RipTide Bait and Tackle

rip tide bait and tackle brigantine nj captain andy holding stocks pound cake — *RipTide owner Andrew “Captain Andy” Grossman*

If you’re looking for decadent pound cake from Philadelphia’s famed Stock’s Bakery, all natural bug spray to keep those pesky green heads at bay, and a novelty calendar featuring cars beached in Brigantine, there’s no need to leave the island. In fact, you can grab them all in one place if you swing by RipTide Bait and Tackle.

‘“So, who cares about fishing tackle or bait?” RipTide owner Andrew “Captain Andy” Grossman quipped. “I sell bug spray, I sell pound cake and I sell calendars!”

ripe tide bait and tackle brigantine nj fishing gear - fishing rods on wall

All joking aside, the Brigantine bait and tackle shop has been servicing local and visiting fishermen alike for the past 20 years, offering most anything that could be needed for catching fish in the back bays, surf or deep sea.

“We cater to the novice all the way up to the pros and the experts,” Andy said.

“I don’t care if it’s your first day and you have no idea how to fish or you’re on the Pro Bass Tour, we treat you all the same,” he continued. “Everybody who works for me, we treat people how we want to be treated.”

If you’re in the market for fishing rods, reels or waders; in need of new line, tackle, hooks or weights; or require fresh bait, RipTide’s got you covered.

“The cake, bug spray and calendar? Those are just a bonus.

“People can’t believe they come to a tackle shop to get Stock’s pound cake,” Andy said with a chuckle. It’s the same iconic cake the Philadelphia bakery has been serving up for 100 years, the same cake one of Andy’s 90-year-old customers had on her wedding day.

As for the bug spray – Captain Ron’s All-Natural Insect Repellent, to be exact – Andy credits himself with bringing the near-magical product to New Jersey.

“Nothing really worked against green heads in Brigantine – and the bugs and the mosquitoes,” Andy said.

He brought the product into his shop, getting it into the hands of local clammers, fishermen and beach bums.

The all-natural formula makes it perfect for kids and even dogs, too.

“It’s the miracle bug spray,” Andy said.

The Beached Cars of Brigantine calendar stemmed from Andy taking photos of the many cars that get stuck on the beach before he helps tow them back to safety. The calendar spans spring-to-spring instead of the traditional January-to-December, making it a fun souvenir for the summer crowd, too.

After going viral thanks to spots on radio and news programs, the calendars have made their way all over the world since starting four years ago. In other words, if you get your car beached in Brigantine, you may just get your 15 minutes (or 12 months) of fame!

Part of the proceeds from selling the calendars benefits local charities, too – a move that makes perfect sense for anyone who knows Andy. For him, helping others – whether it’s a charity, a new fisherman or a little kid who stops in to check out the shop’s live eels in the bait tanks – is the name of the game.

When Andy came across the closing Brigantine tackle shop two decades ago, he thought buying it could be a good change of pace. Burned out from his job at the casinos and a recovering compulsive gambler (who is now 26 years clean), he decided to make the move, and it all paid off.

Even if he didn’t realize he’d be working 90-hour weeks, 10 months out of the year.

“I don’t work. I love what I do,” Andy said.

He appreciates his customers, and thanks to RipTide’s welcoming atmosphere and Andy’s friendly persona, he’s built up quite a regular business. It all comes back to treating his clientele like he would like to be treated – and taking the time to show a novice how to cast a line.