Fan Pier Fishing

Hello again fellow adventurers!

This past week was action-packed with our best beach events of the summer. After the Beach Bash and Staff Day, the week was concluded with the annual Fan Pier Fishing Tournament. With the help of some very generous captains and expert fisherman, the Save the Harbor staff was given the opportunity to test our luck at catching some elusive striped bass. That day the sun was beaming down particularly hard on the city of Boston, so we made sure to stock up on plenty of water, Gatorade, and of course sunscreen. With teams assembled and boats stocked to the brim, we departed Fan Pier and ventured out into the harbor.

The captain of the boat I was on was set on catching live bait. Once we spotted a school of Pogies (also known as Menhaden), we casted weighted treble hooks right into the middle of the school in hopes of reeling them in. These hooks, which resembled grappling hooks, were designed to snare a fish out of a large school, and hold them on the hook until you can reel them in. Well, they worked exactly as they were supposed to, as we reeled in pogie after pogie until the bait cooler was filled up.

With plenty of bait to use, we headed over towards Hull High School, which was the captain's fishing spot of choice. We spent a few hours at the spot with nothing to show but a few bites. While it was frustrating to see boats around us feel in a 40 inch striper, that's how fishing goes some times. There's only so much you can do to help your chances, then its up to fate whether or not you land a big one. We still had a great time relaxing out on the harbor, swapping stories and becoming friends with the captain and his wife. Overall the day was a great success, even though we had no fish to show for it, some of the other boats made up for that so we could take a great group shot at the end of the day.

Until next time, keep on exploring!
- Luke C.

The Winners!

Fishing is actually Fun!

This Thursday was the 2016 Fan Pier Fishing Tournament. This was my second time going, and I was excited because I did not go the last year. It was really fun. We got on this nice boat with two professional fishermen. The fun part about it was we actually caught lots of fish. We caught 6-7 huge blue fish. Every time we cast the line,we caught a fish right away. I caught mine on the first cast and it was a blue fish that was 35-40 inches long. Everyone on my team caught one. It was me, Jessie, Sean and Abel. Unfortunately we didn't keep any fish because we got too cocky, and each time we caught something, we threw it back and said that we would keep the next one. But after our 6th fish, we didn't catch anything. Overall, it was a fun day and I enjoyed it. I'm glad I went to the fishing tournament this year.

Catching fish

Until next time,
Abdi

Fan Pier Fishing

Hello again fellow adventurers!

This past Thursday was perhaps the highlight of my amazing summer with Save the Harbor, the Fan Pier Fishing Tournament!

After a brief introduction and some friendly bantering from the fishing teams, we all shoved off and sped (hopefully) toward the stripers. We saw some beautiful sights along the way, like the massive Deer Island treatment facility from what Save the Harbor has made the tip of the spear of our harbor cleanup. We decided to make a pitstop to fish quickly next to Deer Island when we spotted a school of stripers jumping out of the water at a bait trail behind a barge. We found success quickly, landing a 25 inch striper which was unfortunately too small to keep, but it kept us in high spirits and hopefully would lead to a successful fishing trip. After the trail went dry we decided to track on down the harbor.

Our journey led us to the calm waters off the shore of Hull High School. We took in the surrounding sights of Peddocks island, the giant wind turbine that shadows the high school, and took some fishing tips from some of the locals fishing off the pier. Then we were back on our hunt for the stripers. After a few hours of only landing one more striper that was too small to keep, we returned to the dock. We may not have won any awards, we still held our heads high because catching any fish is better than not catching any at all!



When we returned to the dock, we were treated to a feast fit for a king... or at least a bunch of hungry fisherman. With boxes on top of boxes of delicious pizza, I was overwhelmed with such a beautiful sight. I only averted my eyes from such an amazing sight because I had noticed that former Bruin Shawn Thornton and Kiss 108's Billy Costa were now on the scene.

Day officially made 

After getting an autograph and of course a photo of me "punching" him in the face, my day and possibly my summer had been made. Although he's not the biggest celebrity in the world he certainly has become a household name in Boston, and he hasn't let the fame go to his head. He was extremely down to earth and could not have been more approachable, for being one of the most intimidating people I have ever seen play a sport. 

Billy attempting to give the fish a smooch 

The day was capped off with Billy,  Shawn, and Mike Fallon taking a group picture with the prize winning fish, caught by our very own Danny O'Hara. After working tirelessly through the first three quarters of the summer, it was an amazing relief to spend a day relaxing on a boat and fishing. There aren't too many things better than that.

Until next time, keep on exploring!

-Luke

Last Week's Adventures

Hey everyone in the blog-o-sphere!

