Summers in Maine can feel like the quintessential place to relax and rest. It’s no wonder the state is known as “Vacationland.” But for those who live and work in Maine, and whos incomes are based on the tourist dollar, summer time is work time. Gordon Best, known to all as “Gig,” has been working as a lobstermen for years. At one time he had a larger boat, and a Stern-man, but as he comes closer to the end of his fishing career, he has downsized, purchasing a smaller boat that suits one fisherman best, and has been lobstering by himself for the past few years.
On this particular day, Gig sets out around 7am, late for a lobsterman, planning to be out on the water for about 3-4 hours. Paying about $74 for a tub of smelly dead fish to be used as bait, he heads out to the open waters.
Gig loads up his boat on this particular morning with just one buyer’s order to fulfill, not the typical way to go about lobstering. It’s a small order of 8 lobsters. Each lobster must be checked to make sure it meets minimum size requirements to keep.
A female lobster with eggs. These lobsters must be tossed back into the ocean.
At the rate of around $6 per pound depending how hard the shell is, bringing back a specific number of lobsters won’t guarantee a specific days wage. It all depends on what the waters will bring him in his traps. Even if he meets his goal of 8 lobsters, it might not even pay for the price of the bait he just purchased, let alone diesel for the boat. On this particular day, most of the lobsters Gig has pulled from the waters have been below regulation size, and have been tossed back.
Gig stops to chat with a friend about the day so far and his lack of luck. His friend is experiencing the same disappointments in each trap. Most lobstermen at this point in the year are just barely breaking even with each haul of the hard shelled lobsters. As soon as the season picks up and lobsters really start filling up the traps each time they are pulled from the waters, lobsters will be shedding their hard shells, reducing the price each pound is worth for the fishermen.
While the day once felt like it would be a failure, Gig’s last few traps have reached him his goal of 8 lobsters. He puts rubber bands on each of the lobsters’ claws to prevent them from pinching him.
With all the traps checked for the day, and happily reaching the goal set by the buyer, Gig calls in to set up a meeting for pick up of the days catch.
Back on land, Gig pulls the remaining bait off the boat, and heads out to enjoy the rest of his day.