First Day On The Job

May 11 was my first day on the job down at Breachway Bait and Tackle in Charlestown.

Even though this was a week before senior projects were even supposed to start I figured I would get a head start and follow Captain Mouchon on a Saturday afternoon.  I arrived at 10:30 am and had only planned on staying for an hour or so but didn't end up leaving until past 2:30.  Captain Mouchon was extremely welcoming and let me help him out when fixating headlights onto his charter boat as well as help out customers in the Bait Shop.  Below is a picture of Captain Mouchon and me on his boat The Baitrunner.  He uses this boat throughout the spring and summer to commercial fish for striped bass as well as bring people on chartered tours fishing for striped bass, fluke, or whatever else is hitting at that time of the year.

There were many different customers that day, each one was a character in himself.  The Captain had great relationships with all of them and it was easy to tell these were not only his customers at the shop but also his good friends.  Captain Mouchon will be out working on his boat and the a customer would come and we would talk with that customer for an easy twenty minutes and help him out inside of the store before we would get back to work on the boat.  When I first walked into the shop he was down in the basement working on fixing some fishing rods preparing them for the upcoming season.  Below is a  picture of Captain Mouchon working on these rods.

Fishing in itself builds friendships.  Everybody that fishes has an immediate common interest and everyone that fishes also loves to fish.  Fishing is a camaraderie and no matter how much fishermen bust each other up they are always bound together for their love to fish.  However, fishing can also be extremely competitive as I learned from some of Captain Mouchon's customers who told me stories of encounters they have had fishing on the Charlestown Breachway.  There are certain rules and guidelines at each fishing spot such as the breachway and when someone new comes along and breaks those rules it can immediately bring hostility to the group.  However, everyone who is out there just wants to catch fish and at the end of the day there is nothing better than the feeling when a striped bass whacks your lure and you have a fish on!!

Here is a final picture of Captain Ron Mouchon and me in Breachway Bait and Tackle.