Vero Tackle & Watersports

Tucked against the mainland shoreline just west of the Merrill P. Barber Bridge, Vero Tackle & Watersports occupies a spot on the Indian River Lagoon that has been tied to boating in this town for the better part of a century, since the original tackle shop building went up in the 1940s. The business in its current form grew out of a smaller local venture: owner Chris Woodruff first launched Paddles By The Sea as a kayak and paddleboard outfit serving vacationers and residents who wanted an easy way onto the lagoon, then expanded by taking over the long-running Vero Tackle and Marina next door. Rather than run them as separate operations, he folded everything into one waterfront hub that now handles nearly every non-ocean way to get on the water in Vero Beach.

What that means for a visitor is a single stop that covers a lot of ground. Kayaks and stand-up paddleboards go out by the hour or the day for anyone who wants to explore the lagoon’s mangrove shorelines at their own pace, and pontoon boats are available for groups who would rather cruise than paddle. For those who want the water experience without doing any of the driving, the company runs guided tours, including slower sightseeing trips aimed at spotting dolphins and manatees in the shallows, plus tiki-boat style outings that lean more toward a party-on-the-water feel. On the fishing side, the shop still functions as a genuine bait-and-tackle counter, the kind where an angler can grab shrimp and check the tide before heading out, and it also books both inshore and offshore charters for people who want a captain rather than gear.

The lagoon setting is part of what makes the location work as well as it does. The Indian River Lagoon here is shallow, warm, and lined with mangrove islands, so paddling trips rarely feel like open-water work, and the protected water makes it a forgiving spot for people who have never picked up a paddle before. Because the property functions as a working marina as well as a rental counter, there is a steady rhythm of boats coming and going that gives the place an unpretentious, working-waterfront character rather than a polished tourist-shop feel.

Beach convenience is also part of the pitch. The company delivers beach chairs, umbrellas, and cabanas directly to the sand for people staying nearby who would rather not haul gear themselves, a service that grew out of the original Paddles By The Sea concept of making a beach day as low-effort as possible. Membership options exist for repeat visitors and locals who use the water often enough that per-trip rentals stop making sense.

Because the operation touches so many parts of being on or near the water, from tackle sales to guided tours to charter bookings, it tends to become a repeat stop rather than a one-time rental for people who spend real time in Vero Beach. Staff who work the counter daily tend to know current fish activity and water conditions well, which matters more here than at a typical rental stand since the lagoon’s character changes with tide and season. For a small city built so closely around its waterfront, having one locally owned operation that ties together paddling, boating, and fishing under one roof fills a real niche that a chain outfit would be unlikely to replicate.