Living in Maine, lobster is just part of life, but until now, we had never actually gone out on a lobster boat to see how it’s done. So this summer, we decided to change that and booked a trip with Lucky Catch Cruises in Portland’s Old Port. It turned out to be the kind of day that reminded us why Maine summers are so special.
We hopped on board, donned the official orange aprons, and got right to work. The crew showed us how to haul the traps up from the bottom of the bay, swap out the bait bags, and measure each lobster to see if it was a keeper. In Maine, the rules are strict: if it’s too small or too big, it goes back. And if you find a female with eggs (we saw one loaded with them), she gets notched and released forever to keep the population healthy.
Between traps, the boat cruised past Seal Island, where we spotted at least seven seals lounging on the rocks, and we even passed an old fort. It was the perfect Maine summer backdrop.
The highlight came when we each got to pick a lobster from the traps to bring next door to Portland Lobster Company, where they cooked them up for our lunch. Talk about fresh...straight from the trap to the plate. I went classic with corn on the cob and fries, while my husband chose a baked potato with his lobster. I managed the claws and legs like a pro, but I’ll admit I needed a little help with the body. It was absolutely delicious. And while most people swoon over lobster rolls, I’ll stick with the whole lobster every time.
Nothing says summer in Maine like sitting by the water with lobster, corn, and the salty breeze in the air. This was one of those days where you think, “Yes, this is exactly what Maine should feel like.”
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