It's Thi, back again with more stories. This weekend was packed full of adventures, including the awesome fishing tournament with the Michael Fallon company as well as the Revere Beach National Sand Sculpting Festival. I had the greatest opportunity to be a part of both.

First off, for the fishing tournament, I was placed with my younger brother, Abdi, and Jedi. We were on the Legacy, led by Captain Rick along with Steve. Things were rocky at the beginning, trying to figure out who needed to be where and what supplies we all had to have. After that, we were off! Slowly, we stayed in the inner harbor, putting out only two lines. There was a quick tug on one line, but alas, no luck on catching a fish. We then moved to various other "secret" fishing spots - ideal places where fish should be plentiful and biting. Although we were very patient, we got no bites. On the way back to Fan Pier, the captain let Jedidaia and I drive the boat!! Captain Rick told us all about the rules of the ocean, staying on which side of the red and green buoyed markers in the channel. All in all, it was a great day and a really fun experience. I even got to bring home some of the winning fish!

For the Sand Sculpting Festival, I wasn't working in the youth program, but I had a chance to visit Revere Beach with my older sister this past Monday. They were amazing!! One could tell how much time and effort there was put into the sculptures and it sure paid off. The intricate lines and details were just exciting to see.
It was such an awesome weekend and I can't wait for more adventures!!

Woot! Repping STH/STB

My favorite!

Stay wavy and cool,
Thi Tran

Fishing Not Catching

On Thursday we went on the fan pier fishing tournament, it was my first time doing it and it was really fun. We went on really cool boats and it was fun, Although my team dint really catch any big fish, we enjoyed the experience. We caught a medium fish once but we dropped the fish when we were wheeling it in .

We were so close to catching it but unfortunately the fish somehow escaped from the hook. After that we went outside the harbor to try to get fish, but we weren't lucky enough. But the whole experience was really good and lots of fun. 

They were some teams that caught a really big stripped bass, and they also caught lots of crabs.

-Abdullahi Abdi

Fun Catching Fish

The whole crew.

It was fun coming out on a sunny day and riding in a boat to find some fish. After being in some bad weather for the beginning of the week, we finally got a sunny day for a good time on the water. It was good to get there and see everyone I worked with there. We got to sit down and have some breakfast.

After that we all teamed up with a kid from The Boys and Girls Club who came to fish with us. It was fun to meet all of those kid. The best part about it was that I was on the boat with one kids who would go on to be one of the winners of the tournament.

We moved out on to the sea and to find a good spot to fish at. Another good thing about that day was getting to see a lot of awesome views of the Harbor Islands.

After having a fun time fishing we went back to the dock to find some alumni Patriots players, some boxers, as well as a couple of players from the Red Sox. We also had to a good lunch prepared for us. After spending a good time talking and getting autographs, the day of fishing and fun up, but right before I left they were giving away some of the fish that we caught that day.

- Richard Marrero

The Fishing Tournament and After

The fishing tournament was really amazing and one of the most unexpected things happened, I caught a Cod and I was one of the winners. Last week was really great because I did not only bring dinner home, but I caught my first fish that was a keeper. The Cod I caught was exactly 24" which was the legal length needed in order to keep the fish. When I went home I was really excited to show my catch to the rest of the family and when they saw my fish they were all really happy and proud. The next day my Mother made the most amazing "Peixe Guisado" which is basically roasted fish that my Mom added some magic to and it was the best fish I've ever had.

My Cod

This week unfortunately my hot streak of catching fish has ended, but we are still at large with crabs and lobsters. On monday at McDonough they caught 2 skates- I was not fortunate enough to see them because I wasn't working on monday. Tuesday went great because we caught a lot of crabs and most of them were red rock crabs and that's always a good sign. The red rocks that we caught have been the biggest that we have caught this year and I'm really hoping that we don't run out of luck so we can keep on catching more crabs. The kids all really enjoy catching crabs, especially the red rock crabs because we only catch them on rare occasions compared to the green crabs. I know the rest of the week is also going to be great because I know we are going to catch more crabs and I know that the lobster trap is going to be filled with lobsters.

Jazeel Mendes

Holy Mackerel a Great Year!

The Annual Fan Pier Fishing Tournament this year was a blast! This has to be my favorite time of the year, even better than new years! I mean who would not want to fish with the kids from Boston, and try to win first place with the largest fish, it is something very different, fun, and I am happy I could be apart of it for the past four years!

I love the way this year is going so far, and honestly have no problems. My role as a LHE, has helped me teach the kids and help everyone substantially. During the tournament, I helped Preston catch five Mackerel, and had a great time on the Fallon boat. I was shocked when Marcos came to the pier with a huge striped bass and won the tournament, it was awesome watching him and seeing how happy he was. It has been a lot of fun! 

