Boats & Gear

Chris Johnson, aboard the 35-foot Reel Easy, has just hooked up with a bluefin in the Gulf of Maine. He is using a Trident 80-130, and the Alutecnos 130 2-speed reel. Reel Easy photo.

Going Big for Bluefin: Top-Notch Rod and Reel Key to Success

Paul Molyneaux

The lifting operation began carefully May 12 as the Rebecca T. Ruark was hauled out to repair damage inflicted by a pickup truck driven over a dock bulkhead in December 2022. Photo courtesy of Wade Murphy III.

Larry_Chowning

Historic Chesapeake Bay skipjack, hit by a truck, is under repair

Larry Chowning

This 27’ x 10’ garvey is going to Scotty George of Lancaster County, Va., to fish gill-nets in the Rappahannock River and Chesapeake Bay. Larry Chowning photo.

Larry_Chowning

Garveys and more garveys

Larry Chowning

Snow & Co.’s Eric Rasmussen with his own Atlas engine, a 4 cylinder very similar to the Western Flyer’s original engine, a160-hp, 6-cylinder Atlas Imperial. Snow & Co. photo.

Western Flyer: Still in the game

Paul Molyneaux

Abe Philbrook, owner of the Katherine Pennington, straddles the boat’s sheer line at the hauling station. Behind him is a custom cabin top built by Oceanville Boatworks. Oceanville Boatworks photo.

Michael_Crowley

Lots of custom work – and a shiny bilge – for Maine islands lobster boat

Michael Crowley

Faye Hall christens the 180’ F/V Little River with a bottle of champagne on Saturday, April 22 at the Omega Protein dock in Reedville, Va.. Larry Chowning photo.

Larry_Chowning

Chesapeake Bay menhaden steamers christened

Larry Chowning

Space is always at a premium on a 32-foot Bristol Bay boat. The M.R. Solutions RSW unit has a tight footprint and reportedly cooled fish faster than competitors’ RSWs.

M.R. Solutions' Cannon family aims to revolutionize RSW with innovative chiller design

Paul Molyneaux

The Hi 500, with its lower-speed impeller and the big nozzle, is designed to get this Bristol Bay boat up on plane when loaded with salmon. Paul Molyneaux photo

Hill Innovations allows Alaska fishermen to make the most of a short season

Ben Clements

The Bristol Bay gillnetter Lady Mindy, built by Rozema Boatworks in the early 1990s, left Maritime Fabrication on April 17 with a new enclosed top house. Maritime Fabrication photo.

Michael_Crowley

Upgraded boats, and a new gillnet drum design for Bristol Bay

Michael Crowley

Three Scania-powered lobster boats battling it out at the Harpswell lobster boat races. Gold Digger, on the left, won, hitting 39 mph, followed by Danica Haley in the middle and Mean Kathleen. Jon Johansen photo.

Michael_Crowley

Summer Heat

Michael Crowley

https://divcomplatform.s3.amazonaws.com/www.nationalfisherman.com/images/81cb5870c18819d32997dedb8c48c34a.jpg — Maine Lobsterboat from the 1970s. Photo from 1979 NF article.

The evolution of lobstermen and their boats

Carli Stewart