commercial confessions

[tubber]

In the light of the growing frustration people on here are feeling with allocations and opportunities for various users of the resource, I thought it would be interesting to see which members have spent time on commercial boats.
I'll go first:
salmon seineboat deckhand 1980-85,88,93,94
roe herring deckhand 1985
halibut longline greenhorn 1994
The boats I worked on were independently owned. All this was before onboard video or recovery tanks which I don't know much about.
Biggest regrets: 1)one day in Rennell Sound searching for rumoured Fraser sockeyes, we caught about 300 big springs.
2)the boat caught and I ate some of about 10 wild steelhead over those 8 salmon seasons.
Honestly, the rest of the seine bycatch was surprisingly minimal with targeted sockeyes, humpies and dogs making up the vast majority of the catch.

 

[Bogman]

Tubber, doesn't seem like you are getting alot of response here so I'll help you out.

65-76 deck on brother gillnetter
69-76 " " and halibut
76-82 my own gillnetter and brothers halibut boat and herring gilnetting
83-86 on deck seining ,salmon and herring
87-90 skipper seining salmon and herring
91-2000 bought a seine boat and large halibut quota
96-2000 held a seat on the Halibut advisory board and was elected the first president of the PHMA.

Sold out in 2000 because the politics got to be to much BS and it took all the fun out of fishing. Got into sport fishing to stay on the water and have some fun .Now I run a lodge in the Charlottes and while it is alot of fun the politics are really rearing their ugly faces here too. I think the sports fleet (all sectors) would be surprised at how the commercial fleet would probably be willing to work out some of the issues at hand but it would mean everyone working together(and I mean everyone). DFO likes nothing better than keeping everyone against each other as we all know "divide and conquer" Everyone working together is a pipe dream I know as I have fought for it all my life and it has never happened but I can dream. I guess I will stay at this till the fun is gone here too then I'll go try (I hate to say this ) fly fishing

"Who would have ever thought it would be this much fun catching them one at a time"

 

[tubber]

Thanks for adding to the thread Bogman, I share your belief that all the groups will need to come together to help DFO get a grip. I still laugh when remembering being boarded so their "officers" could count the # of meshes/strip. Of course they would count lengthwise instead of across, start over, lose count have to start over, slip on a jellyfish, fall down. Comical but sad really.

quote:Who would have ever thought it would be this much fun catching them one at a time"

I was always jigging for whatever or sneaking away to troll for salmon out of the skiff when waiting for openings. Lifting a big bag of socks was good for the wallet, but mostly it was just another job, though a great one for a HS/college kid. Just being on the water is the part I miss most and the reason I love to sportsfish when I can(including flyfishing).

 

[IronNoggin]

Current commercial troller here. Started just about when most were getting out of it - back a dozen or so years now. Target chiefly springs, but every third or fourth blue moon they let us get after sockeye. Troubled times for that "industry", especially here off the west coast of the Island. Area G has taken a LOT of blows since the time I climbed aboard, and DFO won't be happy until we're gone. Still a few of us DieHards sticking with it - kinda like a test of sorts to determine who will be The Last Man Standing.

Back in the days I ran an observer company, I did work on gillnetters and the odd seiner. Found I greatly preferred the hunting aspect of trolling better, so when I rolled that company up, that was where I landed.

Did a lot of research on fish, chiefly on the East Slopes and the Western Arctic. Used a great many methods to "sample" the various target species, and guess there isn't likely one I haven't tried at one time or another.

For the past five years I have also been guiding on the chuck. Very much into the sportfishing enjoyment, and like to share that.

Got a real point there Bogman. The commercial folks share a LOT of common interests, and could prove very useful at the negotiating table. But The Dino is happy keeping the two FAR apart, and that will be a tough thing to bring about. Bloody worth it though! A United Stand would be a whole lot better for everyone involved!!

Cheers,
Nog

 

[Dogbreath]

Ok I confess-I've never worked a Commercial boat but have (sport) fished with a number of guys who have.

Their hard won experience has enriched my angling in ways that I can't begin to post here (especially since I can barely see the screen)

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[Tailspin]

I did spend quite a bit of time with Dad at a young pup age of 9-14 on the good ol' 40' Invicta II as well as on my uncles 37' double ender doing the sockeye thing in Barkley in the hayday. I was young a took it for granted, wish i could do it all over again to pay better attention with the greater appreciation i have now. I might do a short stint on the M.W out of Hardy for kicks this fall to help out a buddy and see the Hali longline thing first hand.

www.tailspincharters.com

 

[Brisco]

I like the trollers.Probobly because they kind of fish like the sporties. They also don't decimate a run with one netting. I wonder how many boats are left localy.

