Not so long ago, “bass” was a four-letter word among more than a few Maine outdoors enthusiasts whose piscatorial tastes ran more toward salmon and trout.

Tournament bass fisherman Ken Hoehlein of Trenton chuckles when he recalls one such story.

“Seven years ago [some people] called my bass boat a ‘sewer trout boat,'” Hoehlein said.

The fact that he’s able to grin while telling the tale says something about the increasing popularity of bass fishing, both in tournaments and for pleasure.

Hoehlein said Maine now boasts about 60 bass clubs, including more than 20 that are affiliated with the national Bass Angler Sportsman Society.

And the state’s schedule of bass tournaments is expansive: More than 250 tourneys will be staged in the state in 2007.

Still, not enough has changed for Hoehlein and fellow angler Mike Carroll of Dexter.

That’s where Mainebass.com comes in, they hope.

“We love the sport of bass fishing, and tournament bass fishing, and we want to be able to organize the clubs on one hand, deal with the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife and the landowners and bring it all together so that we come to an understanding before things end up [poorly],” Hoehlein said.

Hoehlein is hoping that Mainebass.com, a Web site, can turn into a clearinghouse of information and resources for all three groups, and that it will solve potential problems before they develop.

Tournament bass fishing does have its critics, and complaints from lakeside landowners have been directed toward the DIF&W in the past, Hoehlein and Carroll said.

Hoehlein and Carroll have met with DIF&W fisheries officials and volunteered to start up Mainebass.com in order to cut down on conflict and promote the sport.

One common source of potential conflict is a misunderstanding, Hoehlein said, and the reaction of anglers to that misunderstanding.

Camp owners may object to bass anglers fishing “their water,” even though state law says the water and fish belong to the people of the state, Hoehlein explained.

The reaction by some bass anglers to verbal challenges by landowners has been unproductive as well, Hoehlein said.

“We’ve had some [anglers] that we’d rather have put duct tape on their mouths, and we’ve had [reports of landowners] shooting slingshots at the bass fishermen,” Hoehlein said. “That’s the extremes. Everybody has their point of view.”

Hoehlein said he realizes that when a group of bass boats heads out on a lake to begin a tournament, the placid scene is temporarily disturbed.

In short order, he points out, silent trolling motors will be employed, and the anglers dispersed across the water.

And he and Carroll said that tournament bass anglers aren’t often recognized for the positive things they do.

Many bass tournaments generate money for a variety of charities, and each boat in every tournament is checked before and after entering the water for invasive water plants.

And Mainebass.com organizers want to play a role in both educating bass anglers and the public on a variety of issues, and serving as a conduit for increased communications.

“We would offer our assistance to [anyone] that wants to know more about the sport, or who wants to [make] a complaint or bring an issue about bass fishing to our attention,” Carroll said.

Hoehlein said Mainebass.com will give him the chance to “thump the tub” about a sport he loves, and to help serve as a liaison between state fisheries officials, the public.

“Basically, [Mainebass.com] exists as an organization to head things off before they become ugly, and to promote our sport,” Hoehlein said.

Scenic view on `Going Outdoors’

The Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory has garnered plenty of attention recently as Mainers and tourists alike have flocked to the spectacular new span.

The view you’ll be able to share on Monday, however, is one relatively few have witnessed.

On Thursday night, I joined angler John Kirk and ABC-7’s chief photographer, Dave Simpson, for a boat trip down the Penobscot River.

Theoretically, we were fishing for striped bass (which, for the record, we never found).

Realistically, given the anecdotal reports of spotty striper fishing lately, we were embarking on what Kirk kept calling “a nature cruise.”

And nature we found.

From when we launched Kirk’s boat in Frankfort until we reached Fort Point Light in Stockton Springs, there was plenty of wildlife to be seen.

A bald eagle, several cormorants and osprey, and a seal or three kept us entertained on the trip.

But the highlight, Kirk had assured us, would come after the sun began to set, as we returned to the boat launch.

He was right.

From road level, the Penobscot Narrows Bridge is pretty impressive.

From the water, after dark, it’s simply spectacular, as spotlights illuminate the cables and span, and as the nearby town of Bucksport is framed, shimmering, in the distance.

Trolling past a lit-up Fort Knox was another highlight, and by the time we put ashore after 10 p.m., the trip was an unqualified success (with or without any fish to our credit).

On Monday night I’ll share that trip – and some of Simpson’s stellar camera work -with you during the weekly installment of ‘Going Outdoors,’ which airs on ABC-7’s 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts, and on FOX-22’s 10 p.m. news.

If you’ve been meaning to stop by and see the new bridge, trust me on this: The breathtaking images Simpson captured may prompt you to hit the water and enjoy a sea-level tour of the span from an entirely different angle.

Fort Kent muskie tourney on tap

When organizers of the Fort Kent International Muskie Derby got together back in 2004 to put together a fishing tournament, they figured the toothy behemoths that lurked in area waters would be a fantastic drawing card for a summer event.

Over the three editions of that tourney, that original notion has been proven true.

Add in a top-notch organizational effort, and the annual event has turned into much more than just a fishing derby.

Now, it’s a weekend-long festival.

In 2004, just 87 anglers showed up to fish in the hastily arranged affair. With a year to plan, the next derby grew to 206 avid anglers. And a year ago, a whopping 416 fishermen, fisherwomen, fisherboys and fishergirls – hailing from 11 states and two Canadian provinces – vied for the cash prizes.

Well, it’s that time of year again, and in true Fort Kent fashion, this year’s derby promises to be a bit bigger and better than those in the past.

The fourth annual event will be a three-day affair, and will run from Aug. 10-12.

A total of $20,000 is up for grabs, with a guaranteed first-place prize of $3,000.

Fishing will be allowed in the St. John River and all of its tributaries.

In addition, the Fort Kent Fire Department is selling raffle tickets for a 14-foot boat.

A recent photo I received from derby organizers showed that big muskies can be caught throughout the St. John drainage.

Benjamin Begin of Allagash caught the monster in question – a husky 40-incher – right in front of Two Rivers Lunch in “downtown” Allagash.

For more information on this year’s event, check the official Web site at www.fortkent-muskie.com.

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