Did you know Enid had its own family-owned bait & tackle store? Located at 2011 N. Independence is Big Al’s Sinker and Lure Shop. Owned by Alvin Frye, the business has been in existence for 63 years. Once owned by his father, Al’s purpose in having the shop now is to honor his father, who was a disabled veteran Ranger from World War II. Big Al’s carries fishing tackle, fishing accessories, custom lures and live bait. His father sold to almost every bait shop in Northwest Oklahoma and currently only one other live bait shop exists in this area and it’s 60 miles away. Proudly carrying American-made products,
In addition to several varieties of live bait (Shad, Perch, Salty’s, Goldfish, Cajun Crawdads, Shiners and night crawlers), you can find frozen bait, custom-made stink bait, custom-made lures and custom weights. The live bait is cleaned and flushed daily with fresh well water. The bait shop is air conditioned and well and custom live wells with aerators can also be purchased.
Need equipment? Big Al’s carries custom rods and reels like Meat Hunter Rods and Abu Garcia Reels. There are over 400 jars and bags in which the customer can select and make their own fishing lures including jigs and spinner baits. Hooks, weights, swivels, fishing line, nets, it can all be bought here supporting a local business. He carries custom-made Bucktails that are fire-glued and hand-tied, making them much more durable than those bought at big box stores.
A practice unique to Big Al’s is a “grab bag” box. For only a few dollars, you can reach into a box and retrieve a brown paper bag containing a variety of fishing tackle. In select bags are coupons for large-value items such as rods and reels. My daughter (pictured here with a nice slab crappie caught last weekend with minnows from Al) loves the thrill of the grab bags. For the novice (or even experienced fisherman) Al is more than happy to share his expertise or give recommendations particular to the species you are seeking.
For more information, see http://www.bigalsfishingtackleshop.com/home or check out the Facebook page. The shop was closed a good portion of last year due to health reasons, but it’s up and fully stocked again. Remember, support small local businesses and keep those lines tight. Until next time friends. . .
