Eric Knight and his wife Kate-Lyn both grew up just outside Portland where they spent most of their childhood on the water, whether that be out fishing or surfing at the beach. Eric became a second-generation commercial fisherman at the young age of 12 where he started hauling 150 traps by hand along the shores of Cape Elizabeth in the summers. He has grown into a year-round fisherman primarily targeting lobster (hauling 800 traps), bluefin tuna, and scallops.
Kate-Lyn is no stranger to the industry as she managed marine conferences and events across the United States. She received the nickname Bait Slayer while spending many days and nights on the Wild Duck with her husband Eric commercially fishing bluefin tuna.
The Knight family’s love for the ocean has led them to share their passion and experience with guests from around the world by creating a live demonstration of the lobster industry right in the heart of Portland.
Eric has recently outgrown his 40 foot Wedgeport Novi named the Wild Duck. Instead of selling the Wild Duck, Eric and his wife Kate-Lyn saw the potential in enhancing the value of the day in the life of a lobsterman by using the Wild Duck as a demonstration vessel. Eric now actively fishes out of his custom built 44 Calvin Beal named after their daughter, Ivy Jean. Both vessels are docked at Luke’s Lobster Portland Pier. This location is crucial to providing sustainability of the working waterfront because it allows commercial fisherman to coexist with a buy station, a restaurant and the general public.