Michael Parker,
You must remember Joe's bait right in your backyard?....(get there early because Joe was drunk by 8am) and sometimes he could be a 'basturd'.....had a few beers with him many times when we came in. He was a 'piece of work'.
Then there came Dan's 'Ballard bait'.....Dan was cool and his wife loved this 'ole basturd'....there were huge lines up the stairs to the railroad tracks to get bait when fishin was good and she would see me in line and tell the crowd to get the hell out of the way and let chuck up to the front to get his herring.
English Ladies are the best.
Dan did his own seining for herring and bait was always live and kicking when you bought it and I would purchase two dozen and always there was three in the bag......................They always treated this 'ole fuker' well.
Later on Dan started exporting his herring to Alaska or where ever the market was.
Dans was one of God's finest.

Some of you may remember his daughter taking over the bait shop after mom pasted and turning it into a little' bistro '..........didn't last but a couple of years. Was a fun place to eat and drink and listen to easy jazz.
Dan used to have several rods in holders off his dock with live herring for bait...........I witnessed several epic battles with Dan or Mom and or daughter battling a nice king or coho right off the bait holding pens.

Those were the days!.............I long for them back.

I'm with you Michael.............mooching only...............and of course jigs sting zelda's,darts,crippled herring and......you get it!
Get 'mooching' only into law and I will give you all my trolling gear including down-riggers and electronics...promise.
Now back to my glass of Cabernet,
Peace,
Chuck