Weldcraft 280 Cuddy King & a 9 Foot Monster Shark

 

Fish On!

In late September, the Hamlin's Marine team went looking for trouble.  

Many seasons of watching Shark Week on Discovery Channel has made me understand that things can go wrong when trying to lure a predator.  Just ask Poopies, of Jackass fame, how it feels to mess around with a shark.   Poopies probably has a greater respect for  marine life now...

Truth be told, I love going shark fishing off the coast of Maine.  The anticipation of the trip is really intense.  The adrenaline spikes, and I can't sleep before the big day.  I mean, really...you never know what might be lurking offshore.  Everyone has heard the rumors of Great Whites in our waters.  

On top of that, the late September weather was pretty snotty with lots of tropical activity stirring up the waters.  The trouble is that the marine weather reports vary widely across the Gulf of Maine, and running a smaller boat offshore can become a harrowing experience.  

One thing going for us was that our group was running a new Weldcraft 280 Cuddy King, which is about as industrial as a recreational fishing boat can aspire to be.  

Weldcraft 280 Cuddy King Dockside

 

Comfortable Cabin 

Massive Cockpit

The ride out to the grounds was a trip.  Six foot rollers and winds gusting to 20 knots had our crew floating around the cabin and rear deck!   Our party departed from Belfast Harbor around 7:30 a.m. and reached the fishing grounds Southeast of Matinicus Rock around 9:15.  A few hours later, and the boat was surrounded by the largest Mako and Blue Sharks I've ever seen.  Jeremy Everett attempted to switch out some bait when one of the monsters hit!  ZZZiiiinnngggg!

The beast pulled 250 yards of line before it gave us a chance to fight...and fight we did!  Six of us passed the Penn reel around for over two hours and had to back down on the fish with 500 HP.  

Check out our battle with a 9 foot Blue Shark...

In the final throes of battle, the shark felt like dead weight.  We had given it too much slack and it managed to spit the hook.  By some crazy twist of fate, the hook lodged in its tail. 

Upside Down and Inverted with Hook in Tail

 It really gives you a sense of how rugged shark skin is when you are cranking on a fish that weighs hundreds of pounds, and the hook doesn't rip out.  Incredible!

If you want to come talk to the crew and check out the Weldcraft 280 Cuddy King, come to Belfast over the next couple weeks and see us at our Don't Be Scared To Buy a Boat Sale.