Last year, we brought you the story of a Waldoboro couple who reeled in a whopper of a find while Ice Fishing...

YouTubers Chris Benedict and Olivia Laine have a YouTube Channel called Fishin4Adventure. The couple adventures across the state of Maine, looking for new and exciting fishing spots to explore together.

Olivia Laine & Chris Benedict
Olivia Laine & Chris Benedict
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"We just want to share the adventure and amazing sports opportunities this beautiful state has to offer! Get people outside and enjoy [the outdoors] and teach them along the way!"

Last January, while out in the Belgrade Lakes area, the couple was ice fishing and received quite the shock when they pulled up a once-in-a-lifetime whopper of a fish.

"The weather was a cold 2 degrees, we were fishing in the Belgrade lakes region.  There was a multitude of things that went perfectly to land this fish!"

Thermometer in the snow with focus on the red.
KariHoglund
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"We had two flags up and we made our way to the first flag, about 50 yards closer than the 2nd flag (one with the huge fish). I saw that further trap start to tilt and move and I instantly said go go go we gotta get that one!"

Ice fishing trap waits patiently for fish under the ice.
mountinez
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"We raced over there and saw the reel screaming, was moving faster than we both have ever seen ( we fish a lot). I knelt down to grab my trap and I started to see the wood on my reel. Indicating I was running out of line and he was about to spool me! I quickly grabbed the trap and set the hook with maybe 3ft or 5 turns of line left before he would have spooled me and broken the line! "

captainsecret
captainsecret
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"Once I knew I had him I instantly could tell this was a special fish. The sheer weight and lack of movement when I set the hook said it all. I fought with it for minutes it stopped me multiple times and I had to let him tire before continuing to pull him in. The line got burned into the ice multiple times from friction creating a groove in the line that would get caught in! We had to use our skimmer multiple times to free the line to continue getting this amazing fish in."

Olivia Laine & Chris Benedict
Olivia Laine & Chris Benedict
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"After minutes of fighting, we finally saw the amazing fish make its first appearance! The head was just about the entire width of the 8-inch hole. This is where the real challenge started. We were fishing with a 30lb fluorocarbon line. Abrasion-resistant but still have to be careful. Especially with a fish with gigantic teeth."

"After struggling to turn his head and get him to the hole we finally got him turned and heading up the hole! Two of our friends grabbed it as I pulled the line to lift him up out of the hole!"

"There was a struggle as it was so fat there was resistance pulling it through just an 8-inch hole. The two finally got ahold of it and we pulled it from the ice."

Chris Benedict (caught the fish), photo by Olivia Laine
Chris Benedict (caught the fish), photo by Olivia Laine
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'We all were in disbelief and pure excitement just so in awe with the sheer size and girth of this fish it was so fat as you can see my hand looks so small in the picture...This is our biggest on the freshwater. "

Benedict says the whopper they caught was a Northern Pike and that according to aging charts, the fish is likely between! Also based on charts it’s thought this fish is nearly 15-16 years old!

The couple put the photo right up on their Fishin4Adventure Facebook Page, with the caption:

"We said we were going to dedicate the weekend to break one of our Personal best Pike! We sure beat mine! 40 inches 20.58 LBs and it’s only Friday! We can’t even wait to hit the editing room on this video!"

They plan to document the experience for their YouTube Channel, in hopes it inspires people to get out and try fishing!

"As you will see in the video we couldn’t have been happier! Shocked amazing and so excited! We love fishing and do lots of it and this was a catch we will always remember!"

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Benedict and Laine hope more folks take advantage of Maine's many plentiful waterways and get inspired to take adventures of their own, while fishing.

Olivia Laine & Chris Benedict
Olivia Laine & Chris Benedict
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"We are all about trying to spark the interest of others to get out and adventure!"

Olivia Laine & Chris Benedict
Olivia Laine & Chris Benedict
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"It’s when we started this channel! We have touched so many that say they are out fishing again and rediscovering their love for the outdoors and fishing! Many have said they got their wife out to go fish and they love it!"

Olivia Laine & Chris Benedict
Olivia Laine & Chris Benedict
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"Or help inspire and show younger fishermen how to catch more fish! Those are the things that are simply priceless and why we love doing this!"

Benedict, who is a merchant mariner, worked on an Alaskan ship for two weeks, then two weeks home back in Maine. Olivia is a dental hygienist and works her schedule to coordinate with Benedict.

'When I’m home in Maine, Liv and I get outdoors as much as possible, fishing mostly, but some hunting, too,' he says. 'Her love for Maine’s fishing and the outdoors is the same as mine, and marriage for us is imminent.'"

Making it official, Olivia Laine & Chris Benedict
Making it official, Olivia Laine & Chris Benedict
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In May of that same year, Benedict made another "personal best" catch... on a trip to the Grand Canyon, of all places, overlooking Hopi Point.

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According to the Fishin4Adventure Facebook Page post:

"Set the hook on the best catch of my life! So excited and thankful for life with my best friend!"

Olivia's Ring, Olivia Laine & Chris Benedict
Olivia's Ring, Olivia Laine & Chris Benedict
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"We both are so happy about the recent engagement! Like we both said it’s something we both knew was coming and was right, feels amazing to have it be official"

What a view!, Olivia Laine & Chris Benedict
What a view!, Olivia Laine & Chris Benedict
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What's our couple up to now? Getting ready to add another member to the Fishing4Adventure team, as they await the birth of their first baby, a little girl, at the end of next month!

Check out some of their videos.

10 of the Deepest Lakes and Ponds in Maine

With 6,000 lakes and ponds, Maine has A LOT of freshwater shoreline. Some are densely populated in the summer months, while others are as remote as the wilderness that surrounds them. They're home to Maine's thriving gamefish populations, which calls-in anglers from all over the country. Ever wondered which of these lakes are the deepest in the state? We checked-over depth charts and topographic maps to find the 10 deepest lakes in Maine, as according to their maximum depth. 

10 Fun Ways to Overcome the Maine Winter Blues

Everyone needs a little pick-me-up during the long Maine winter, so here are some suggestions of activities that might help make the cold weather and short days a little more bearable.

 

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