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Steve Sarley: Bait shops of our past still reel me in now and then

The sights and smells of old-school bait shops has Sarley reminiscing about some that have closed in Illinois. (Photo provided)

I used to dream that I could quit my job and get in the fishing bait and tackle business. I figured that nothing would be better than to hang around my shop all day, scooping up minnows and telling my fishing tales to my endless lines of paying customers.
Of course, I imagined that I would have plenty of opportunities to leave the store to go fishing so I could learn about the hot bites and then share the info with my customers. Right?

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