Ditto that!! Too cool!!

I just run a hobby lobster trapping line. Too many and not enough traps. It is fun to describe to you my adventures with the Deadliest Catch diaologue. It is the harvest that makes me feel kin, not the methods. Please don't take me too serious as I ramble.

07/19/08
Sometimes you just know the line is going to produce. The gear is in proper order, the traps are full of bait and you are on to lobsters. Today I "dialed in".

I shared the morning with Riverjim aboard the USS Coalman. The eight test traps I set in new water last week produced eight keeper lobster.

We caught lobster in eight to fifty feet deep. Final count in twenty eight traps, twenty keeper bugs. This is the best I have done in a few years.

I valuable lesson was learned this week. I have a partner boat in Great Bay. Captain Ray and I share the same dock and our own "Bay reports". We take care of each other and watch out for each others gear.

Ray hasn't had the chance to move his gear. He checked thirty traps twice this week in traditional grounds for a total of nine keepers. We were both anxious to see how my new sets would do. After the "Bay Report" this morning we will both be moving gear this week.

When you look into the eyes of the captain's as their pots come over the rail they see the future potential of the given spot.

There are those that fish and there are those that catch fish. I learn something new everyday.

07/19-20/08
It took a week of prep work. The USS Coalman is now outfitted for nocturnal use. Two spotlights, a marine radio and a trolling motor give her another dimension.

Friday night was an electrical storm washout. I was ready. At the dock with the boat loaded when I could hear the thunder boomers coming from the west. I heeded Mother natures warning, unloaded the boat and watched the light show. I could feel the energy of the bolts.

Saturday night looked like a repeat. I checked the radar at home and followed behind the last storm leaving the Great Bay for the evening.

Arrived in the fishing hole just at dark. Due to the fog that rolled in thick and the limited the shoreline lighting I fished in the more industrial part of the river. The fish were cooperative all night long.

I fished flats, humps and steep drop offs. All produced bass. Eight fish came to the net. Nothing of any size.

I have been dreaming of this trip since last October while slinging eels from shore on a moonlit night I could hear the bass crashing the flats.
A personal commitment was made to explore these unfished nighttime waters. The trip was a success.

All my Merrimack River nocturnal fishing skills were on keen alert. Now that the methods are proven in my home waters I look forward to hunting for bigger fish. My home fishing grounds are not 20 miles from the Merrimack River. I can never remember fishing the Mack at night and not seeing at least one other fisherman. Saturday night I was totally alone.
I look forward to doing it again.

On the way back through the Bay I took this photo of the sunrise over the Great Bay National Wildlife Reserve. Thank you Lord for your blessings.

07/25/08
Was on the water tonight for a couple hours. An original Bayman had bestowed on me a couple of his favorite fishing holes and I wanted to explore them.
I found the spot but missed the tide he recommended. The first two drifts produced bites on each.
Note to self........get out early enough Saturday to catch the right tide.

07/26/08 AM
XP600 came with me this morning to work the line. It was good to have the company. XP doubled as my photographer. I told him how it has been difficult to take pictures as you work the line. The photos started fast and furious. But then XP knew what I meant when we fell into our rhythm.

XP asked me if I had ever had any surprises in my traps. I told him a striped bass. It wasn't three traps later we helped rescue about a 20" striper from the parlor of my 4' trap.

10 keepers made it to the cooler this morning. Thanks for the help XP.

Heading out into the Bay.


"Working the rail"


Coming on board.


Full bait bags and future eel bait.


On the way back in we were treated to 5 fishing ospreys and this great blue herring.


With today's lobsters I had a promise to fulfill. I get to hunt, fish and trap a very special piece of property. Every year I try and give something back.
When they saw the cooler coming out of the truck they was all eyes and ears.


This family member doesn't care for seafood.


I fell in love with this one. Too bad they grow up.


07/26/08 PM
Made it out in time tonight to catch the right tide at my mentors location. Was not disappointed except for the size of the fish. My buddy and I boated 5 fish in two hours. Three came from the recommended spot, "The Inside". Best fish 27". Keepa hunting continues.....................

Great stories Coalman, I love reading this stuff and seeing the pics. Keep them coming! Keep up the good work, and thanks for sharing.

