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Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026

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Steve Sarley: Readers share memories of old bait shops, fishing in Illinois

Sarley’s recent column about bait shops of Illinois’ past struck a chord with many readers, even bringing up the topic of smelt fishing. This photo was shared on social media by Lori Eckholm-Prang, who explained, “My dad was an avid smelter tossing his nets from the rocks at Foster Avenue beach. Many wonderful memories for me.” (Photo provided)

I knew I was going to hit a hot button when I brought up bait shops of the past. Everybody has great memories of shops that smelled like worms and minnows and were filled with racks full of the things that fishermen dream of.
I’m not just talking about kids. What fisherman couldn’t spend a minimum of an hour in a bait shop, just browsing? The stories started rolling in and here are a few that I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

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