Same here, it's got to be the kid, the older guy doesn't seem to want the business even when I have offered more per eel for the snakes. I only go there because I can get them and bring them home, they will keep till I head out (closest to home for live eels). When they are shoestrings and it's not the kid I look them over and if I can't chose the ones I want I tell him "thanks but I'm going to pass" and leave without buying a thing. I used to get my Mac flats there when I did more bait fishing.
I can never get them just before I want to fish (no midnight-3am eels any where ;( ). The kid told me the best deal is to have a commercial license and they'll sell them in bulk. I miss the days of a shop being open when I'm heading out.
Mike gets 90% of my plug purchases and I would buy eels there also but he isn't open when I leave to go fishing, he gets the plug business because he is open when I am heading home.
Last year I only fished eels a few times because I found plugs more productive, it's the yak that makes me want to try them again (lazy fishing
). I have a couple of riggies from last season I will use till I get some new snakes to rig.
I even asked the older guy about buying the big eels that have died for more than the live ones and he says no, I pretty much no when I get there if it's not the kid I am probably not spending
any money there.
I may have look into catching my own so I can get the ones I need for skins.
I might even consider a purchase with the smaller eels mixed in since casting them won't be an issue from the yak.
I am really suffering a little withdrawl, I have only fished once the day after the trip to Hull (boy that was a great time, I highly recommend scrambles). The posting I did today shows my level of sanity