After the thunderstorms proved to be much more than a cruise. It was like going to the gym. And I really worked the Ugly Stik. We caught fish from 20 inches to 40 pounds.
I lost my biggest fish at the boat. The hook came out. It had to be in the 40 pound range. I had no control of the fish. Never even saw it. It stayed down the whole time. That is when you know they are big.

A big thank you to my host Roccus.


I got a couple teenagers on board.




Highlight of the evening was double 20's.

NICE!!

08/02/08
It was a lazy day today. The fog and humidity were heavy. Saw these 5 gobblers on the way to the boat.


The river was calm.


The days of summer are upon the Great Bay but there is a noticeable drop in boat traffic. The fisherman are out but there are very few recreational boaters. Even the yak traffic is down. I noticed Adam's Point Marina is 90% sailboats. Lots of empty mooring balls. I suspect fuel is playing a big roll.

The highlight of the morning was 4 legal bugs in one trap. A dozen keepa's came home today.

Tonight was my first trip to the Rock Weed Beach. Just missed high tide.


I cast up and down the beach on a falling tide.


Wish I had caught a fish.

Took a coastline cruise this evening. The high tide made the rocks treacherous. The debris was in the first wave.

So I headed to the Maa_ssshh.

The tide was moving out. The baitfish were tight to the creek mouths.

Saw a few fisherman throwing chunk bait. Headed back to the truck for the secret weapon.

I found a shortcut creek on a tight bend. The bait was in heavy They were tight to the bank.

The first cast produced a bump. The second cast and a striper laid on shore.

Just give me a hook and an eel.

08/09/08
Got a chance to share the lobster line with my good friend mmskunk today.
Skunk has a buddy who butchered a stud boar pig. The results were not palatable. Hence lobster bait.


We caught a very small lobster today.


It could have easily been mistaken for a crayfish.


The water was stained brown from the excess of fresh water entering the Bay. We boated five keeper bugs today with only Sealure for bait.
Looking forward to next week check. Maybe the lobster will have a hint of pork flavor.
My wife told me they would squeal when I banded them.

A couple good friends sharing a pub brew on Great Bay. Thanks Bruce.

08/09/08

Took a ride down to the marsh tonight. The bait showed up at sunset.

I am a boat striper fisherman at heart. But since a few forays with MM and 24/7 members I am taking a liking to surf-casting.
I know my chances of landing keeper fish are slim in the local creeks I have been fishing. But the challenge is the finding, not the catching.

In my youth I was a hook and worm trout fisherman. I am finding those skills acquired years ago are paying benefits as I explore the Maa__sshh and shoreline.

I was at the marsh at 7:15 last evening. I saw no bait. I almost didn't fish. Then just as the sun set to the west I saw the bait being pushed up against a steep banking. There were no top water signs of bass crashing bait. But something was making the silversides nervous.

The photo is proof they were there. I look forward to future exploration.

I will be joining my wife at their family reunion at a popular Kittery, ME state park today. You can bet my personalized Great Bay rod and I will be there flinging eels into the surf.

My new Great Bay rod has been a giant asset in the marsh. Thanks David at Great Bay Rod Co. and Marsh Maurauders for the gift.

The stripers had the bait fish up against the bank. I changed the menu. Just give me a "hook and an eel".

08/13/08
Mow the lawn or go fishing? Hard choice.

Took a couple guys from work with me tonight. Watched a boat catch a keeper with tube and worm. The eels didn't perform tonight.

I never wet a line tonight. I had more fun trying to get them to catch a fish. They were good students.

The Bay was beautiful this morning. Adam's point left. Thomas Point right.



Newmarket's water tower center.



I am thinking of visiting the butcher rather than the fish bait dealers. The pork worked very well.

Second trap, four keepers. The first three traps had eight keepers.



The lobster are not the only thing coming out of shed. I caught at least 20 horseshoe crabs today. The majority of the green and red crabs were soft.

Even though the water is stained brown the crustaceans look good.

All but one lobster today was soft shell. These are the lobster that came to shed in early July. They are coming out of molt and they are hungry.

Seventeen keepers today . 6 culls came home. Those lobsters along with some soft shell clams and sea scallops are going to make a good seafood salad.

I have two sets that have produced 9 keepers in the last three checks. I took 5 traps today and set them further up the channel. The new holes I set are proven producers. They have plenty of bait and they are the only lobster traps around.

The Great Bay has been very, very good to me.