Updated 7/30/07
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHEW!!!!!! What a week!!! Great fishing, great customers, great times aboard the Trina Lyn . Also a VERY busy aboard the Trina Lyn last week. Starting on Monday Morning I ran three half day (4 hour) fishing trips every day through Thursday. On Wednesday I also ran a two hour fishing trip, that did not even begin until 6:00PM. That was a LONG day!!! Earlier in the week, I noticed that Saturday had not been reserved by anyone. I decided at that point, I would take Saturday off. It was a well needed break.
The fishing conditions remained VERY, VERY, GOOD. We maintained our average catch rate of 12-15 Striped Bass per trip.
Interesting notes of the week of 7/23/07:
Monday Morning started out with fair sea conditions. However, as the 6:00AM trip went on it started to get rough with a strong Easterly Wind. The "horizontal" rain was on and off throughout the day. On the 10:00AM trip it was a challenge just getting out of the 4-5 foot "rip" at the mouth of the Saco River. The outgoing tide combined with the Easterly wind blowing at 20-25mph, created quite a "rip"…… Standing up in the boat was even more of a challenge as the day went on. The seas were running right around 5-6 feet and they were very close together. The Weller group from NY was quite wet, before we even got to the first of two fishing spots. However, it was all worth it as this group landed 17 Striped Bass, and they decided to cut short the trip by almost an hour as some of the girls were getting cold. The third group of the day caught a similar amount of fish, and they also were quite wet as they lacked proper rain gear, but they were also all smiles.
One of the downsides of the heavy wind this time around was that it seemed to bring in a new batch of smaller Striped Bass. Starting Monday I noticed several 18-20 inch Striped Bass. Usually during a heavy blow, the bigger fish get more active. Either way, I much prefer a rough sea and a strong wind versus flat calm conditions. The Stripers tend to be much more finicky and selective when it is calm.
Wacky Wednesday: I knew when I crawled out of bed at 4:00AM that it was going to be a very long day. I had 4 trips scheduled, and it was supposed to be in the upper 80's…. I made a few sandwiches for lunch, grabbed a bucket of ice from the ice machine and headed out the door. Once I got to the dock while I was bringing the Trina Lyn in from the mooring to load up the supplies and gear. A Seagull decided he needed my lunch more then I did, and he ate my sandwiches……. I learned how to make a half a jar of peanuts and a box of granola bars go a long way that day……… The other strange thing about last Wednesday was the small amount of fish that we caught on both the first and second charter. Only 4 Stripers were landed on each trip. Once we got to the 2:00PM trip that group landed 16 Stripers. This was the second Wednesday in a row that the fishing was much slower then all the other days of the week……..
Last week I saw more Canadiens on the Trina Lyn, then ever before. I would say that Canadiens booked at least 70% of all the charters last week. The Canadien dollar and the American Dollar are almost equal in value, therefore many Canadiens are taking advantage of that when they plan their vacations. While most of them spoke English very well, some of the children needed translation from their parents. Although I was not paying much attention to the translating I did learn one French word. I learned what a "SEAL" is in French. I will let you "inquiring minds" look into the French translation of that word. But I can assure you I will not forget that one…….
One situation, I had to laugh about. A new customer (who shall remain nameless) called and inquired about a charter. He was very specific in asking where I fish. I told him we fish the Saco Bay area, but you will always be able to see land unless it is foggy. I thought he was concerned about possible seasickness, as I get these questions frequently. He then asked if we would be fishing in the "Basin"?? I told him that we fish the OCEAN, not basins, rivers harbors etc…..He said ok, and he booked the charter. Once he was onboard, he explained that he had booked a charter boat a few weeks prior, and that they spent most of the trip fishing in the Camp Ellis Harbor. He said that was not what he had in mind when he booked a Sport Fishing Charter Boat.
I explained to him that all the other Charter Boats (EXCEPT the Trina Lyn) in this area like to fish harbors. No question, there are a lot of fish to be caught in the harbors, but on the Trina Lyn we recognize that most people want to get out on the Ocean, as the Ocean is the focal point for most of my customers vacation in Old Orchard Beach. Especially those customers from Canada, Vermont, Western Mass, Upstate NY, Pennsylvania, Ohio, etc, that do not have any Ocean access. I went on to say the best thing to do is to ask your Captain before you reserve what type of fishing he does, and if you will be fishing in the Ocean or in a River or Harbor.
The only time customers of the Trina Lyn will ever fish the River is by customer request. Also in the Spring of each year we fish the Dam area of the River as that is the only place there are fish to be caught, as they chase Alewives (River Herring) to the Dam. I explain this to every charter before they book their trip.
I would like to thank Long Time Regular Customer George Mayhew for the exceptionally generous tip last week. I would also like to thank Dean Polnerow for a very nice tip, even though his trip only landed 4 Stripers, last Wednesday.
I also would like to thank the Kliebensperger family for the bottle of wine that they brought for me from their Long Trout Winery back in Pennsylvania. I must admit when I saw this group of "hippies" walking down the dock in their "tie die" T-shirts, I was not sure what to expect. I knew that I had forgotten my "Grateful Dead" 8-Track tape in my truck, and was not sure if the the am/fm radio would suffice. But this was a "very cool" group of people, and we had a great time. Caught more then a dozen fish including four big keepers, 3 that were too big to keep, and a few smaller sized fish. Thanks again Tom, Kim, Kesh, and Iree. --Captain Todd
