In a community driven by tourism, the team at Bay Baits prides themselves on serving the locals and the visitors. Buckets of live bait are filled every morning at the bait shop, as locals stop by for bait and the insider tip for where to find the fish. Then, afternoons are spent spooling reels and teaching vacationers how to fish the local waters. The shop employees at Bay Baits are happy to point anyone and everyone to where the fish are and how to catch them.
With a location at the foot of the 331 bridge, locals visit the shop on the way to the boat launch; while vacationers stop by on their drive to the beach. Recently, the Bay Baits team opened an additional location in the heart of Seagrove. The manager of Bay Baits, Evan Soroka, said “it’s a great spot to serve the vacationers trying to fish the surf and some inshore as well.” The shop is located at 4042 E County Hwy 30A Unit C, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459, just west of the One Seagrove Place Public Beach Access.
Soroka, explained he is looking forward to serving vacationers in a new way. He has been guiding folks to the fish for 6 years now. At times, it’s over a map showing a tourist land-based fishing spots near their rental, and sometimes it’s in a kayak in the Gulf of Mexico. Soroka says, he and his team always want to put people on fish. Whether it’s to show them what color lure is currently producing fish in the Choctawhatchee Bay or explaining where to cast, to find the pompano running in the surf. Bay Baits, now with two locations, has become a gathering spot to stock up on gear, but also to share fishing reports, and even some fish tales.
The new Seagrove location features all the bait and tackle essentials, along with beach clothing and gear. Vacationers often come back to the shop later in the week to share pictures and stories of how they landed the fish. The Bay Baits social media profile has routinely featured fish caught by customers and some aboard their charter boat.
Over the past couple years, the Bay Baits team has grown the business and expanded their operation. Last year they launched guided fishing trips from their charter boat and opened a second location this year. Soroka stated that some folks ask for tips to catch fish on their own and some ask for guided trips. He explained he is happy to offer multiple ways to show locals and visitors the local fishery.
