Bait Shoppe

09/18/2026

Closed today Friday September 18th due to weather

09/12/2026

🏈 Game doesn't start until 6:30 PM tonight, which leaves you plenty of time for what really matters: Fishing ! ! !

🎣Whether you bleed Hawkeye Gold or Cyclone Red, we can all agree on one thing—sitting on a couch all day waiting for kickoff is a wasted Saturday. It is absolutely beautiful outside, and the fish are waiting.Besides, getting out on the water now means you can catch dinner and have plenty of time to get back, crack open a cold one, and heckle your friends.We are open until 6:00 PM today right here in Independence!

Swing by The Bait Shoppe to stock up before you head out:🪱 Live Bait (fresh and ready to wiggle)🎣 Tackle & Rods🗣️ Terrible football predictions (free of charge)
Find us at 801 3rd ST SE or call ahead at 319-327-7810 to see what's biting. Good luck on the water, and good luck to your team! GO SPORTS!

09/09/2026

DNR report from the Independance Bulletin.

Between the 3 weather apps my wife and i have, we got 3 diffrent answers as to what the weather is going to be like this week and weekend so....
Here's a weather report....

🎣 The Mid-Week Grind: Prime River Time

ConditionsThursday (Sept 10): Clear Skies & Big Bites.Expect absolute perfection with a high near 76°F–79°F and pure sunshine. The wind will be dead calm before shifting to a gentle northwest breeze.
🐟 Bait Shoppe Play: This is a prime day to cast for smallmouth bass on the Wapsi using topwater plastics, minnows or chubs

Friday (Sept 11): The Pre-Storm Push.Temperatures climb up to around 80°F. It will be pleasant, but a steady southern breeze will start picking up in the morning, blowing in some late-night cloud cover.
🐟 Bait Shoppe Play: The fish will feel the pressure changing. Stop in early to grab some fresh nightcrawlers—afternoon walleye and catfish are going to be aggressive

⛈️ The Weekend Outlook: The Wapsi Wildcard

Saturday (Sept 12): The Showers & Shallows.Highs stay comfortable around 77°F–78°F, but the weather models are teasing a chance of rain showers and isolated thunderstorms, particularly moving in late Friday night into Saturday.
🐟 Bait Shoppe Play: Pack your rain gear! If you don't mind getting a little damp, the overcast skies are perfect for pulling big northern pike out of the

Sunday (Sept 13): The System Settles.Temperatures drop down to a crisp high of 72°F–73°F with a continuing chance of scattered thunderstorms.
🐟 Bait Shoppe Play: If the rain gets heavy, the river current will pick up. Focus on the eddies and deeper holes near the banks where the catfish look for a break from the moving water

09/02/2026

🇺🇸 Labor Day plans?
Sleep in? ❌
Honey-do list? ❌
🐟 GO FISHING? DAMN RIGHT. 🎣
We’re OPEN 8AM–5PM!
Come see us before you hit the water! 🎣🤘
📌 801 3rd St SE Independace Ia 📌
Bait Shoppe

08/29/2026

🎣 THIS OR THAT: DEBATE TIME 🐟

Let's settle it right now. When you're rolling down to the Wapsi River this weekend, what presentation are you launching into the current first?

👇 Cast your vote in the comments below! 👇
🅰️ TEAM LIVE BAIT: A perfectly hooked live minnow on a fresh jig head.
🅱️ TEAM ARTIFICIAL: A rigged soft plastic swimbait with maximum tail kick.

Are you matching the real hatch or relying on plastic vibration?

🌦️ INDEPENDENCE WEATHER UPDATE: Don't let today's cloud cover and scattered rain keep you off the water! Overcast sky conditions mean big walleye and bass are moving shallow to feed. Temperatures are hovering in the high 70s to low 80s, providing the perfect chop on the water for a great bite.

Swing by the shop on your way out—our live tanks are bubbling with fresh minnows, and our tackle walls are loaded with the hot plastics you need to limit out.

📌 801 3rd St SE Independence ia 📌

08/26/2026

Updated hours for this week:
Today Aug 26 we close at 3pm
Thursday Aug 27 normal
Friday Aug 28 close at 3pm
Saturday Aug 29 and Sunday Aug 30 normal hours

08/26/2026

08/19/2026

🚨 ATTENTION WAPSI RIVER FISH: PREPARE TO BE LIQUIDATED 🚨

The Iowa DNR reports the Wapsi River is at a rock-solid 6.8 feet. The water is fine, the fish are hungry, and we are legally obligated to sell you the weapons to defeat them.

🎣 WHAT THE DNR SAYS THE FISH ARE DOING:

😼 Catfish: Lurking in tree snags, absolutely losing their minds for stink bait and nightcrawlers.
🐟 Smallmouth: Demanding jigs and topwater poppers like spoiled toddlers.
👁️ Walleye: Showing up across Buchanan County. They know what they did.

☀️ WEATHER FOR PEOPLE WHO DESPISE ACCOMPLISHING REAL WORK:
⛈️ Wed (Aug 19): 79° | Threat of lightning. Adds a thrilling element of danger to your cast.
⛅ Thu (Aug 20): 81° | Post-storm paradise. Your boss doesn't need you anyway.
🌦️ Fri (Aug 21): 82° | Passing showers. Fish are already wet, they don’t care. Why should you?
🌤️ Sat (Aug 22): 80° | Literally illegal to stay indoors.
☀️ Sun (Aug 23): 79° | God tier weather. Go fishing or question your life choices.

🪱 OUR VAULT IS OVERFLOWING:We have minnows with a strong will to live, and nightcrawlers thick enough to have a social security number. Plus, stink bait that will violently violate your sense of smell but works 100% of the time.
****CHUBS...... YUP we've got them in stock!!!****

📍 THE MOTHERLODE: 801 3rd St SE, Independence.Drop your fish pics in the comments so we can lie about how big they are! 👇

08/15/2026

Weekend SALE . Take an extra 20% off at the register this Saturday and Sunday August 15th and 16th

08/13/2026

We will be closed today due to weather.