Bait in Bismarck

[pluggin]

Where is the best place around Bismarck to get bait? I am mainly looking for jumbo leaches and some chubs (either sucker or creek). I know these can all be hard to find but thought I would check on here. Thanks in advance

 

[jdinny]

brother picked up some nice leeches at the gas station/bait shop down south by the cottonwood appatments, ( sorry I don't know the name think its a unistop) or it was I don't get into south bis much.

I can tell you to stay away from the unistop on century ave north of the golf bubble. they literally counted out one by one the "scoop' of minnows I bought.

but comparing leeches they one down south had a nice batch last wknd.

 

[H82bogey]

I don't think you will find suckers anywhere since they are illegal to use as bait, but that unistop by the golf dome as previously mentioned had some jumbo crawlers last weekend. Bought my first batch at landers on State Street, and the crawlers were a mixed bag, some large and some small. Every crawler at the unistop by the golf dome was a jumo. Not sure about minnows.

 

[Lycanthrope]

I used to go to unistop by the dome all the time, they used to be good about minnows and let you scoop your own, I never CHEAT, but I get a good healthy scoop, not holding my hand over the top, but moving quickly so not many flop out, but last time I was there and got a scoop the guy looked in the bucket and said, thats at least 2 scoops, and I said, no its just one and he said hell have to re-scoop them for me then, so I said "whatever, charge me for 2" and I never went back, bastards. Last time in Landers I was able to scoop my own because they were busy at the till and they didnt have a problem with it....

 

[Ericb]

The Unistop quite allowing you to scoop them but now the let you again. I personally prefer there over Landers. Seems every time I go to Landers the minnows don't last long. Leaches this year have been small. Both stations have 1- 1.5in Leaches and charge for jumbos.

 

[DirtyMike]

I like landers but have got bait at unistop before as well. Landers always seems to have stock and their minnows this spring were great. Which they would have told me about the bait club card though. Could have filled an entire book.

 

[svnmag]

Unistop used to have one of the most entertaining songs on the radio. Nothing like cranking it up and turning to your passenger with sudden, intense Shakespearean-type hand gesticulation: "It's CLEAN; it's friendly and they got what I NEED... It's just one stop--Unistop... then you tool along normally with a straight face and internal hemorrhaging.

 

[Up Y'oars]

A buddy and I stopped at the Runway Conoco on the south end of Bismarck before heading down to Hazelton ramp last week. The crawlers were near DEAD, mostly limp and dried out. Couldn't find much different in their refrigerated inventory. Took three dozen up to the till and said something. The clerk opened up the styrofoam top and said to us "you can have these for free" (I mean, they were bad). I don't think I'll go there for bait unless I absolutely have to.

The clerk did say it may be the guy that delivers the bait to the store, because they get what they get. There must've been 12-15 containers that were worthless and it was on a Wednesday afternoon before the 4th of July weekend. OUCH....

We settled on getting six dozen for the price of two and later had to pick one or two out of each dozen to find one worthy of placing on a hook.


;:;rant

 

[jdinny]

I used to go to unistop by the dome all the time, they used to be good about minnows and let you scoop your own, I never CHEAT, but I get a good healthy scoop, not holding my hand over the top, but moving quickly so not many flop out, but last time I was there and got a scoop the guy looked in the bucket and said, thats at least 2 scoops, and I said, no its just one and he said hell have to re-scoop them for me then, so I said "whatever, charge me for 2" and I never went back, bastards. Last time in Landers I was able to scoop my own because they were busy at the till and they didnt have a problem with it....

thats why those fkrs counted mine one at a time literally...i though i was buying a scoop not 'x" amount

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sounds like among the reports its hit or miss at all places in bismarck with some good or bad.

 

[5575]

That Tesoro down south off airport road and university is my favorite place to get bait. They give you way more minnows than you ever need and the chicken and prime rib sandwiches can't be beat, especially when they have the big grills going in the morning! That and the folks are always extra friendly and helpful, the place is run right!

 

[DirtyMike]

I honestly never have had a problem with landers bait. If I'm going ice fishing or to the missouri, I'm going to stop there for sure. I usually will always ask for 2 scoops even though I'd probably be good with one. I just wish the north one would be on the east side of state street. That location is a pain in the ass.

