Week ending 1/02/10

Happy New Year! Wishing all our good friends and guests good health and the hope of easier financial times for those in need this coming spring. We spent a few days over Christmas break with my grandson McCarey's Jamaican Grandma. Ms Patsy, I believe she summed it up best. "We are praying to God for continued good health and the strength to support our families in the coming new year." Here in Maine we are very blessed to have such a good life, clean water, great schools, caring friends and neighbors, a couple of strong seaworthy boats, our own farm and plenty of wood for a warm family hearth. It's my hope that we will continue working together over the next few years to make it easier for those who have so much less.

On Thursday, we officially ended or 2009 season aboard the "India Marie". On the last day of the year, Captain Whit, little Dennis and I hauled in the rest of Whits lobster gear back to Wells harbor. Pictured below are Whit and Den seated a top a fully loaded "India Marie". In her role as commercial lobster boat she is superb, able to haul at least 40 traps to and from the fishing grounds in heated comfort. " For the Captain in the wheel house at least". We enjoyed a very good fall lobstering, but all good things always come to an end and with the oncoming cold weather and heavy snow it was time to call it a season. I believe we timed it almost perfectly getting our gear in before this very large winter storm hit this weekend.


At noon time, I rode down to the harbor and tied additional storm lines on "Indi". The forecast is for northeast winds with gusts to 40 knots tonight and tomorrow morning.On the ride home I passed Captain Whit (pictured above) he was out helping his brother Den make a first pass on his ambitious snowplow route. Both boys will be busy plowing for a few days cleaning up this big mess.

I've already made arrangements w/ Captain Scott Worthing to have "India" hauled out at his Webhannet River boat yard early next week. Then little Dennis and I can begin working on our list of winter maintenance items. Whit and little Den spent a few days over the holiday insulating his new maintenance workshop. This will give Ms. Jeanette, Frank, and the rest of the gang a nice warm, well-lighted place to hang out make jigs and rebuild our fishing gear. Now that the seasons over, I'm already looking forward to a nice relaxing day ice fishing with my boys before I get immersed in submitting our guests trophy lists and my annual season newsletter.

Anyway Happy New Year and sincere thanks for another successful season..Satchie

Week ending 11/01/09

Another memorable and rewarding season comes to an end! Sincere thanks to all our loyal friends and guests that helped make our twelve fishing season another very enjoyable and successful one. It's so hard to believe how fast the time fly's. It seems we just get the boats launched each spring and the short days of late fall are upon us. Despite the crummiest weather I have ever personally encountered "in over twenty years of taking guests fishing" and the worst of the worst economic conditions, our faithful friends and guests have stuck by us through a season that has financially sunk a few good competitors in our areas charter fishing fleet.

2009 was by far "our best year ever"for landing "Maine State Trophy stripers. Captain Whit and his crew landed fourteen Maine State trophy striped bass that were over 25 pounds in wieght. Almost twice the number of trophy size stripers than we've ever landed in any previous season. Also, the two largest striper's ever landed aboard the Gath III, the Gath IV and the India Marie were landed this season! (Center) Rich Palmer (Ct.) with the help of the Bobinator proudly displays his 44.5 inch, 47 pound trophy bass, our largest ever! (Right) Sharon Waterhouse (ME) now doomed to 2nd place with the largest fish of her life, a 44.75 inch 38.5 pound striper. For the first time in over ten years, Marilyne Lamb (NY) finally outfishes all her brother and sisters with the biggest fish of her life, a 30 pound 40.25 inch Trophy Striper. All three of these conservation minded anglers were kind enough to release these beautiful fish back to the ocean unharmed shortly after these pictures were taken. They weren't required to do so by law, but just cared enough to help the striper fishery recover for our future generations.

Mom with Captain Whit abord the "India Marie."