T-L Photo/JOSIE BURKHART Old Barn Bait opens outside of Barnesville. The fishing supplies shop is run by Richard Wells and his family.

BARNESVILLE — A new store where anglers can buy bait, poles and more is ready for customers outside of Barnesville.

Old Barn Bait just opened to the public last week and will sell supplies, such as fishing poles, fishing lures, nightcrawlers, wax worms, mealworms, bass and crappie minnows and some snacks. There will be a grand opening where people can hang out with Wells and eat free hot dogs April 1.

Richard Wells owns the new shop and said he is retired and wanted to open the fishing shop that he set up in his renovated barn. He is also from Barnesville, and his sheep actually still go into the bottom of the barn.

The shop will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week, Monday through Sunday at 66527 Hendrysburg Road, Barnesville. Shelley Jefferis, who will be in and out of the shop, said hours will be adjusted based on the traffic, depending on when fishermen go out.

Wells said he wants to eventually be able to sell hunting and fishing licenses. He’s also making his shop a deer checking station this fall.

Wells added he wanted to open the shop because years ago in Hendrysburg there was Bill’s Bait Shop, which was his uncle’s store in partnership with his father. Wells’s family sold the shop to Dick and Janet Warner, and when Janet died, Wells bought it back because Hendrysburg didn’t have a bait shop at the time.

The new shop will be family run, with Wells’ daughter who works there, his sons, who will be in and out, and his mother. They are also asking on Facebook for people to tell them what they would like to see them carry at the shop.

Wells said he wants to get children off of their phones and outside fishing by opening the shop.

“I like to get kids off their phones,” he said. “Get them back out, get them fishing.”

He’s hoping everyone will enjoy the new shop and what it has to offer.

Old Barn Bait is also in the process of setting up a Facebook page, which will be run by Wells’ daughter, where people can stay up-to-date and in the know about what’s happening with the shop.

Wells said opening the shop is something new for him to do, and there’s always someone interesting he’ll be able to meet and talk to.

“It’s something to do, and there’s always somebody new and interesting I can talk to,” he said. “Everybody’s got a story.”