While the customer base has remained loyal, Greene said she has been forced to adapt to change in Lake Michigan. As some species grow more dominant, others become rarer. Invasive species such as alewife made their way into the lake years ago, so fish and game officials have stocked it with species like salmon to try to control the populations. Because of this, Greene’s customers’ needs are ever-changing.

“Mother Nature takes care of herself,” Greene said. “We get in the way a lot. But, you know, we’ve learned to adapt and change with the fish.”

Every day brings Greene a new surprise — like the time a customer offhandedly claimed that Park Bait is the oldest continuously running retailer on Park District property. As far as she knows, it’s also the oldest tackle shop in the city.

Greene’s husband, Brian Fenlon, has worked alongside her at the shop for 24 years. While much of the work has remained the same, he said that the internet has changed how he and his customers purchase tackle.

“A lot of people watch YouTube videos, so they see somebody do something different, and then they’ll call us,” Fenlon said.

With much broader access to niche information, they can’t answer every question. So he looks to online search engines for a little assistance.

“Everybody does something different in every lake,” Fenlon said.

For local fishers on the city’s North Side, Park Bait is a staple business on the lakefront. On their website, they provide daily up-to-date fishing reports for those looking to get out on the water. Some say the shop is the only one in the vicinity that sells minnows, worms and crawfish — though not live — daily.

“I go there like once every few weeks,” said Blake Jafari, a Lakeview resident who fishes at Montrose Pier. “There really isn’t anywhere else to go.”

The future of Park Bait isn’t completely clear to Greene. She hasn’t decided whether to keep the business in the family and pass it on to her son or if she will seek a new owner once she decides to retire.

“I’m getting old,” said Greene. “I don’t know how much longer I can go. I’m still optimistic that I can get, hopefully, quite a few more years.”

She noted that Park Bait is 90 years old this year — “But I’d like to take the shop to 100. That’d be kind of cool.”