Lake Martin live bait fishermen have a new spot to buy bait. Kowaliga Live Bait And Tackle is open for business. The new store on Kowaliga Road (aka Highway 63) is south of Kowaliga Bridge. In fact, it's just south of my office, a tad north of the intersection with Highway 229.
The other day while driving to my office, I saw their sign, and I was so surprised that I chuckled. I couldn't believe my eyes. I can't remember the last time a new bait shop opened on Lake Martin.
Then, I was surprised that I was surprised. Why not a new live bait shop? Lake Martin has 700 miles of shoreline spread over 40,000 acres, and great fishing. So why isn't the live bait industry thriving right now?
When I was growing up on Lake Martin, if you wanted to fish, most of 
the time you used bait. You could stop by any old fillin station and at the very least they would sell crickets and worms. It was commonplace. In these days of clean, sparkly, mega-marts that sell hamburgers, haircuts, sub sandwiches, and also gas, the live bait selection has suffered. You really have to hunt around to find it. And even then, it's hard to find the OSHA-defying oily tubs packed with minnows, and the stench, activity, and din of a room full of crickets. To me, surviving a trip to the bait shop was half the fun of fishing.
Lake Martin is changing.
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