Heat wave

[Palawanbound]

6:00 am & we are having a heat wave at 12 degrees compared to below 0 for some of the places this morning in Maine.I plan on diggin some clams on the afternoon tide,pretty bad when your hoping for it to get at least to 20 degrees!One thing about it another day closer to Spring fishing!

[Palawanbound]

froze my ass off but got enough clams to eat & give to a friend,nothing like Maine steam clams!Had so much fun today can't wait to go tomorrow,to think it only cost me $500 a year for my license to dig clams,got to luv it!

[jakespeed]

it was a balmy 35 today midday here in Boston

[Palawanbound]

Good thing I love my job!1/2 bushel tonight,$1.00lbs,guess we flooded the market price dropping tomorrow to .80cents lbs.,can't wait for the ice to go so we can get out in the mud,I use a mud hoe,I welded 2 of the wide hoes together works great in the mud hard on the back but when you see those clam rollers filling up it makes it worth doing.Sorry if I am boring anyone with this but by going clammin I am taking out my frustrations(winter time blues)& by writing about makes me feel better & it means I am one day closer to halibut season not to mention this is cheaper than payin a shrink!

[Madchark]

To break up cabin fever I hit the beds on the weekends as well. Off tide on Sat. so no go.

[stripah]

You got some beautiful country up there! Spent a few days lobstering and halibut wishing out of Sargentville this summer with a buddy from work.

[Palawanbound]

I know Sargentville,just across the bridge on the mainland.I went halibut trawlin with Andrew Gove out of Stonington for 8 years,our best day was 15,the biggest dressed out 275 the very next day we caught 6 & one that dressed out 342,would have weighed 5lbs. more but I took the lobsters out of it's belly!I think the halibut season starts in March,we caught one last summer out to 11 mile ridge,on a cod jig, probably over a 100lbs. on a Penn slammer with 113special senator,friend was using my pole had never been before,damn near lost my pole & him before it was over with.I didn't have a tag so I let it go,the boys were a little mad but they understood,they got paid back for the good deed because the next day we caught over 200 cod,5 keepers & many were close to being legal so I look forward to this season.
tomorrow looks good but then more snow,weird clams seem to know, hard to find the holes,tonight I finally found a little spot & just plowed,I want to get in the mud,we have a spot that the clams are so big the dealers won't buy them but they are great for bait.I am very lucky,I can dig my own soft shell clams,hen clams(just like sea clams)razor clams & can't forget huge sea worms,can't beat fresh bait good thing cause I don't really know half the time what I am doing all I know is I am hooked on rod & reel fishing & can't wait to get the bigger boat.Anyone from the forum ever make it up this way & need fresh bait for $2.00 you can buy a peck license & dig your own,don't worry about clam hoes or rollers,dad used to make them in his spare time,he's gone but he left behind enough gear for a dozen people,lots of spare time in Maine winters!Morning tide can't wait, 1/2 bushel at a time!

[Palawanbound]

went down the shore this morning,tide was already over the flats where I thought we could get into some mud diggin,we headed for the causeway that connects the 2 islands together & we had to dig in the rocks but got a roller full,wind was blowing pretty good but at least it wasn't a total bust.Suppose to snow tomorrow,if it stays nice till next tide I will go down there with my light & dig,my cousin was doing that one night & a damn moose came walking out across the flats.Another day marked off the calender, got to love it!

[SteveK]

Those are nice sized halibuts. What is the season for them up nauth theah, and what is the catch limits? With those size fish, I'd take a trip up to Deer Isle to bad a nice 100lb halibut! Sounds like fun! I'm sure they really dig for the bottom once you set the hook with a nice big norwegian jig!

[Palawanbound]

to catch the halibut commercial now even though I did it for 8 years, because I missed a few years I have to go take LESSONS on how to take the hook out of the mouth & to tag the smaller ones & you are allowed 3 a day at 38inches in length.When my friend caught his on the 113 special senator I didn't have the drag on too hard & the fish ran with it,when he stopped I put a little more pressure on the drag & the damn thing took off again nearly taking my friend with him,I finally asked him if he needed any help & he handed me the Pole"here you take it"!I didn't help things by telling him on the start that he had sumthin evil on the end of the line & when it took off the second time I told him "ayuh youv'e managed to piss it off now",As my friend wobbled off to sit down before he fell down I started crankin the halibut in,I had left my belt in the truck so I had the pole between my legs & every time the fish would start fightin I was gettin slapped in the nuts & I really had to piss so I finally had his buddy reel in the last 60 ft of the 240 ft.,as I was relievin my self on the off side I here those 2 talking about the giant sting ray they caught so I stowed my gear & proceeded to check out their catch,a good 100lbs. halibut,they had his head a good foot above the rail & the guy on the reel had the pole as far in the air as he could reach & then he hit the drag by mistake,(being a brook fisherman from the county we kinda cut 'em some slack) & instant birdnest,when he dropped the pole down it gave the fish enough line to get back in the water & thrash around, the hook pulled out & that was that. When they had the head above the rail I had time to gaff it but with no tag not happenin on my boat,conservation at it's finest!Great guys had a blast & look forward to takin them this summer,I took the guy that actually caught the fish deer huntin when he was a kid,all I will say on that is buck fever is a *****!He's redeemed himself since then but we still have to tease just a little,wouldn't be right if we didn't,don'tcha know!All in good fun & can't wait to go again,hopefully I will have the Flowers 33,my wife won't be takin the outboard of the stern of this boat when she wants me home for awhile,thats another long story of my adventures in the Philippines,she's a filipina,17 years later & I still don't know how she puts up with me,as long as I keep chasin fish & not women I got it made!Halibut season starts in March until the end of May unless they change things again & I will be ready!I can't stand it I am puttin the boat back over after this storm passes,I got a hot spot to clam on one of the island so to get it out of my system next week we will be off gettin rid of the cabin fever if nothin else.