The Fishingest Kid on Sebago Lake

The Magic of Being a Summer Lake Kid

I was a summer kid. We came to the lake with our parents, either for a week or two, or maybe the whole summer. We made friends with other summer kids and lamented when their stay ended or when school finally started. Later on, when we got a bit older, summer lake romances happened, making us look forward to the next summer when we would be reunited with our lakeside crushes. While I did enjoy that first crush and kiss, this gangly 15-year old loved to fish! I whiled the hours away fishing with my dad, or by myself, either form dock or the boat. Those were great summers full of memories.

End-of-Summer Dock Chores and Nostalgic Moments

I was lowering my dock last Sunday, a chore I despise for both the physical difficulty it presents, plus the reminder that the water level is lowering and summer is coming to a close. As I was muttering swear words under my breath and busting my knuckles, I could hear the occasional shrieks of joy coming from the dock next-door. A young fellow of 8 years old was having the time of his life hauling in sunfish after sunfish. It reminded me of myself at that age, spending hours on the dock watching the bobber for that telltale nibble.

Planning a Sebago Lake Fishing Trip

I went over and introduced myself to his parents, who were renting my neighbors house for the week. I asked them if they would like to go out on the lake and try for bigger quarry like lake trout and salmon some evening, as I generally fish evenings during the week, anyway. Andrew, AJ's father, said they would love to and we settled on Monday evening, the eve of AJ's birthday.

Trolling for Salmon and Lake Trout on Jordan Bay

We motored out to a favorite spot of mine. It was blowing harder on the big lake that it was on Jordan Bay so the ride was a bit bumpy. I heard AJ ask his dad if it would get calmer, and I reassured him it would as the evening went on. Soon we were set up and trolling with AJ, Andrew and grandfather Jimmy from New York. In no time flat were into a nice fish. AJ struggled to reel the beefy fish in and with a little help from his dad, had a 23-inch lake trout on the deck!

Next came a hit on our lead core line and a beautiful 24-inch salmon came to the net, reeled in by AJ with some help. The boy was on fire! Next up was another, followed by two 23-inch salmon. This kid was a good luck charm! in only 2 hours, we had boated 5 respectable fish, caught on downrigger, lead core line and fly line, all released to be caught again.

Passing Down the Tradition: Life Aboard the "Black Ghost"

I dubbed AJ the "fishingest" kid on the lake and told him if he ever wanted to come along on my guided trips for good luck I'd share my tips with him! I could tell dad and granddad got as much of a kick watching their boy get excited over fish and I know they will be back for more summers on Sebago. I told them AJ has an open invite any time he comes up to fish aboard the "Black Ghost." When AJ gets a little older, I'll tell him about the sandbar where the cute girls hang out! Ah the life of a summer kid...

About the Author: Tom Roth

Tom Roth is an avid outdoorsman who has spent years exploring and guiding on Sebago Lake and beyond. He’s been the Sebago Lake columnist for The Maine Sportsman since 1995 and is the author of A Sporting Year in Maine. Book a Trip with Guide Tom Roth