Long Cove
Route 1, Sullivan
Downeast Maine’s characteristic intertidal and subtidal mud flats support soft-shelled clams and marine worms, two of the state’s most valuable fisheries. Clamming requires a local license and a strong back to supply the iconic Maine steamer clam. Worms may not be on the menu, but East Coast anglers prize marine worms as recreational fishing bait. Worm harvesters overturn the mud with a special hoe or rake with a short handle and long tines, and then hand-pick sand worms and bloodworms. Wormers watch the clock and the tide closely, as the harvest is limited to an hour or two either side of low tide. Dealers count the worms in trays, pack them carefully in newspaper or seaweed inside cardboard boxes, and ship them to eager anglers who will use the bait within days of harvest.
207.667.7131 | www.schoodicbyway.org
Year-round. Parking. Outhouse. Picnic area. Interpretive signs.
Events & Activities
Walk the shoreline to find glacial striations that mark the impact of the last ice age on this rugged coast.
Sources & Links
Schoodic National Scenic Byway
Sullivan-Sorrento Historical Society
Worming film, 1942, Northeast Historic Films
“Worming a big deal in Downeast Maine” 2010. Working Waterfront Newspaper, story about worming.
“A Lively Traffic in Worms” by Frank Graham Junior. 1966 Sports Illustrated Story about worming in the 1960’s.