Lucky’s bait & tackle

A bait shop on Staten Island changes spring errands into straight lines. Lucky’s Bait & Tackle, tucked behind the side streets near the island’s west shore, holds the tackle boxes, hooks and live minnows anglers forget or lose before they reach the water.

It sits at 101A Ellis St, a two-story brick building wedged between bodegas and bayside walk-ups where license plates blur and salt clings to everything in reach. No plaque marks the spot, but overhead power lines and the briny air give it away after the third pass.

Voices drop an octave inside fishing circles that don’t always meet on island time. Anglers trading local water reports and the daily bait-and-switch of tides rely on a phone line that rings when gear questions outnumber fish stories: (718) 290-2504. Spinning reels sit on pegboards, lead weights dangle from hooks, and the counter acts as an informal map where someone will always point the right way.

A quick stop before loading the boat or prepping rods keeps every trip focused. Pull up the map ahead of time; the pin lands exactly over the shoreline silhouette.