 

[tikkalover]

You guys in Bismarck sure know your bait, and bait shops!....................................Does that make you MASTER BAITERS! ;:;rofl ;:;boozer

 

[Allen]

thats why those fkrs counted mine one at a time literally...i though i was buying a scoop not 'x" amount

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sounds like among the reports its hit or miss at all places in bismarck with some good or bad.

I could be wrong, but I don't know of any bait vendors in Bismarck that capture their own minnows. Or crawlers either. They are all bought wholesale and resold. I am guessing there are not more than 3 vendors that service the whole of the Bismarck/Mandan area for both crawlers and minnows. So the luck of the draw is kind of there for all of us when it comes to bait. Landers may get a large shipment of good sized minnows that last for two weeks and will get to be known as the place to find large bait. Right up until they run out and have to restock.

Sure, there's something to be said about freshness of the bait when it comes to the satisfactory vigor we seek in our offerings that can be altered by poor temps in the cooler and water. But for the most part, it is what it is.

A couple days ago I stopped in both Sterling and Steele looking for crawlers. SOL is what happened to us, we ended up finishing off the crawlers I had from the previous trip and using Gulp killer crawler after that. BTW, I am a BIG fan of that stuff. Works just as well as live crawlers for me! Just way more expensive.

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So I always keep a couple bags of the stuff on hand for when I run out before I am done.

 

[JayKay]

That Tesoro down south off airport road and university is my favorite place to get bait. They give you way more minnows than you ever need and the chicken and prime rib sandwiches can't be beat, especially when they have the big grills going in the morning! That and the folks are always extra friendly and helpful, the place is run right!

Yep, Runway Tesoro. good eats. If you're ever in the neighborhood at lunch, getcherself a steak samwich. you won't be disappointed.

The Unistop by Cottonwood Apartments (just off University and 12th) is a good bait spot. Got two dozen crawlers last Friday night, checked the remainder in the fridge last night, and I'll def be using them tonight. That's purty good in my book.

 

[Enslow]

I used to go to unistop by the dome all the time, they used to be good about minnows and let you scoop your own, I never CHEAT, but I get a good healthy scoop, not holding my hand over the top, but moving quickly so not many flop out, but last time I was there and got a scoop the guy looked in the bucket and said, thats at least 2 scoops, and I said, no its just one and he said hell have to re-scoop them for me then, so I said "whatever, charge me for 2" and I never went back, bastards. Last time in Landers I was able to scoop my own because they were busy at the till and they didnt have a problem with it....

You use softener salt to pickle dogs**t so im pulling the BS flag on this scenario....

 

[zoops]

What is the going rate for leeches nowadays? I don't use them much but wanted to try some slip bobbering a few weeks ago and stopped at Landers and a dozen jumbos was 5.49...yowza...

 

[jdinny]

I could be wrong, but I don't know of any bait vendors in Bismarck that capture their own minnows. Or crawlers either. They are all bought wholesale and resold. I am guessing there are not more than 3 vendors that service the whole of the Bismarck/Mandan area for both crawlers and minnows. So the luck of the draw is kind of there for all of us when it comes to bait. Landers may get a large shipment of good sized minnows that last for two weeks and will get to be known as the place to find large bait. Right up until they run out and have to restock.

Sure, there's something to be said about freshness of the bait when it comes to the satisfactory vigor we seek in our offerings that can be altered by poor temps in the cooler and water. But for the most part, it is what it is.

A couple days ago I stopped in both Sterling and Steele looking for crawlers. SOL is what happened to us, we ended up finishing off the crawlers I had from the previous trip and using Gulp killer crawler after that. BTW, I am a BIG fan of that stuff. Works just as well as live crawlers for me! Just way more expensive.

- - - Updated - - -

So I always keep a couple bags of the stuff on hand for when I run out before I am done.

Ran an outta crawlers one day over the 4th wknd and we used pork bait crawlers and shit they worked just as well as live bait.

 

[svnmag]

How would you rate durability JD?

 

[WLYHNTR]

durability on pork crawlers is real good

 

[dean nelson]

Ran an outta crawlers one day over the 4th wknd and we used pork bait crawlers and shit they worked just as well as live bait.

Better stock up they are no longer making them and when they run out they run out. Durability is extremely high compared to the real thing.