For the Freshest Lobster in Portland, Catch Your Own
The best place to get the freshest lobster in Portland, Maine might be the ones you catch yourself on a Lucky Catch Lobster Cruise. If you like a little adventure (but not too much), board the Lucky Catch for a 90-minute cruise on Casco Bay, where you can be a lobsterman/lobsterwoman for the day.
Lucky Catch Cruise
After a quick introduction to the boat, you settle into your seat in the open back of the boat while the captain and mate take you out on the bay. You cruise by the wharfs and get a great view of Portland from the sea.
The shimmering sun on your face and arms, the wind lifting your hair, a mist from the churned water at the back of the boat and the scent of the salty air combine to assure you that you’re no longer on land. You move swiftly through the water, passing Casco Bay ferries, perhaps a cruise ship or oil tanker, and if it’s a beautiful day, a flotilla of sailboats. Ahead are the islands of Casco Bay, anchoring the close horizon.
A Working Boat
As you cruise, the mate will give you a full-length bright orange apron and matching gloves. This will protect you and your clothes during the “work” to come. Even the littlest members of the family can participate, and there are the cutest overalls for the kids.
There are four areas the Lucky Catch stops where they haul up their traps.
At the first stop you might hold your breath while the captain raises the cages from the sea floor with the help of a winch on the boat. If it’s early in the season, the cages may not have any lobster, as there are fewer who’ve migrated into the bay.
The Bait Bags
The mate will show the group how to set up bait bags by spreading out a collapsible mesh bag while another person fills it with the bait fish. Or you can relax and watch the running of the boat from your seat.
On our boat, in the first two cages we caught some seaweed and a number of crabs. We all got to see the crabs close-up, and then we threw them back into the water.
The seagulls, who’d been following the boat, went into a squawking frenzy to catch the crabs as they sank in the water.
This brought on more seagulls, some of whom settled in for a ride on the roof and prow of the boat.
How to Catch the Freshest Lobster in Portland
The captain demonstrated how the lobsters enter the lobster cage, go up a ramp and fall through a hoop and get stuck. “But the little ones do get out of the escape vents, one on top and one below.”
The lobsters and the crabs, the captain said, are attracted to the cage to eat the fish in the bait bag.
On purpose, the mate explained, they fill the bait bags full of tempting, smelly fish, to attract the lobster. But sometimes the crabs get there first.
I was the first volunteer to toss the bait bags’ remaining fish bones overboard to the lucky seagulls. We then placed the fresh bait bags we’d prepared into the empty lobster traps. It was an easy job, wrapping the bag string around a protruding metal piece to secure the bait bag in place. If you want to get hands-on, you’ll have a turn, too.
A Lobster Education
In between stops, the mate will tell you a bit about lobstering in Portland. You’ll be introduced to lobster anatomy on a live lobster – how to tell the girls from the boys, and what a carapace is. Next, how to measure a lobster using a gauge. We learned, too, how Maine lobster fisherman sustain the lobster population by throwing back the large lobsters.
Fort Gorges, Seals or a Lighthouse
Our boat stopped outside Fort Gorges to pick up two lobster cages. Fort Gorges, a military fort, was built during the Civil War at the entrance to the harbor. By the time the fort was completed, it was obsolete (military technology had surpassed its capabilities). Today Fort Gorges is occasionally open for events and is accessible by private boat or water taxi. It was nice to get a closer look at something I’d heard about and seen from afar.
Lucky Catch Cruises take you on a Seal Watch or by the Portland Headlight, a local lighthouse. They have different sailings from morning to late afternoon (plus early evening in the summer). The routes will differ, so check which one you’re on when booking, if this is important to you.
Wholesale Lobster for Dinner
When the cruise ends, you can buy the freshest lobsters in Portland at wholesale “boat price,” right off the Lucky Catch boat. They have lobster from earlier runs in the tank at the front of the boat. Bring them with you to the nearby Portland Lobster Co. to steam up the lobster for your dinner. Or, if you’re staying in a short-term rental or somewhere with a kitchen, you can always cook them yourself.
The sun, the sea air and the good humour of the crew made for a pleasant time on the water. It was hard to say goodbye. I hope to be back again.
Our Lucky Catch Cruise was included as part of our Women In Travel Summit conference by Wanderful, sponsored by Visit Portland Maine. This lobster cruise was a great way to get out on the water and experience a snapshot of what a lobsterman does. You can find out more, and book your own tour here.
Getting Ready for Portland
So you’re thinking about lobster. How about ordering some Live Maine Lobster for tomorrow night.
Want a cool shirt to wear on the boat (and around town)? What about “I Make Lobster Disappear What’s Your Superpower,” or “Aw Snap” (with a lobster), or this Men’s Nautical Graphic or Women’s Nautical Graphic lobster t-shirts.
And if you need a hat to hold down your hair while you’re on the boat, this one is a denim baseball cap style with a lobster. This Airflo hat from Tilley Endurables is a best-seller.
For other great places to eat and drink in Portland, Maine, see our map.
To find a place to stay, check availability on Trip Advisor Rentals.
Book your own Private Lighthouse Sightseeing Charter on a Vintage Lobster Boat or Private Sunset Charter on a Vintage Lobster Boat.
Have a local take you around for a great intro to Portland and 3 lighthouses on The Real Portland Tour. Or a sightseeing tour of Portland aboard a Vintage Fire Truck.
For tickets to concerts and events in Portland, check here.
Lonely Planet offers a New England Travel Guide, as well as guides on New England’s Best Trips and New England’s Fall Foliage Trips.
Enjoyed May, 2019.
Lucky Catch Cruises
170 Commercial St., Portland, Maine 04101
(207) 761-0941
How cool to catch snd crack your own lobster !
It was a really fun experience. Hope you get a chance to go on one of these cruises, yourself.
Catching seafood of any kind and then getting to eat it is my absolute favorite thing to do in life. There is nothing better than something coming right out of the water and that includes lobster. Last year I wen t on a fishing trip to Alaska and had King salmon and halibut for practically a year – every delicious bite reminded me of how much I love doing that!
That’s an incredible amount of seafood! I really loved this lobster cruise because it was so different from the deep sea fishing I’d done before. Very relaxing and I learned a lot, too.
My problem is that I feel sorry for the lobsters. I realize that they don’t have any problem feeling sorry for their prey and it’s all about the food chain. But, I enjoyed tagging along with the food bloggers in search of the best lobster roll!