Last year, the firm placed15 bait machines in three states and now has more than 700 bait machines in nearly every state, sales executive Jim Chico says. At Albion Outdoors, a sporting -goods store in Albion, Mich., owner Don Ladd used to sell live bait inside. But now he sells critters outside through a machine - and sells a lot more. One big reason is that many people fish at night or buy bait while the store is closed. Mr. Ladd now supplies worms to 30 machines.
Vendors say fishing tackle is next.
As a foot note, Edina Technical Products Inc. was 8 years ahead of this trend, having produced a vending machine which was used to vend bait in ice fishing huts in Northern Minnesota.