Feature photo by Just B Cuz. Photo above by Xa’at.
So you want adventure? Make some money? Bask in amazing natural beauty? Good. Can you live in cramped space? Work 48 hours straight? Ignore freezing temperatures? Good. You’re ready to get a job on a commercial fishing boat in Alaska.
Fifteen or twenty years ago, thousands upon thousands of college-age kids migrated to Bristol Bay and Cook Inlet in the late spring, pitched tents in parking lots, and beat the docks until they secured a site on a drift boat or seiner. In those days the salmon runs were incredibly strong, the ex-vessel price was over $3.00/lb., and work abounded.
Photo by pinprick.
If you couldn’t find a site, then the tender vessel or the cannery certainly had a position for you – a less lucrative one to be sure, but good work nonetheless. Crab fishing in the wintertime offered similar opportunity. A young man could get on a plane in Anchorage and have a job before he landed in Dutch Harbor.
Boats made so much money they could hire an extra guy on a half-share basis just to make life a little easier for everyone. It was relatively easy for an able-bodied guy to get a site, even if he didn’t have any fishing experience.
Things are quite different today. Regulations, oil spills, an economic emphasis on imports, the crash of the Japanese economy in the mid-90s – all of these factors have drastically changed the fabric of the industry over the last two decades. But the romantic allure persists and the risk/reward factor is still intense.
The job can still be quite lucrative for the right person, and the best way for you to land your site is still to simply SHOW UP! Skippers don’t troll for employees on Monster. There are websites dedicated to finding “fishing” jobs in Alaska, like Alaskafishingjobs.com, alaskajobfinder.com, and others.
Some of these charge a membership fee though, and most of the positions are on factory processors owned by giant seafood corporations like Trident or Peter Pan. This might be a good place to start, but in truth, the chances of getting hired on a proper fishing boat, sight unseen, especially if you’re “green”, are about zero.
There is no application process, we’re going straight to the interviews. So if you’re starting a career or just taking a sabbatical from the cubicle, here’s how to go about it.
Photo by Piero Sierra.
1. Do your research first
You want to be in the right place at the right time. Herring season kicks off in Togiak in April. The salmon run in Kenai starts in July.
Last year I worked with a guy who flew into Kodiak in mid-May, went to the city employment office (hint, hint), and had a site on a seiner the next day. He said he made $25,000.00 in ten weeks. Now that was a fortunate scenario, but he made his own luck by showing up at the right time, just a week or so before the season opened.
An e-visit to the city in question should provide you a timetable, provided it’s a big enough place like Homer. A smaller burg like Naknek will require some extended effort. National Fisherman publishes monthly articles, filled with tons of data on the volume and value of almost every fishery.
Visit NationalFisherman.com and check the dates. There’s even a small classifieds page there. Local and regional newspapers always carry a story or two as well. Be creative with your search.
Photo by kqedquest.
2. Pack appropriately
Functionality is key. Even in the summer months the weather will be unpleasant at times, and you’re there to work. Go with some sweatpants, hooded sweatshirts, comfortable, durable socks, and some rugged footwear. Bring a light, rain-resistant jacket.
You want layers of versatility stuffed into one semi-large pack. Remember, you want to be mobile, and the vessel on which you land your site isn’t going to have a lot of extra space for storage.
You can easily get your slickers and gloves after you’ve landed your site. In most cases the boat will even charge it, then just take it out of your first check.
Under Armor is great stuff, too. (Make sure to keep every single receipt for ANY related purchase. Find an accountant familiar with the maritime industry, there are all sorts of deductions for commercial guys.)
Photo by jillig.
3. Be professional
You’re ready to swashbuckle like Captain Jack Sparrow, but this is still a business. The number one issue for boat owners and captains is the dependability of their crewmen. Beat the docks early, and without a hangover.
You want to stress your reliability and your eagerness to respond to a good opportunity. If the man asks you if you have any experience, just say “No” or “Not yet.” Do not tell him how you went sailing on your uncle’s yacht one summer. Do not tell him that you are a hard worker and a fast learner, he’s heard it a million times. He’ll be more impressed with directness and honesty.
Do you have any relevant skills? Maybe you can “turn a wrench” or you’re familiar with electronics. If you’re not mechanically inclined yet, don’t sweat it. The number one attribute for fresh hires? Cooking. If you can whip up a nice meal for three or four or five guys on short order, your prospects just improved significantly.
Now if the boss listens to what you have to say and still tells you to ease on down the dock, don’t take it personally, some skippers wouldn’t hire Superman if he hadn’t been on a boat before. But I’ve worked for a lot of skippers who liked to hire “clean and green,” because they knew the guy was going to be trouble-free and they could train him up how they wanted.
Photo by pinprick.
4. Adapt
You might not land a site right away just by beating the docks, so you’ll need to utilize your resourcefulness. Check the fishhouses and canneries, a lot of skippers will post their “want-ads” in the offices there. Talk to people. You need to drum up as many leads as possible.
I worked with a guy who made his contact in line at the post office. Another guy put up his “resume” on the bulletin board at the coffee shop and had calls within 24 hours. Their combined previous experience: 0.
If you’re not getting any breaks, maybe you need a change of scenery. Another guy I worked with beat the docks of Cordova for two weeks and couldn’t get any action. He finally jumped on the ferry to Kodiak and found a site on his third day in town.
Persevere. There are tens of thousands of commercial fishing boats and hundreds of thousands of sites in Alaska. But they aren’t going to come to you.
Once you’re in, your performance will propel you wherever you want to go. Maybe you’ll settle in on a big ship that works year-round. Maybe you’ll network to different sites in different fisheries for different seasons.
Just like any other business, the owners and captains all know each other and who needs crew, and when. Build a good name for yourself and you’ll have it made in the industry for as long as you want.
