Henlopen Bait & Tackle opening highway location April 1
Henlopen Bait & Tackle has been a landmark on Savannah Road outside Lewes for decades. Owner Jordan Petterson said he wants the tackle shop’s new location on Coastal Highway to build on that legacy.
“We’re definitely keeping the original location open, but with so many fishing and hunting experiences offered in one county, I wanted to have something offering the best of the best for customers,” said Petterson.
Petterson grew up in downtown Lewes and took over ownership of the bait and tackle shop in 2020 from longtime owners Bill and Denise Willis. He remembers hopping on his bike as a kid and making the trek to Henlopen Bait & Tackle for his fishing needs.
“That was when it was safe to be riding on Savannah Road,” he said, laughing. “There’s a yellow chair in that shop that’s been there for 30-plus years. I spent a lot of time sitting on that seat.”
Petterson said the new location, 18334 Coastal Hwy., is opening Monday, April 1, with a grand opening celebration scheduled for the first weekend. He said the new shop will be known as Henlopen Bait & Tackle South, while the original will be known as Henlopen Bait & Tackle North.
The new shop is still the familiar yellow, but it’s much larger than the original. Petterson said his approach to filling the shelves of the new location is to offer popular items other shops don’t have at prices people can afford.
The original location has a pretty good selection of surf-fishing and beach gear, with a small selection of freshwater needs, said Petterson. The new location, he said, has tackle for surf fishing, freshwater fishing, shark fishing, fly fishing, and also offers rod building and lure making.
The selection of goods also includes rigs and worms made by hand in the shop by Petterson. He said it is just the beginning of locally made options, as he wants to offer other high-quality stuff made by other locals.
“I want this place to be an outlet for locals to sell their high-quality items,” said Petterson.
Henlopen Bait & Tackle South has crossbows, QuietKat electric bikes and Lightning Kayaks. Petterson said these are good, well-known brands that customers won’t be able to get anywhere else.
In addition to the expanded selection of goods, the new location will also have a sandwich shop.
“The goal is to offer good food that customers don’t know is good for them,” said Petterson.
To begin, the new location will be open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. However, he said, it could open earlier.
“We’re flirting with opening at 5 a.m.,” he said.
The original location can be contacted at 302-645-8106, while the new location can be reached at 302-703-6657. The shop also has a Facebook page.
