The Canadian Government in an effort to control invasive species has banned all bait imports into Canada. In addition to live bait which was already prohibited you now cannot bring frozen, salted or any kind of bait - including nightcrawlers - into Canada from the USA. This measure was put in place to protect our waters from things like zebra mussels, spiny water fleas, and other invasive species.
You cannot bring live bait from Manitoba or other parts of Ontario. You're required to purchase bait in the Bait Management Zone (BMZ) where you are fishing. Luckily, all of Sunset Country is in the Northwestern BMZ. Please keep your receipts showing that you purchased your bait in one of the bait stores in the Northwestern BMZ. In the far north part of Ontario, you cannot have any live bait.
With that out of the way, the anglers who have decided to fish in Sunset Country this season you'll have to find a place to get live bait if the lodge and resort you're staying at don't already have live bait on-site at the lodge. The live bait issue may be more pressing if you're going on a fly-in trip but many fly-in outfitters also offer live bait. The key is to check with them before coming and see if they have the bait options you want, and if they don't, then it's likely the retail bait and tackle stores listed below will.
You can also buy artificial lures, rods, reels, electronics, and more. Your purchases will help these retailers recover from the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions on their business, so you're also supporting local businesses where you're vacationing.
