Tackle Shops Across California

50 shops — hours, live bait, and directions.

Updated

Bait and tackle near you in California

50 open shops, 26 with live bait, live bait first.

California’s 840 miles of Pacific shoreline stretch from the Oregon border to Tijuana, and the tackle shops that line it stock gear for a fishery that changes personality every hundred miles. San Diego’s fleet runs offshore for yellowfin and bluefin tuna. Orange County targets calico bass on the inshore kelp. The Central Coast drifts for lingcod and rockfish over the edge. The Delta and Bay Area split time between striped bass, surfperch, and salmon. Humboldt and Del Norte counties shift to Pacific halibut and the winter steelhead runs.

What that means for gear: a rod built for Monterey Bay rockfish won’t throw a Catalina yo-yo, and a shop stocked for Delta bass won’t carry Okuma Makaira reels. Of the 50 California shops below, 16 are offshore-focused (heavy saltwater, jigs, irons, live squid); most of the rest are general shops that cover inshore, surf, and freshwater work alongside offshore basics, plus 4 pier bait shops. The landing-attached shops open at or before dawn to match boat departures. Many of the full-service shops also run rod repair counters, which is worth knowing before your trip if a guide breaks a tip.

Select your region or scroll the map to find the shop closest to where you’ll fish.

Shops in California

California on the map

Frequently asked questions