- Ahmed Hassan

Floundering Around

The Fan Pier Fishing Tournament 2014 was a huge success. Iris and I were mates on the Bell, captained by Charlie. We spent our day drifting right off of Long Island in the Boston Harbor. Charlie had a few spots marked on his high tech GPS, which contained lots of bottom structure. The bait of choice were sea worms gobbed on the hook and instantly a girl's rod bent over and a nice striper was landed.

For hours the kids landed flounders and skates. The flounder caught were all winter flounder which are great in the frying pan. Although we didn't land any keeper striped bass, a few boats pulled some very large ones. Mackerel, cod, and black sea bass were also landed throughout the day.

All in all, the tournament was a wild success and the kids were able to try something many of them had not experienced. Not to mention, some Red Sox and the Captain of Wicked Tuna made a great appearance.

Were going Catching!

Save the Harbor, sponsors and guests! Great day, Great fun!

I just want to start off saying that the fishing derby was one of the best experiences I had the pleasure of partaking in! It made it even better that I was able to enjoy it with my two brothers Brian and Gian and my closest friends Ahmed and Lionel. I thought I would use this section to thank and shout out the people that made this possible. Thank you Bruce and Patty for allowing all this to have been possible. I know they put in extreme amounts of effort each year to be able to treat us to such an event and not only us but our friends and family as well. I would also like to thank those at Fan pier that allowed us to use their space. Thank you to the Fallon company, Circle Furniture and to Captain Jason for taking us out on his seat-less boat.

The fishing derby did not fail to rile up my excitement to get out there and catch! Since the day I was informed of this event, I could not wait to gear up and start casting. I was told by other SHSB staff that the fishing derby is one of the best events that we take part in and it never disappoints. Since I too have experienced this event, I agree that it definitely is one of the best events so far and you cannot go home disappointed. It is a free boat ride into the middle of the waters and free bait and numerous rods to use, How can you complain?

The Little Sister Crew
Left to right: Ahmed, Cpt. Jason, Me, Gian, Brian & Lionel

This was my first Fishing Derby and I am happy to say that despite the lack of fish we caught, I enjoyed the time on the boat with my friends and family. Our boat had no seats which was pretty funny. All we had were two large coolers that were not even secured to the boat. That was an intense seat to be in. We all wanted to stay standing anyways just to enjoy the breeze and open water. The weather was not perfect, very cloudy and very cold but it was still a really great day. On my boat we only pulled up two creatures out of the blue ocean and they were both skates, male and female. That was the first time I have ever heard of a skate let alone carried one. It was pretty awesome and I also learned that they are related to the Sting Ray. The fishing derby was both fun and educational!

After trying our luck on various fishing spots we thought were promising, we headed back to the docks where there was food and drinks waiting for us. One by one the boats arrived with similar unlucky stories until Bruce's boat showed up. "We caught 30 fish, We caught 30 fish" is what they were all boasting about as they docked at Fan pier. At first I was skeptical (No not spectacle) but I took their word for it. Most of their fish were not keepers but hey, at least they caught some fishes. Will Conroy even caught a Flounder which is pretty epic. It was great to know that at least one person caught a fish in this tournament. Well that is my account of our fishing derby and I hope you enjoyed it, until next time!

My favorite picture (Photo Credits to Patty)
Lionel, Me, Gian and Brian

-Andy

Get Your Fishing Face On!

On Thursday, Save the Harbor Save the Bay hosted our 3rd Annual Fishing Derby! In the past, the derby was reserved for Junior Program Assistants only, but this year we expanded and included the Senior Marine Educators! This told me two things: 1) This derby was brought to a whole new level 2) MORE COMPETITION.

The Save the Harbor Save the Bay 2013 Fishing Derby Crew

These days are always fun, engaging, and enthusiastic. In fact, the Fishing Derby is and always was one of my favorite working days! But, just when things seem perfect, something always comes up! Today it was Mother Nature. The weather was predicted to be windy, cloudy, and have scattered showers! JUST WHAT A FISHERMAN WANTS, right? Nevertheless, the Save the Harbor team did not allow weather hinder our awesome day. Plus, for the second time in all of my years knowing Bruce, I got to see him ditch his cargo shorts and wear pants!

Bruce wearing pants while helping Will's brother release a Flounder!

Dream Team! Left to right: Kiauna, me, Bridget, Mark, and Anicia.

We separated into groups and my team, the Dream Team, consisted of: The one the only, Bridget R., Anicia G., Kiauna P., Mark R., my mommy, Marline Brown, Captain, and myself! With a team like this, I knew were destined to win!

We started our day off with the Dream Team hand shake and understood that a 40 inch bass was needed to be caught!

