Bass angler Carter to appear at BDN’s show booth

A couple weeks back, as the crew from BDN Maine Outdoors chatted with folks at the annual Cabin Fever Reliever outdoor show in Brewer, one of the top questions we we received was a new one to us: “How’s Jonathan Carter doing?”

Jonathan Carter at the Bassmaster Classic (Photo courtesy of B.A.S.S.)

Carter, you may recall, is the 30-year-old teacher who grew up in Orrington and was making his national debut on bass fishing’s biggest stage that weekend: He became the first Mainer to ever compete in the Bassmaster Classic.

After one day, Carter was in seventh place. After two days, he remained seventh. Carter struggled a bit on the third and final day, but still wound up a respectable 17th among the 53 best bass anglers in the world, and took home $12,900 for his efforts.

On Tuesday I reached out to Carter, and have some great news to announce: When outdoors enthusiasts flock to the Penobscot County Conservation Association’s 75th annual Eastern Maine Sportsmen’s Show, which begins its run on Friday and runs through Sunday at the University of Maine in Orono, they’ll have a couple of chances to meet and pick the brain of Maine bass fishing’s newest star.

Carter had previously committed to take part in Ken Hoehlein’s presentation, “Everything You Need to Know About Bass Fishing in Maine.”

Jonathan Carter at the Bassmaster Classic (Photo courtesy of B.A.S.S.)

Now Carter will stick around for a bit longer and will appear at the BDN Maine Outdoors booth for at least an hour (we won’t throw him out if he wants to stay longer than that). While there, he’ll be happy to sign our new BDN Maine Outdoors publication for you, and would love to talk about bass fishing, the Bassmaster Classic, and rubbing shoulders (and defeating) some of the giants of his sport.

Here are the details: Hoehlein’s seminar will be held in the UMaine pool at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Do yourself a favor and attend. Hoehlein is among the top ambassadors of his sport, and the longtime Bangor Bass Club member is eager to teach newcomers and veterans some techniques and philosophies that will pay off. How good is Hoehlein? Well, let’s just say this: I won’t be surprised if he’s somehow able to pull a lunker from the depths of Stanley Wallace Pool.

And of course, having Carter alongside him to contribute to the seminar will make for a memorable event.

After Carter finishes in the pool, we’ll escort him to our booth (and shoo away all the paparazzi that may be lurking in the hallways), where he’ll be happy to meet you and your young bass anglers. A hint: Carter is a first-grade teacher: He’s very comfortable around kids … bring yours by to say “Hi.”

Carter is scheduled to appear at our booth from 1:30 until 2:30 p.m.

Show hours: Friday, 5-9 p.m., Saturday 9 am.-8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

See you at the show!

John Holyoke

About John Holyoke

John Holyoke has been enjoying himself in Maine's great outdoors since he was a kid. Today, he's the Outdoors editor for the BDN, a job that allows him to meet up with Maine outdoors enthusiasts in their natural habitat. The stories he gathers provide fodder for his columns, and this blog.