Where to buy live shrimp for bait

Bait Shop

At the Tarpon Trading Company, we pride ourselves on not just the assortment of bait we provide but the quality. Our live baits are kept in three filtered temperature controlled bait wells. This allows for the freshest, liveliest baits on the market today. All live baits are delivered daily, pinfish are often delivered multiple times in a day! Bait is usually the difference between a so-so fishing day and a day to remember! We are committed to making sure you leave us armed and ready for an amazing day of fishing!

Table of Contents Show

Current Assortment
Live – Saltwater
Live – Freshwater
Shrimpy Bits
What kind of shrimp do you use for bait?
Can you use live shrimp as bait?
Does store bought shrimp work as bait?
How much is bait shrimp?

Current Assortment

Live – Saltwater

Item and Price

Live Shrimp Regular – $2.85/dozen
Live Shrimp Hand Picked – $3.75/dozen
Live Shrimp Select – $4.25/dozen
Pinfish Small – $7.00/dozen
Pinfish Large – $8.00/dozen
Fiddler Crabs – $3.19/dozen

Live – Freshwater

Item and Price

Canadian Nightcrawlers – $3.79/dozen
Red Worms – $3.49/dozen

* All live bait is subject to availability, although we pride ourselves on being in-stock! * All prices subject to change.

Frozen

Item and Price

Ballyhoo Rigged – $15.49/3 pack
Ballyhoo Unrigged – $13.99/dozen
Chum Block – $6.49
Finger Mullet – $3.99/1 lb.
Black or Silver Mullet 3/4-1lb – $3.79 each
Sardines – $3.99/1 lb.
Sardines – $12.99/5 lbs.
Shrimp – $4.19/½ lb.
Squid – $3.99/1 lb.
Squid – $16.99/5 lbs.
Squid Bits – $3.99
Thread Fins – $9.99/5 lbs.
Cigar Minnows – $23.49/5 lbs.
LadyFish – $2.59 each

* Also carrying dry chum and three sizes of menhaden oil in 8 oz, 32 oz, and 1 gallon. * Offshore for multiple days? Bulk frozen orders are available upon request. Please allow 48-hour lead time.

Shrimpy Bits

REAL BAIT. REAL TOUGH.

Small fish can’t rip this bait off. STOP spending so much time re-baiting your line and start spending more time actually fishing! Set the hook on the fish that count with Hey Skipper Salty Bits Bait! Our bait is tough, stays on the hook, and attracts fish with natural scent and flavor.

This is a classic bait that has been working for anglers all over the world for many years, and we are proud to continue the tradition.

Our bait is artisanally made by hand using our special salting technique. We have carefully and systematically created a process that beautifully preserves the bait so that it can sit in the open air without becoming stinky, smelly, mushy, squishy, or leaky. We are just a small business and we put extra time and care into creating the best bait possible. Every bag of bait you purchase is directly produced by Brendon & Erin, made and hand- packaged in Maryland, USA.

Here is a list of the different species we KNOW bite the SALTY BITS:

Striped Bass, Black Sea Bass, WIDE variety of rock fish species, Flounder, Halibut, Red Drum, Speckled Trout, Weakfish, Black Drum, Wide variety of Florida baitfish, Porgy/Scup, Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass, All species of Catfish, Carp, Freshwater Panfish, White & Yellow Perch, Grouper, Amberjack, Bonito, Tile Fish, Offshore bottom fish & MORE!

Care instructions:

To keep your bait as FRESH as possible:
Keep out of direct sunlight when fishing
Keep in the fridge for optimal storage

Bait will naturally vary in color and size

Bait is packaged with additional salt preservation mixture

The total weight of each package with salt mixture is about 12 oz.

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If you liked our Shrimp Bits, check out our Squidy Bits

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SHRIMPY BITS:

Shrimpy Bits are successful for both saltwater and freshwater species of fish. It all depends on how you use the bait. Cut off a piece of shrimp that will easily fit in the mouth of the fish you are targeting. For fish such as pompano, trout, redfish, drum, whiting or other species, use a piece that is sized accordingly. Hook the bait on a high-low rig, a bottom rig, or simply drift it with split shot or a float. You can also checkout our brand new E-book: How To Use Shrimpy Bits which goes into detail on how to use shrimp, and how to rig it up.

What kind of shrimp do you use for bait?

Freshwater shrimp can be just as effective a bait as minnows, crayfish, and even worms in some bodies of water. Lively shrimp are a natural part of the food chain and panfish, trout, catfish, bullheads, and bass will devour a hapless shrimp it finds out in the open.

Can you use live shrimp as bait?

A live shrimp is one of the best natural baits to use to catch popular saltwater species such as redfish, tarpon, seatrout, bonefish, snook and many others. Just about any gamefish that swims will eat a live shrimp if the small crustaceans are readily available in their home waters.

Does store bought shrimp work as bait?

Grocery store shrimp is my go-to tog bait in the spring. It catches pretty much everything else too.

How much is bait shrimp?

Today, one can expect to pay between $16 and $25 a quart for live shrimp, with current price tags pushing the $25 mark at some locations for shrimp brought in from Florida.