is Hook, Line & Sinker, 4010 Calle Real, Santa Barbara, and the other is halfway out on Goleta Pier (brown rustic shack on the left side, walking out on the pier).
It is not like I’m making a pile of money with these businesses, but I have come to understand and accept why I’m doing it. It is the people and the setting.
Something very special and unique happens in a bait & tackle shop because the sport of fishing slices right through the demographics of a town in a unique manner.
For example, I’ve seen a tatted-up gangbanger and a preppy-looking heart surgeon stand in my shop and have the best of time talking with each other about the fish they caught yesterday. The two disparate people enjoy talking about what lure or bait they used, their presentation technique and where they found their fish.
That last bit is like a special gift of friendship to one another because fisherfolk can be a mite secretive about where they caught fish, don’t ya know.
Those two people may have few opportunities to engage in a genuine conversation about something they both enjoy, but that is what makes a bait & tackle shop a truly special societal experiment. It is a common meeting ground, almost like a pub but with a popular default conversation topic for all.
Then there is the humor aspect. Fishing seems to come with its own humor and here is a classic example:
I called a friend up north who owns a bait & tackle shop on the water. He was super busy at that moment and asked if I could call him back. I did and he said:
“Captain, I’m really sorry. I had 14 people in here all needing bait when you called. They come in groups. Now they are all gone and all I have here is an egret, a seagull and a night heron. They want bait, but none of them have any money in their pockets.”
Truth is, I make my daughter Capt. Tiffany Vague run the busy shop on Calle Real. She has lots of customers, dispenses advice, spools fresh line on reels, repairs reels and builds custom Vague Rods for people who want high-quality beautiful fishing rods.
Me, I like to man the Goleta Pier shack. It is much quieter, and I take my laptop and get much of my professional writing done there. Plus, sitting over the water in Goleta Bay, I believe I have the best view office this fine city has to offer. I’m happy with it.
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
