David Bubier, who owned and operated Baker’s Dozen Bait Shop with his wife, June, and held a seat on the Winthrop Town Council, died last week after a long battle with cancer. He was 61.
The bait shop, which opened 10 years ago, will remain open, according to a post by June Bubier on the shop’s Facebook page.
“Dave’s final wishes was for us to keep the bait shop going,” she wrote. “So I want to let you know that we are well supplied with smelts, golden, red fin and emerald shiners, suckers, worms and crawlers and tackle.”
At its regular meeting Monday night, the Town Council will consider appointing someone to fill Bubier’s seat until June, when a more permanent replacement will be elected, Town Manager Peter Nielsen said. That process is laid out in the town charter, Nielsen said.
The replacement who is elected in June will hold the council seat until 2018, when Bubier’s term was scheduled to end.
Born in Lewiston, Bubier was a Winthrop High School graduate who worked in construction and as a manager for Irving Oil before starting the bait shop, according to a Kennebec Journal obituary.
In 2014, Bubier described his and his wife’s roles at the business to a Portland Press Herald reporter.
“This was her idea,” he said. “She wanted something to do in retirement. She makes the lures, like this purple-action rainbow smelt. If you and I go fish Androscoggin Lake and troll, this will outfish your lure 10-to-1. Don’t tell me color doesn’t matter.”
A number of people posted messages of support to the family on the Facebook page this week.
Another area fishing business, Jack Traps, Inc. in Monmouth, posted a message on its own page: “The crew here at Jack Traps is very saddened by the loss of a local legend, David Bubier. Dave owned and operated Bakers Dozen Bait Shop in Winthrop and has been a friend of the Jackson Family for as long as we can remember. Our hearts go out to the Bubier Family today.”
Charles Eichacker — 621-5642
Twitter: @ceichacker
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