LOCALadk Magazine

Local Bait Shops—A Family Affair Our local bait shops become crucial during ice season, and we're lucky to have some dedicated professionals servicing the Adirondacks. ey are the best source for condition and fishing reports, and will field your call in between their bait scooping. My local bait supplier is Gary Ingles at e Wiggly Worm in Ballston Spa. He gets up in the wee hours of the morning so he's available for his customers every day at 5:30 a.m.—and he is still the friendliest guy in town! Most of the shops that have endured are family run. Gary's family has been operating e Wiggly Worm since 1932, and oen during my visits, he'll speak fondly of his dad running the shop before him. It can't be a coincidence that most of the surviving bait suppliers I frequent are family run. Having family strength in numbers has allowed e Crossroads in Chestertown to prosper into a one-stop everything-Adirondack outfitter, including great bait and tackle. e Crossroads just opened a new location in North Creek, which is a great place for Central Adirondack ice anglers to get bait. Chris Grimone at Woods and Waters in Saranac Lake is a great resource for early trout- and salmon-seeking, and is always ready to share his local knowledge. Chris and his father, Sam, are both extremely adept at putting their customers in the right spot for a successful outing. Not only are there dozens of trout and salmon waters within an hour of their parking lot, they are in areas that freeze much sooner than the rest of the state. It's great to see these family-run operations prospering. Family Fun, Electronics, and Jaw Jackers Technology has been a game changer in the sport. Easy smartphone apps like Navionics provide detailed and precise data useful for success. YouTube has videos on new products and techniques you can follow in real time while on the ice. One new product in the last decade that has some great YouTube videos is Jaw Jackers. I first heard of Jaw Jackers from family-run Jim's Bait Shop in Mayfield, a good example of a shop owner directing me to the correct gear. Jim knew I wanted to catch trout and big perch on a medium-light rod. Last year was my first year of setting up these inexpensive downrigger-type devices. Jackers hook salmon in the jaw in an easy catch-and-release fashion. ough these fish are very nice dinner fare, experienced salmon fishers are always trying to release fish correctly. Jaw Jackers became a generic name because there are several other automatic hook setters on the market. Rigging up one with a medium-light combo with 6-lb. test line will cost you about $100. I highly recommend them to new and experienced fishers alike. ey simply catch fish while you're busy with other things. e Jaw Jacker comes with simple, easy-to-follow instructions. As Jerrod mentioned for trout, we set them just below the ice down to 5-6 feet below for landlocked salmon. Utilize a thin wire single hook size 6 or 8 hooked behind the dorsal fin. Using the same minnow selection Jerrod endorsed, attach a small non-shiny split shot and a small barrel swivel about 2 feet above your minnow to minimize line twist. You'll find what works best for you through trial and error. I check them every hour or so to ensure the bait is lively, and skim the hole from ice. LOCALadk 36

• Cover