Creepy critters are at the heart of Larry Merritt’s business. Vermont Fishing Tackle Co. in Los Angeles sells everything from night crawlers to squid, along with a variety of fishing equipment. Merritt is in the process of taking over the company started by his aunt and uncle, Margie and Charles Williams, in 1984. Staff Reporter Claudia Peschiutta spoke with the 29-year-old fisherman about running a family business and keeping a tackle shop afloat in the L.A. area.

“I was 13 (when I started working at the store). It was a way to keep me off the streets, to keep me out of trouble. I stocked the walls. I priced the inventory, waited on customers.

“I started working here full-time when I graduated from high school. I did everything. I placed orders, whatever needed to be done, inventory, stock, picked up orders. Actually, at the time, I was running the store, too. I basically thought it could turn out to be profitable and I had ideas that could make it even more money.

“Early, when we first started here, it was mostly word of mouth and there were billboards and advertisements in magazines. When I came in here, we got more advertising in the Yellow Pages. We have some online. We’ve had our second annual fishing derby.

“We sell live bait, night crawlers, crawfish, crickets, mealworms. We sell frozen bait for the ocean, mackerel, squid, anchovies, bloodworms. We have terminal tackle, which would include hooks and sinkers. We sell the rods and reels and we provide service for the rods and reels and information for the customer as far as what’s biting.

“I’ve been playing with worms since I was little so it’s natural to me. It’s really funny when you a get a first-timer and dump a box of night crawlers and they’ll see the worms squirm and they’ll shoot straight for the door.

“We do all right. We stay afloat. We are seasonal, meaning the business really picks up in early spring, sometimes, in late winter, depending on how the weather is.

“If we get lucky, we’ll have what they call an Indian summer.

“Trying to make ends meet during the slow times, it makes you want to pull your hair out. During the winter, when it’s cold and raining, we may not get a customer that day.

“The season is doing very well because basically the weather’s been nice. It’s been warm and the fish started biting early this year.

“We’re pretty much going to stay where we are. I have a couple of ideas I’m pondering, maybe like mobilized vans at parks during the weekends.”