 

[twinwinds]

I myself pretty much grew up on commercial boats....Family was and still is in the industry.
Started out trolling as a deckhand then leased a troller for a few years.
gillnetted salmon for a couple but hated it!
Seined for the last 12 yrs or so and still do.
Leased a crab boat for 4 yrs, prawn fished for a few seasons, these being in the off season.
Also gillnetted herring for 10 or 12 yrs in the gulf,central coast and north coast.
I have also tried shrimp dragging with a buddy who owns a S license and boat.
oh i also commercially dug manilla and little neck clams for alot of yrs....
Since commercial fishing is not what it used to be, sportfishing has made it possible for me to stay on the water...

 

[fishspoon]

commerical fished in Barkley Sound in early summer 1987 on a small troller. 2 nights of commerical gillnet fishery for sockeyes in Alberni Inlet-early summer 1987. Very hard work, dirty, and tired after working crazy long hours. never again! sportsfishing is better as I can fish for only 2 or 3 hours once a while.

 

[fishspoon]

quote:Originally posted by tubber

In the light of the growing frustration people on here are feeling with allocations and opportunities for various users of the resource, I thought it would be interesting to see which members have spent time on commercial boats.
I'll go first:
salmon seineboat deckhand 1980-85,88,93,94
roe herring deckhand 1985
halibut longline greenhorn 1994
The boats I worked on were independently owned. All this was before onboard video or recovery tanks which I don't know much about.
Biggest regrets: 1)one day in Rennell Sound searching for rumoured Fraser sockeyes, we caught about 300 big springs.
2)the boat caught and I ate some of about 10 wild steelhead over those 8 salmon seasons.
Honestly, the rest of the seine bycatch was surprisingly minimal with targeted sockeyes, humpies and dogs making up the vast majority of the catch.

Rennell Sound? I was there in Rennell Sound to do sportsfishing....Unreal fishing...2 big springs, 3 halibut up to 35 lbs, 2 seabasses, and 1 skatefish (released)....Great Scenery, huge swells in late springtime for 3 hours of fishing on charterboat with a guide and two guests.

 

[Bogman]

Got a real point there Bogman. The commercial folks share a LOT of common interests, and could prove very useful at the negotiating table. But The Dino is happy keeping the two FAR apart, and that will be a tough thing to bring about. Bloody worth it though! A United Stand would be a whole lot better for everyone involved!!

Cheers,
Nog

Hey NOg, We have bumped into each other on some of the other boards and I could always tell you had a keen sense about you. I sincerly wish we could get all sides together. Can you even imagine the power we would wheel. As you said thou the Dino is very very good at putting us at each others throats. Maybe one day if everyone stopped arguing for a moment and sat back and thought about it they could see the solution is not that hard. My time on the HAB board and PHMA taught me that DFO are not that organized and they can be shown the way.

"Who would have ever thought it would be this much fun catching them one at a time"

 

[Sea Ranger]

I think I was born with a fishing rod in my hand.... use to sleep in the bow of the families 14 foot boat when I was young. Then fished with my dad on 3 differant commercial trollers, the last one being a freezer boat. Fished from 1973 to 1981 for Salmon and shook the herring nets and packed herring too.
First boat.... Barracuda
Second boat..... Clover Point
Third boat..... C-Joy.
The C-Joy was built for my dad in Vancouver and was a state of the art freezer boat.... even had power windows....lol.
I deckhanded for my dad and later on deckhanded for my brother. Once my son was born I gave up commercial fishing but still love the water.

 

[fish4all]

quote:I think the sports fleet (all sectors) would be surprised at how the commercial fleet would probably be willing to work out some of the issues at hand but it would mean everyone working together(and I mean everyone).

Bogman;
How right you are. The problem I see is that we have the same old dinosaurs, incapable of change, still running the show. Time for some new faces and new ideas to come to the table to work this stuff out.
Hope your summer treats you well on QCI.

 

[richmake]

Thought I'd never admit it but I'm an old closet commercial guy myself.
Grew up on gillnet and seine boats and used to guide everyday i had off from seining or when my Dad wanted a day off.
Dragged all winter and fished Halibut and black cod whenever I had a chance...was part of some incredible trips...
I got out the first time Halibut went quota and they left the crew members hanging...
Next came the first round of salmon buy backs and again the crews that help make all the owners/companies money for all thos years....all left out to dry.
I will never give up what I love doing most....exactly what I'm doing right now.
Guiding isn't always about catching fish...it's about meeting new people and providing clients with some incredible memories...
Good topic by the way...glad to have shared...

www.coastwidesportsfishing.com