Thanks for the update.

There use to be a rod and reel shop out on North Main Street years ago. There was a small brand new sporting goods store out by the New Movie Theater. It's on the North side of the Road. The road that goes between Boenhe Camp road and Red Bank and that runs parallel to the Highway 62 west and is just South of the highway. Is that called Pearl Drive? I can't recall exactly where it's located out there sorry.

As for minnows I get mine at the Evansville Worm Ranch out on old boonville highway. Take Burkharkt Road North from Highay 62 or Morgan Ave and go to the first Stop light. Turn right onto Old Boonville Highway and go about 1 mile (estimated) it's on the East side of the road and there is a big sign out in the front yard. Its at the top of the hill and back off the road there is a big red barn like structure where they keep all the minnows in about 12 huge 6000 gallon tanks. It's at 7349 Old Boonville Highway. If you get to the new Lynch Road you have gone too far North and need to turn back around. It's North of the intersection of Mike and Matt run the place and are really good folks.

They are the wholesale bait sellers for this area. I think they supply the minnows to all the local bait shops including smittys.

I buy my minnows by the 1/4 lb and keep them at home. I keep them in a couple of 5 gallon buckets and use Better Bait blue crystals to treat the water. I could keep them in a bigger styrofoam container but I don't keep that many minnows. Just use an 110 volt Aquarium Air Pump and a good airstone to keep the oxygen level up in the buckets. And change out the water every day or so to help remove the Ammonia.

I can also keep the minnows in a 10 gallon aquarium with an undergravel filter system and a power filter that keep the water oxygenated. The bacteria that live in the gravel will control the waste ok. You can keep a lot of minnows in an aquarium. In fact I could keep a lot more minnows as I have three aquariums. 20 gallon, 10 gallon and a 5 gallon aquarium.

This helps if you want to go fishing at 4 am and the bait shop is not open. This time of the year you can keep the minnows out side in an insulated cooler that is rigged up to aerator the water. One guy rigged up a 55 gallon plastic barrel to keep his minnows. He used a 250 gal/min pump and pvc piping to filter and aerator the water at the same time. He can keep several pound of minnows in that barrel for a few weeks or months.

I talk to a lot of people that fish Bluegrass Pits and most of them buy their bait from Smitty's. But the Evansville Worm Ranch is less than 3 miles away from Bluegrass's otter pit. If you are out fishing and run out of bait head down the road to EWR and get some more minnows.

Not sure what time they open in the morning which may be why people go to smittys. He may open early in the morning.

You can call Bill or Matt at 812 477-4534

They are located at 7349 Old Boonville Highway.