Gary Violette (right) with his daughter and son-in-law

Gary Violette

Boat Name: Alyse Marie

How long have you been lobstering?

I started fishing in 1972 at the age of 8 years old with my Uncle, Buddy Sampson and my older brother, Dennis. I'll never forget the first day when I walked into the bait cooler (where the fish bait was kept) the smell was terrible – I thought I was going to be sick! Now, 36 years later, I don't even notice the smell.

Why did you start?

I was going as a Sternman with my brother Dennis in 1987, and he was thinking about buying a bigger boat (the boat he has now, the Melissa Mary) and he asked me if I wanted to buy his boat (the Fannie S.). I was very apprehensive because the lobster fishing industry at the time was slow and it would cost a lot of money to get started (boat, traps, buoys, rope, etc.), but with the encouragement and assistance of my brother and my parents, I purchased his boat along with 400 lobster traps from Bruce Turner and I began fishing on my own.

Why do you like lobstering?

I like being my own boss and setting my own schedule. The summer is a great time to be a lobsterman; I get up at 4:00 a.m. and am usually on the water by 5:00 a.m. Going out early allows me to haul about a third of my 800 traps and I’m able to be home early to mid-afternoon and can enjoy the rest of the day.

The Alyse Marie

What is the significance of your boat's name?

My first boat, the Fannie S. that I purchased from Dennis was named after our grandmother, our Uncle Buddy's mother. My current boat that I had built in 2002 is named after my daughter, Alyse Marie. She was born the first year that I went fishing on my own.

What is the most difficult part of lobstering?

Probably the weather, you always have to watch it. Lobstering in the summer and early fall is great (for the most part). Once the cold arrives though, there are more elements to contend with. The cold weather is very hard on the body and the gear.

Anything else you'd like to say about yourself or the industry?

This year, 2008, is the first year that my son-in-law, Jamie, is fishing with me. I'm teaching him, as I was taught. It is my hope that he will one day assume the business and enjoy it as much as I have.