Annie’s Bait & Tackle, Cortez, Florida (Bradenton Beach); An inter-coastal bait shop offering Heineken & cigars.
Why this place appeals to me
Annie’s explains their dining as EXTREMELY CASUAL – it is.
“What time do you open shop?” I asked Bruce Shearer, owner of Annie’s Bait Shop for the past 18 years.
“6 am, used to open at 5:30, but no reason any more, not busy in the morning,” Bruce said.
“How come you’re not busy at 6 am, that’s when fishermen like to head out?”
“They died,” the owner of Annie’s Bait Shop said.
“The fish died out,” I asked.
“No, the fishermen,” Bruce explains. “The old guys, down from Michigan, used to charter a boat for the entire season, one day a week, all winter December through April. Now, an occasional old guy brings his grandson by once a year to show him what a rod and reel looks like.”
Annie’s Bait & Tackle is local, but with a surprising touch of class.
Nancy pulled a cool Heineken from the cooler as I selected a Macanudo cigar from the humidor atop the bait counter.
“Need a cutter?” she asked.
Nice touch; a $7 cigar does not offend my yearning to go local.
How Far Down the Block? From McKechnie Field spring training home field for the Pittsburgh Pirates it’s a nine mile drive.
From mid-crossing on the Sunshine Bridge spanning the entrance of Tampa Bay it is 37 miles to Annie’s Bait & Tackle.[mappress mapid=”8″]
Why you might be nearby? Social demands on Longboat Key have you seeking somewhere local to sip on a cold beer. Grab the tender from somebody’s yacht and zip north to the Cortez Road Bridge, following the channel into Annie’s immediately northeast of the bridge.
Lesser Known Facts Bruce Shearer once sold 15,000 bait shrimp daily to the fishermen pushing off from Cortez into the Gulf of Mexico. Fishing in 2014 isn’t the same as the 1980’s, Bruce moved with the money. Annie’s Bait Shop now serves cold Heineken with their signature Grouper Sandwich on the ten bar stools, four indoor tables or dockside on their … well, it’s just a dock..
Bruce, a refugee from Michigan – now proprietor of Annie’s Bait & Tackle, headed south in the late 1970’s with a stash of $1,800. He stands the afternoon watch at Annie’s these days
Local Recommendation
“What’s the specialty?” I asked.
Nancy, who came down from Cincinnati, was on duty at Annie’s. She said, “The Grouper Sandwich, 100%.”
Nancy was right.
Something for Nothing Park your car, lace up your running/walking shoes and head over the bridge towards Anna Maria Island. Round trip from Annie’s n the east side to the base of the bridge on the West side and back is 1.5 miles. Continue on the Gulf, extend your exercise routine and return to Annie’s thirsty.