Serving Port Richey and the surrounding area with the freshest live bait since 2018!
If you’re fishing the Cotee River, local flats, or the Gulf, fresh bait makes all the difference.
At The Bait Depot, we get fresh, live shrimp delivered every morning.
Our Live Bait Selection
Live Shrimp 
We grade our shrimp in two sizes, regular and select. (small and large)
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Regular Shrimp – $3.50 / dozen
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Select Shrimp – $5.00 / dozen
Best for: Snook, redfish, trout, flounder, snapper, sheepshead, spanish mackerel, etc.. (everything eats shrimp!)
Where to use: Cotee River, cast under/near docks, bridges, drifting the grass flats, oyster bars, sawgrass patches near mangroves.
Ways to rig: under a popping cork (float), free-lined (no weight), or a small split-shot (pinch weight) above the hook. Also works great on a jig head! (dead or alive)
Pinfish
Hardy bait that stays alive well and draws bigger bites.
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Pinfish – $9.00 / dozen
Best for: Snook, redfish, trout, cobia, grouper, tarpon, shark
Where to use: underneath docks, bridges, near mangroves, drifting grass flats, passes/inlets, beaches, offshore
Ways to rig: under a popping cork/float, free-lined (hook thru the top or near the tail fin), knocker-rig (sliding egg sinker) Also great as cut bait!
Fiddler Crabs 
The number one bait for sheepshead!
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Fiddler Crabs – $4.00 per dozen
Best for: Sheepshead, black drum, redfish
Where to use: Bridges, pilings, docks, rock piles, any underwater structure
Ways to rig: usually with a split-shot a few inches above the hook, or on a jig-head (weighted hook)
🪱 Nightcrawlers
A simple, but effective freshwater bait for a variety of fishing styles.
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$5.00 / cup (18 worms)
Best for: Freshwater fishing, kids, panfish, largemouth bass
