PORT HARDY—Jim Henschke and Nita Klatt, former owners of Jim’s Hardy Sports, sold their business earlier this year for a quieter life.
Apparently that doesn’t involve taking it easy.
Last week the pair opened The Bait Shack, new home of “the best bait in town and the cheapest bait in town,” according to Henschke.
Situated behind the new breakwater off the Bear Cove slipway (next to the Port Hardy ferry terminal), the new bait and tackle destination will be open from 5 a.m.-5 p.m. daily until September, offering coffee, snacks and fishing licences in addition to gear and “the biggest selection of flashers on the North Island.”
The new location on the floating docks boasts a pair of cleaning stations and abundant day moorage.
And as if fisherman needed more incentive — the pair’s first customers were at the door at 5 a.m. the morning of opening — Klatt offers yet another reason to stop by. From now until the end of August the inaugural Bait Shack Spring Salmon Derby will be taking entries. In order to be eligible, the catch must be weighed in at The Bait Shack. At the end of the season prizes will be awarded for the top catches, including a rod and reel combo for the top fish and an MR3 reel as a hidden weight prize.
Klatt is no stranger to a derby, being the driving force behind the Family Fishing Derby for many years. This year the derby will take place on Family Fishing Weekend, June 14-15. On Saturday the event will take place at SeaGate Dock, Port Hardy, 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; moving on Sunday to O’Connor Lake, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Snacks and prizes will be on offer and no licence is required to take your kids to this sponsored event.