So now you’re ready! It takes a lot of confidence and determination to find substantive employment in this manner. You need to be alert, assertive, and flexible. If you can’t handle what it takes to get the job then the job isn’t for you. Good luck.
About the Author
More By This Author
- How To Stop Paying for Gas and Run on Free Vegetable Oil in 8 Easy Steps (59 comments)
- Green Guide To Key West (2 comments)
Related Posts
79 Comments... join the discussion!
-
-
My name is Olivar and i just arrived in Seattle Washington. I left my wife and children with two grand babies behind to come and try to get on one of the Alaska Fishing Boats.Heard it is very prospress and i’ve traveled by bus for 2 1/2 days from Texas to get here to Seattle washington to try to get on a boat. I am from Lubbock Texas and pay or economy is not doing well and i had no other choice but to come here and try my hardest for my family back home. I am homeless,jobless and determine to find employment.
↵ -
try to call icicle at 206 282 0988 they are in seattle and i herd they are leaving soon? Good Luck and God Bless
↵ -
My name is jake i am 19 years old looking for a new job while im still young i work 12 hours a day six days a week with bad pay looking for a better paying job and a little travel.
↵ -
hello may name is leonel i from mexico i’m 30 years old i study ing in fishering, not titule
↵ -
Not to sound rude but I feel like one of my countries BIG problems for not having work is people from mexico are coming here and taking them!
↵ -
every one has a family every man women and child have the right to work for there survival it doesn’t matter where you come from and how you got there if the guy or women works harder then you pick it up i feel no threat from outsiders i work hard for my family and now one takes a job from me or have i lost a job that wasn’t my fault just my thoughts
↵ -
hello guys….
my name is picasso im a ship’s captain and im european.i’ll visit usa this summer and i have plan to get work in alaska i have a lot of experience with hard work in the ocean ( africa,europe,asia ) i am 27 year old, i wish for all you to get a job,and if not yet i hope soon,well i am here looknig for job ,you help me even by advice to get a job in alaska even as sailor ( fisherman) i love crab fishing or tuna fishing anyway i hope i can get work on Fishing boat Industry.thank you ,have a good day
i hope to hear from you soon guysPicasso
↵ -
if you get a boat am your man i have been trying to get on a ship for some time and just havent found my chance but if you need some hands am there
↵ -
Hello everyone! My name is HERIBERTO im looking for a fishing job ive been fishing for along time in puerto rico plus i have a little experience in beekeeping i used to seel raw honey too im 20 years old but look younger ill work day and night i love fishing. My record is clean i dont smoke or use drugs and im humble and barely talk unless im spoken.
↵ -
My cousen and I herd about your website and was wondering how to go about being a fisherman and getting more information?
↵ -
hola soy me llamo david garcia y vivo en mexico, hace tiempo que me interesa este tipo de trabajo, pero me gustaria saber algunas cosas: que necesito para este trabajo? cuanto tiempo es? aceptan gente de otros paises?…me gustaria que me mandaran esa informacion por correo, realmente me interesa…
↵ -
i want a job on a fishing boat want to learn the trade od a deckhand and work my way to the top and captain a ship or maybe even mt own ves. wish someone would hire me believe me I can pull my own waight.GIVE ME A CHANCE . im thirty years old and hard working 3 kids and my wife
↵ -
how can i get a seasonal job as a deckhand in alaska if I live in Arizona?riddle me this lol
↵ -
Hi all
I am from europe , i am 28 years old , and i also look for a job in a fishing boat , sincery i don’t have much experience in that but i am a hard working and strong person. I don’t smoke , dont drink and dont consume even medicine or drugs. Please write me if u have a job for me , thx.
↵ -
Hello…..If you like good food and need a cook send me an email. I bake wonderful bread and make filling tasty meals …….anything you want. Big plates of bacon and eggs with biscuits and gravy. Wonderful beef stews and pork roasts. Fried catfish and hush puppies. Special requests are my specialty. Not afraid of hard work. I am from Tennessee and am married to a man from France. That pretty much covers the spectrum. Just an old lady looking for adventure and a paycheck. Can’t be anymore honest than that. Honestly you will love the food.
↵ -
Olá ,
Sou ex-militar tenho 46 anos , 1,83mt , 90 kg , com bom preparo físico e tenho experiencia com embarcações , navegação , GPS , radiotransmisores , mecanico de motores diesel e gasolina , manutenção de maquinas industriais , técnico manutenção PC Hardware , eletronica e eletrica e estou disposto a qualquer vaga no trabalho em barco comercial de pesca no Alasca .Eduardo
↵ -
Hello my name is Tekle Im from East Africa right now I’m living in USA and i have plan to get any work in Alaska, so please help me to find a work.
Thank you↵ -
I’VE BEEN DOING HARD LOBER JOBS ALL MY LIFE, AND THIS TYPE OF WORK WONT BREAK ME BUT JUST PRESENT A CHALENGE FOR ME .
IM A GREENHORN FOR SHORE, BUT WOULD ENJOY WORKING ON DECK !
↵ -
Hello I am except alive in venezuela am interested in being employed at the fishing in alaska, am 25 years old, availability complete time if someone this ineresado him agradesco comunicarce with me for e-mail thank you
↵ -
Helllo, im from south africa and considering this job. Can anyone tell me if you need a work permit and if so how to apply? Otherwise, do you arrive there with a holiday visa, start your job search and jump on a boat or whats the usual procedure?
↵ -
Hi, im brazillian, 29 years old, graduate as electrical engineer. I have 45 days vacation and I would like to work in a fishing boat. I have a small boat in brazil also the amateur and master skipper licenses.
I have some fishing and diving skills.↵
