Arlington Bait & Tackle

What a local bait and tackle shop should be. Small but really does have everything you need, and at surprisingly reasonable prices. To top it off the owner is both friendly and helpful. What more could you ask for?

let me start by saying this place is the best bait shop i have ever been to. they are very knowledgeable in terms of giving you information on where the fish are biting and things like that. there prices are very good and the gear they sell is good quality. i bought my first rod and reel from them 5 years ago and it still is going strong after being used hundreds of times. i highly recomend it.

Went in here to buy some fishing gear and, being new to fishing, had no idea what I was looking for. The owner was super friendly, was really honest in picking out some affordable stuff, strung up my rod, and showed me some cool knotting tricks. Totally coming back here if I need any other fishing supplies, there’s some really interesting stuff (including live bait) that you can get.

Not a lot of fishing stores up here amongst all you yankees. And when you do find a nice little small shop around here the people are horrible and mean as h3ll. Not at Arlington Bait and Tackle. The fella working there was as nice and helpful as can be. He made good suggestions on where to fish and what to use. Also the prices are insanely reasonable. No reason to drive all the way out to dicks and put money in the shareholders pockets for your fishing needs. Head over and buy local.

I don’t fish but I went here to pick up the biggest spool of 100lb. line I could find for a sculpture project. Super friendly and helpful! I will definitely be going back.

Wow — great shop. I wish I had stopped in sooner! Saltwater and freshwater supplies. Live bait including sea worms! And great prices too. With these reasonable prices, I won’t even think about ordering over the web — buying from here when in the neighborhood is a no-​brainer. No need to even schlep over to Sports Authority or Walmart either. And very friendly and knowledgeable service too.
I had previously been visiting Roach’s at Porter Square until they closed. I primarily visited when I had a few minutes before catching the commuter rail home. That was an overpriced store with less saltwater selection and mediocre service. Too bad I was missing out on the gem of Arlington bait and tackle and I didn’t even realize it. Highly recommended if you are in the general area — it’s worth the trip.

I am a fan of local, and how great is it for local bait and tackle shop. Prices were better than on-​line (compared to Cabelas), you don’t pay shipping, owner is friendly. Got a 12′ beef stick for surf casting, hook remover cause the blues will swallow anything, and a filet knife so I no longer have to worry about what’s in the cupboard of wherever I’m staying, and new plugs plus they got fresh bait, so most likely they got what you want. terrific.

I wouldn’t call myself a friend of Dick’s but i did enjoy shooting the breeze with him during my infrequent visits. What an awful thing to have happen to anybody! Especially a good guy like Dick. I’m a saltwater fisherman which I don’t think was Dick’s primary emphasis, he was more into freshwater. I stopped in recently and was happy to see that the new owner has more gear for the salt. I picked up a new lure that I’m convinced will get me my 50 lb’er this season, lol. The price was about the same as I would have paid online, without shipping. Would love, love, love it if the new owner would stock live eels since the shop is so convenient to my house. Good luck Woburn guy, we can’t lose another tackle shop this close to some of the best fishing in the northeast.

The place was sold after Dick’s accident to a nice guy from Woburn and is up and running smoothly. Arlington bait carries live bait for fresh and saltwater. If you are into freshwater they always have shiners, night crawlers, wax worms, mealies, etc. The owner is very nice and can point on you on a few spots if necessary. If you are going to go fishing please support this great local business by stopping at Arlington Bait!

Hey, moms, dads, take your kid fishing in the middle of freaking surburban Arlington. Seriously. This is what you do…
Go to Arlington Bait and Tackle — it’s a little storefront on Mass Ave in East Arlington, next to a pizza place (wonder where they get their anchovies? Just kidding.) Don’t be put off by the hole-​in-​the-​wall atmosphere. Ask them for a kid’s combo. They’ll sell you a nice rod and reel, some hooks, leaders, sinkers, and bobbers, all for under $ 40. They set up everything for you right there, while you wait. Tell them you want to fish Menotomy Pond. Ask for a dozen shiners, which are little minnows who shall lay down their lives in the service of feeding larger fish and entertaining you and yours. BYOB (bring your own bucket, unless you want to buy a spiffy bucket of your own to hold the bait). Then get yourself up to the pond at Menotomy rocks and catch little bass and sunfish, photograph yourself holding them with true champion angler swagger, and toss them back. It’s an awesome way to introduce your kid (or yourself) to fishing. Our first day our, we caught 4 bass in 30 minutes, or maybe the same bass four times. You don’t need a license to teach a kid to fish, but be prepared to buy a $ 22 license for yourself if you’re «hooked» after the first time, like I was!

Great place, very kind helpful owner. I hope they stay open. The owner was hit by a drunk driver crossing mass ave 5:30 on Saturday morning and is in the hospital in critical condition. Someone is keeping the place open for reduced hours.