Lewes Ice House Bait & Tackle moves to Route 1

Lewes Ice House Bait & Tackle owner Les Clemmer said the reason he moved the shop to its new Route 1 location is simple.

“We moved to a better location to better serve our customers,” said Clemmer, standing in the store, now located in Coastal Plaza, just a couple of doors down from the old Bill’s Sport Shop.

Owner of the vessel Martha Marie, Clemmer is a charter boat captain by trade. He purchased the bait and tackle shop that used to be in the Lewes Ice Plant in 2016. He said the new location is 150 square feet larger, which may not sound like much, but allows for clean walking aisles and better organization.

“It was cluttered before,” he said. “It’s a lot cleaner now.”

Clemmer said when he purchased the store it was just bait and very little else. It’s taken a couple of years, he said, but the inventory provides opportunity for all types of fishing – ocean, surf, canals, piers, freshwater or back bay.

Ice House also sells truck racks, sweatshirts, rain gear, military sunglasses and boating supplies for those times a boat stops working. The shop has supplies for crabbing and clamming too.

“You name it, we got it,” said Clemmer.

Clemmer said an advantage to the new location is boaters have the parking lot to themselves early in the morning. Customers can pull in with their boat, get their bait and then get moving, he said.

Lewes Ice House Bait and Tackle, 18388 Coastal Highway, is open seven days a week. Through Labor Day, the hours are 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday. Clemmer said store hours will likely change to 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. after Labor Day. He said hours will continue to change as daylight changes and weather conditions allow.

For more information call 302-645-0600 or go to the Facebook page.