When Andy Tonnesen says Tony's Bait & Tackle is a family business, he is not exaggerating.

The Tonnesens lay claim to being the oldest family run business in Stafford Township & one of the

oldest in Ocean County.  Established as a bait & tackle business in 1927 by Andy's grandfather

Edward Tonnesen, Tony's is actually named after Andy's great-grandfather Tonnes Tonnesen.

Tonnes, a Danish immigrant, caught & sold seafood up and down the Jersey coast from Perth Amboy to L.B.I. and eventually settled at the location where the store is today in Stafford Township. 

 

In 1977, after the passing of Andy's grandfather Edward, his father Edward took over the business after years of commercially working the bay & helping out in the bait & tackle shop. In 1988 Edward handed the reins over to son Andy, who has been running the business to the present.

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Andy operated the business for several years in the original building that his father & grandfather

did.  Since the building was low to the ground, it was prone to flooding.  In 2000 Andy tore down

the original structure and replaced it with an extensive building, allowing him to tremendously

increase his inventory, Andy tries, and usually with success, to supply his customers with a

variety of quality live, fresh & frozen baits. 

To help insure the quality of his bait, Andy catches a portion of the fresh and live baits sold at Tony's.  Fresh bunker, surf clams, live minnows (killies), fresh spearing, live grass shrimp,

live green crabs, live shedder crabs, live eels, bloodworms & night crawlers are just some of the goodies on the menu.

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