July 2015 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 5. Bruneaux Bait Coming to Maine Lobster Fishermen
BELFAST – If you fi sh for lobsters there are a lot of things you must have. You need a boat, traps, and something to entice those lobsters into the traps with…bait. Over the years there has been many varieties of fi sh (mostly redfi sh and herring) tried as bait, but the problem has been availability and price. With quotas on what can be caught the bait future could be challenging, either in obtaining or affording it. There have been a number of attempts to fi nd an alternative, some good, some not. After some testing, and now approval from the State of Maine, we have Bruneaux Bait developed by Steve Munsey of Virginia.
For 34 years, Steve has been a prac- ticing veterinarian in Virginia.
In his
spare time he loves to spend time with his English Setters and fi sh our local streams and ponds. Several years ago he invented a scented fi shing lure for personal use in his own pond. It worked so well he decided to market it (
www.stubbysteve.com). With the success of the lure gaining attention they de- cided to see how well it worked in crawfi sh traps in Louisiana. They, like lobstermen, use various baits to trap crawfi sh and it worked.
Last spring, Beth Casoni, the Massa-
chusetts’s Lobstermen Association Director, called Steve and asked if he could let her try some in lobster traps because the bait supply was very tight and expensive. We sent her bait to try and it worked well.
Steve has spent the last year testing their bait in Massachusetts and Maine. Shelia
and Mike Dassatt of Belfast and the Down East Lobstermen’s Association assisted in their testing. The results have been very impressive. They have many advantages to the “gold standard” herring.
Steve attended the Maine Fishermen’s Forum last March to ask the lobstermen what they want in a bait and he was surprised how receptive Maine fi shermen were to a new bait. The advantages they see with their bait are: in their testing the bait is equally effective as herring in catching lobsters, they were catching lobsters for at least two weeks per trap set (the biggest advantage to lobstermen); at least six month shelf life with no special storage; much less material handling (approximately one pound of our bait used instead of three to fi ve pounds of herring); and the cost is competitive with herring.
Bruneaux Bait is made entirely in
America, with Atlantic marine fi sh and it is totally biodegradable. Presently they are producing their bait in Virginia, but they are looking to transition and manufacture in Maine. They have been looking at several locations, but have not yet signed on the dotted line.
Bruneaux Bait will be available at all
fi ve of Hamilton Marine stores (Jonesport, Portland, Rockland, Searsport, and South- west Harbor) and New England Marine stores at Stonington, Portsmouth, NH and Brant Rock, MA.
For more information check out their website
www.bruneauxbait.com.
CANCELED SEARSPORT LOBSTER BOAT RACES 11 July
SHEEPSCOT BAY BOAT COMPANY
Boat Storage - Inside & Outdoor · Boat Repair Moorings - seasonal & transient · Gas & Diesel Sales
Distributor of Tohatsu Outboards & Duras Infl atables Five Islands Harbor, Georgetown, Maine
207-371-2442
www.sheepscotbayboatcompany.com What Bruneaux Bait looks like.
Steve Munsey out fi shing with Mike Dassett testing his new bait.
Bring your boat to New England’s most capable yacht yard for the care she deserves. Repairs, refi ts, storage and dockage available for vessels up to 200 feet and 480 tons.
Belfast,Maine 207-930-3740
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