# Tochterman's Tackle Baltimore, great experience



## O'Shaughnessy (Jul 17, 2013)

Checked out Tochterman's in Baltimore over the weekend, and I can't speak highly enough of the shop and the owners. Apparently Tony is a 3rd-generation Tochterman, and the shop has been around for nearly a century.

The rod rack "tunnel" when you walk in the door is pretty dang cool. I was in a rush to go see the Blue Angels for the 1812 tribute, so I couldn't stay long to check everything out, but I'll definitely be back. In the few minutes I was there to buy a new surf rod, Tony took several minutes to answer a ton of pesky questions and went above and beyond the call of duty in terms of customer service.

It's also awesome to see a bunch of reels laid out in a well-lit display area (I think he mentioned something like 700 reels in stock). Yowser. Go there to buy, but it's also worth going just to look at the great job they've done.

Thanks Tony for a great tackle shop experience.

O'Shaugh


----------



## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

I lived in Baltimore for years. It was amazing to stumble across a tackle shop like that in the middle of an urban area. Always bought my bloodworms from Tony and his wife every spring for striper season at Sandy Point. Wish northern Virginia had a shop like that.


----------



## Mastrbaitr (May 7, 2014)

[


----------



## Mastrbaitr (May 7, 2014)

Me and my pops have been going since the 80's


----------



## catman (May 28, 2001)

Tochterman's has been my tackle shop since 1967. Tony and Dee are the best.


----------



## Hueski (Feb 5, 2012)

Where is this at? Address. Thanks.


----------



## BreakTime (Sep 9, 2012)

Tochterman's Fishing Tackle
1925 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD ‎ 

I've driven by but haven't been in, that address is from Google. I'll have to check it out. Do you know if they sell rod blanks and/or building supplies?


----------



## whenican (Feb 21, 2013)

I always stop in to p/u some items when I go back to visit the old neighborhood.
You can't go wrong in that 'candy'store.


----------



## Hueski (Feb 5, 2012)

Thanks BreakTime.
I love those old skool tackle shops. They have things new ones don't.


----------



## hopkins11 (May 9, 2008)

There was another location north of Towson for a few years. That one didn't end well from what I've heard...


----------



## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

I drove all the way there from Gaithersburg to buy one of those aluminum surf carts (fish n mates?) years ago. Got a little lost and ended up in a scary neighborhood. But loved the experience in the store when I finally found it.


----------



## Mastrbaitr (May 7, 2014)

HuskyMD said:


> I drove all the way there from Gaithersburg to buy one of those aluminum surf carts (fish n mates?) years ago. Got a little lost and ended up in a scary neighborhood. But loved the experience in the store when I finally found it.


Hahahaha yea east sides gets a little dicey....born n raised on the corner of E Fayette and Montford!


----------



## Gnatman (Sep 15, 2005)

hopkins11 said:


> There was another location north of Towson for a few years. That one didn't end well from what I've heard...


The Timonium location was owned by Tony's brother, and was NOT affiliated with the Highlandtown store. There was bad blood between Tommie (Tony's dad) and Tony's brother. I believe he was forced out of business for the unauthorized use of the store name, even though he was a Tochterman.
He even had the audacity to copy the Highlandtown logo.


----------



## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

I made a visit to that Timonium store once, and didn't find anything there that interested me. It was supposed to be a fly shop, and that may have been more of why it didn't last than anything. There was high end gear, not a lot of it & not a lot of basic gear or tying materials when I was there. I had heard that there was some family rift too. I remember some other fly anglers saying he opened when he felt like it, but I don't know that to be a fact. If that was the case, he was doomed from the beginning. 
At the time there were several good shops around that had more product, wide selections in them. Certainly could have been other issues, but a fly shop is a hard business to be profitable in anyway. 
I don't imagine the rent up there was cheap either.

I worked in the city many years ago & would stop in the Eastern Ave store, but had not been there in quite a while. I stopped in a couple of times back when I was tying flies commercially & talked to them about supplying them with flies, but we never got it worked out. Tony's a great guy either way & certainly knows the business. He knows how to take care of his customers. I only met his wife once, and she was a very nice lady. Couple of years ago my one sister had some contact with Mrs. Tochterman & she asked my sister if I was a brother. It's been over 10 years since I had tied flies commercially yet she knew who I was was. It amazed me that she had remembered me.


----------



## Gnatman (Sep 15, 2005)

catman said:


> Tochterman's has been my tackle shop since 1967. Tony and Dee are the best.


I am now 61, and I was raised about a mile from there. I have many fond memories of riding my bike there starting when I was 10 or so.
Tommie was ALWAYS more than glad to give me free dead peelers, which I took to the harbor at Canton or the boat lake in Patterson Park. They worked great even though they were dead.

Imagine getting free peelers today even if they are dead. Nowadays they end up in the freezer and sell for the same price as alive.


----------



## Gnatman (Sep 15, 2005)

BLOODWORM ALERT!!

Before Tony met Dee, He used to cull the smaller bloodworms from his flats, and GIVE them to his regulars. Dee didn't want any of that, so she took over culling duties. They would offer the culls to their regulars at a REDUCED rate, usually in the form of, say 24-30 packs.

If you establish a reputation as a regular bloodworm buyer, ask about the culls. Call ahead to reserve, if possible.
Let's face it - who cares how long they are if they're being cut into 1/2 inch pieces?


----------



## Windrift00 (Jun 4, 2011)

I drive by this place every week, I always assumed it wasn't really a taclke shop, because of it's location. Wow. Ok I'll swing by next time I'm in the area.


----------



## smeiser78 (Jul 31, 2013)

There was a good article this month in Field & Stream about this shop.


----------



## JollyJimbo (May 20, 2013)

Doesn't dee go by bloodworm queen? It's a great place to stop for gear and chat with the staff. I work 5 blocks from them and enjoy stoping in for gear


----------



## Mastrbaitr (May 7, 2014)

Just stopped in today to look at some conventionals and as I was walking around I actually found tony acetta spoon #12. For any trout fisherman out there these little guys are golden.


----------

