Scott Baker
The state of Maine is known for its lobster, lighthouses and blueberries. The RR Fishing Club discovered Maine is also known for its fishing. Nine club members and seven spouses traveled over 1,800 miles to the coastal town of York for two days of fishing along the coast for striped bass or stripers.
Striper fishing takes lots of patience. We caught nine inch Mackerel as bait, needing several dozen before we went for the big boys. With our bait set we saw the fish bobber racing across the water and the line running out of the reel. The first response was to set the hook. However, we needed to wait until the striper ate the Mackerel bait before setting the hook; this takes about three seconds but seemed like forever. Once the hook was set the fun really began, and now the workout started. The hook was set and the fish was running away from the boat. The only way to reel in this size fish was to allow it to wear itself out.
As we finally got the fish to slow down we started reeling it in. We continued to reel until the fish got close to the boat when it rolled over and saw the boat. “ZZZZZZZZZZZZ” the reel sang as the fish took off again. We kept the line tight, but the line just sang as the fish made a run for it. This “in and out” played itself out until we tired the fish and it finally gave up. Or we get too tired and handed the rod off to one of our boat buddies. All for one and one for all!
At the end of the first day of fishing we saved three fish for dinner that night. We made arrangements with the chef at the York Harbor Inn Restaurant to cook our catch of the day. The chef outdid himself as he prepared the fish four different ways. Each dish was served with a different sauce, totally changing the flavor of the fish. The dinner was absolutely one of the highlights of the trip as we dined with great food, wonderful Maine wine and were entertained by tall tales of the big one that got away. All in all it was a great evening with the promise of another great day of fishing forthcoming.
The second day of fishing was better than the first. Everyone caught multiple fish and walked away from the boat at the end of the day tired and in need of a nap.
What a successful outing as we now have new friends, new tall tales and best of all new plans for new fishing trips in the future! Come join the Fishing Club at 5:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month. See you at the next meeting!