Maine: Striper
My family and I took our annual "Escape the Virginia Heat" trip to Old Orchard Beach in Maine, an absolutely gorgeous setting that definitely was an escape from the heat. The lows were in the 50's, the highs in the 70's, and the ocean water felt like an ice bath. Not that that stopped my two boys from running into the ocean, and my begrudgingly chasing after them. There were the best lobster rolls around, plenty of sunshine, an amusement park on the beach, and, of course, my shot at making Maine my 47th state with at least one trophy.
I fished with Chris Gagnon of Apex Charters (apexcharters.com) on a cold, overcast morning and he immediately put me on fish. First it was a pile of mackerel, always fun to jig for, and then it was the fish I was after: striped bass. In fact, my first cast on my first spot with Chris produced my biggest Maine fish, a 44-inch, 45-pound trophy striper! (While Maine does not have an official trophy program, the In-Fisherman minimum is 40 inches.) It's always a huge sigh of relief when I catch my trophy early and can then "relax," although there wasn't much relaxing as we casted to and caught many good stripers, including another 39-inch, 35-pound trophy with an unbelievably massive belly. We called it a morning and I was back to my family in time for a delicious pizza lunch near the beach.
Maine is a truly beautiful place and it offers a rare escape from the often insanely crowded conditions of most Atlantic beaches. There was no circling waiting for parking near the beach, nor were there waits for any of the amusement park rides. There are numerous family-friendly activities that will keep the kids entertained while you enjoy high temperatures that Virginia did not get down to again until October. It absolutely lives up to its motto: the way life should be.
With Maine becoming my 47th state with at least one trophy, I now set my sights on the remaining three: Alaska; Hawaii; and Montana. And yes, I sure have been lucky to have my last few states be those three, plus Maine and Idaho and Washington.
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