We baited our fishing rods, and casted off. Minutes passed and no bite. Hours passed and surprisingly still no bite. Our boating proximity was limited due to the weather, so we were restricted to Deer's Island, Castle Island, Spectacle Island, and Hull. 

About halfway into our fishing trip, I asked our captain if he would allow me to steer the boat, and mentioned that it has been a tradition ever since I started working at Save the Habor. I was extremely happy that he allowed me to :)

Me asking the captain if I could steer the boat!

Captain directing me to a green booie.

Within our 3 hours of fishing, we caught, nada! Nevertheless, this day has always been so special to me because I love being out on our harbor. Swimming is awesome but there is something about being on a boat surrounded by water. The feeling is both beautiful and humbling. 

Waiting for a bite!

Although the Dream Team came up short, we still had a wicked awesome time and are winners, because we were able to spend the morning out on the Harbor!

Better luck next year!

Co. Captain Karrisha Gillespie

Black Seabass and Goldfish

Me, my first seabass
and the Captain of the Belle 

While I am an avid enthusiast of marine conservation and love spending as much time as possible in or around the ocean, the majority of my salty experiences have been through snorkeling and SCUBA diving. So, I was super excited to find out that I would get the chance to try my hand at fishing at the Fan Pier Fishing Derby. On the day of the derby, I, and the rest of the Save the Harbor staff, arrived bright and early with high hopes of catching some big fish. Unfortunately, the weather was not as cooperative and I quickly regretted my decision to wear shorts, instead of pants. But, we were not to be deterred by a little bit (or, at times, a lot) of rain. I boarded the Belle along with fellow staffers and their guests and set out into the Boston Harbor. Our captain steered us towards a few of his favorite fishing spots and we cast out our lines. Soon, people started to feel some tugs and before we knew it, people (including myself!) were reeling in black seabass and skates.

We caught some goldfish!

Despite the weather, there were plenty of smiles to be seen onboard the Belle. My first boat fishing trip was a great time and even though we didn't catch many big fish, I still had a lot of fun. I really enjoyed spending the day with some of the summer staff that I don't usually get to see. A big thanks to Joe Fallon and Fan Pier for hosting the event, and Circle Furniture, Russo Marine and 3A Marine for sponsoring and providing us with this wonderful opportunity and experience!

Until next time,
Sarah C

Fishing Tournament with The most amazing person EVER!

Yesterday was the COLDEST day of my life. At first, I was chilly, but when we got on the boat it got even colder. Being cold on the boat was no fun. I was shivering and wanted to go home, but at the same time I had a lot of fun. I took one of the most amazing people ever. Her name is Dolly. She is the only person I consider a friend. She always inspires me to do amazing things in my life. I'm glad I met her. It was really delightful because she woke up early just to be with me on the fishing trip, which meant a lot to me. We caught at least 20 fish, which I was not expecting to happen. There were moments when I got tired of holding the rods. It was a lot of work, especially since there were no bites.

I liked the trip because I got to spend the day with someone amazing just laughing, talking and teaching her how to fish. I caught the first fish on the trip and it was my first time actually catching one on my own. I always wanted to catch a fish on my own. When I was being told to touch it I was scared because the fish felt weird. I actually enjoyed the trip and hope to go on another trip like this sometime soon.

Monique and Dolly fishing 

Fishing On The Harbor

So i thought i was all warmed up and ready to go for this big fishing tournament. It was a rainy and cold day and not a great day for catching fish but i kept my hopes up and gave it a try. We were out on the Harbor for about 4 hours we also had a opportunity to ride on some pretty cool boats for the morning. I wish i could of caught at least one fish but all i got was seaweed every time.

It was a really great day despite the weather i enjoyed taking a little trip around the Harbor with my co-workers. I also want to say thanks to all the guys that let us go out on their boats for the day. Hopefully next year i can bring a big catch home. For now its time to get back to my favorite part about my job working at my favorite site and working with the kids.  



 
Live, Love, Laugh


Mark Rose

On The Winning Team But Still On The Losing Side

The disappointment is real. For the past two days I just haven't had any good luck come my way, and luck was what I needed, especially for the fishing tournament. I couldn't catch any fish at the Fan Pier Fishing Tournament and my foot was still swollen from what I stepped on when we were at Georges Island.

   

 I'm happy and disappointed at the same time. Happy because my team won the fishing tournament , disappointed because I seemed to be the only one on the boat that couldn't catch any fish. Very unlucky. At some point I gave up in fishing life, it was just never meant to be. I guess the only thing I can get on a hook is my fingers. I was glad to be on my man's, Bruce, team, with all his good tips and experiences. Also I got to meet Joey from the boat, he's one cool dude! Big thanks to the cold for making me sick, it wasn't like I was having a bad day anyway and Bridgett for the donuts.

Learning, it ain't a thing.