As we slowly trolled up a calm Penobscot River under the setting sun late last week, hoping to hook a striped bass or two, a friend’s words resonated in my head.

This friend has begun fishing the Penobscot quite regularly, and vows to keep doing so until he “figures this striper thing out.”

He’s a cold-water, freshwater nut, first and foremost, and can sometimes be heard moaning about how little trout and landlocked salmon fishing he has done lately.

Then he thinks about the river that runs past his Winterport home, and remembers that he can have his boat in the water within minutes of arriving home from work, and he smiles.

Later, while recounting a night on the water, he says something like this: And I had the whole river to myself.

Late last week, while joining that friend on the water, his words rang true.

The weather was perfect, and even down in Stockton Springs, the nearby Atlantic stirred up only modest, lake-sized waves.

In the middle of summer, you would have expected to see another angler or two … but we didn’t.

You could have expected to see several pleasure boaters … but we didn’t.

In fact, during our five hours on the water, we saw just three or four other boats, and none of those boaters were fishing.

We had the river to ourselves.

Not a bad way to spend a day, I figure.

On the same topic, when I mentioned that trip in Saturday’s editions (and let slip that we hadn’t caught any fish), a helpful reader e-mailed with a bit of advice.

I’m relatively new to the striper game myself, and often hear from folks who are interested in giving the sport a try, but need guidance.

Here, then, are a few tips, courtesy of Ken Durkee, an avid striper angler from Charleston:

“Just to share a bit of my experience: For the most part, trolling for stripers is basically just a boat ride. Yes, you can hook one once in awhile, but it’s few and far between,” Durkee wrote. “Chunk bait fishing may not be glamorous, but it’s far more productive.

“Forget fishing worms,” Durkee advised. “Worms offer little to no scent trail, and stripers really home in on a scent trail. Use chunks of fish a little larger than a golf ball. My favorite is pogies, because they are so oily. Unfortunately, pogies are also too soft, and come off the hook easily in the cast. Mackerel also work well, but don’t put out all that much scent. But large herring (10 to 12 inches, cut to chunks) are great, the best of both worlds.”

Durkee said trolling is often a slow way to fish because stripers lurk in deeper water when not actively feeding.

“But they feed in shallow water, and I’ve caught some nice fish (eight to 20 pounds) in as little as two feet of water. One night, three of us caught and released over 60 fish,” Durkee wrote. “But it’s night time when the serious action starts. Fish the outgoing tide, and start fishing at dusk in an area that turns to mud flats on the low tide. Anchor there. The fish come out of the deep water and prowl the bottom, looking for anything they can get in their mouths.”

Durkee uses “fish-finder” sliding rigs with a two-ounce bell or pyramid sinker, adjusting the weight as the current dictates. He prefers 7/0 hooks, and has been experimenting with circle hooks with mixed results.

“Stripers are extremely light takers when fishing chunks,” Durkee said. “You need to be on the ball, and set the hook if you feel anything at all. Then hang on!”

Thanks for the lesson, Ken. I’m sure many readers will be eager to put some of the tips to use.

Boater safety course planned

Buck Plummer of Brookton checked in recently to pass along word of a course many parents and youths may want to take note of.

Plummer said that CLIC – the Chiputneticook Lakes International Conservancy – has scheduled a boater safety class for July 28.

The main goal, Plummer said, was to provide a platform for youths to complete their state-mandated safety course, which is required of those 16- and 17-year-olds who operate personal watercraft without adult supervision.

But boaters of all ages could benefit.

“Certainly adults can take this course as well,” Plummer said. “It’s not just limited to the kids.”

Plummer said the course will run from about 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at a camp in Orient. Those calling to reserve space in the course will be given directions to the camp at that time.

The deadline for registration is July 21. Interested boaters can call 448-7758 or (732) 757-8324 to register.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.