Greenhorn with a passion to fish needs advise

[jlupardes]

Helo everyone! I am new to this so here goes. I am 33 years old, in great health and a work my fingers to the bone type of guy. I have a family of 6 so many mouths to feed. I moved to Oregon to pursue a career in the commercil fishing buisness. I plan to skip all the working for someone else jazz. I have enough common sence to do this just need to learn navagaton , weather, how to fish the boat and keep it in good maintenence along with building contacts with buyers. I have come across a 32' double ender that would be a good salmon fisher. With a permit. I just need someone to tell me some good steps to take to pursue my dream career


Thank you in advance.

[SaltySailor]

Helo everyone! I am new to this so here goes. I am 33 years old, in great health and a work my fingers to the bone type of guy. I have a family of 6 so many mouths to feed. I moved to Oregon to pursue a career in the commercil fishing buisness. I plan to skip all the working for someone else jazz. I have enough common sence to do this just need to learn navagaton , weather, how to fish the boat and keep it in good maintenence along with building contacts with buyers. I have come across a 32' double ender that would be a good salmon fisher. With a permit. I just need someone to tell me some good steps to take to pursue my dream career


Thank you in advance.

I don't think it's as easy as you seem to think...

[Wet Dog]

Well, as someone that shares your passion I would suggest that you do "all the working for someone else jazz" before you spend all of that money on boat. I do not mean to offend you but lets be honest here if you really need to ask these questions you probably are not ready to own your own boat. Besides, working for someone else could give you the experience and knowledge that you need to get started and earn you some cash. What could it hurt? If you can afford to do this now then after working and making more money you will still be able to afford it. Get some experience first and you will be much more capable of making this a success. Besides you can't feed your family if you are out there not catching fish and losing money or worse dead. Go out there and get your feet wet before you take the plunge. Do not even consider buying a boat if you consider yourself a "Greenhorn".

[Azimuth]

Take my advice, I'm not using it! GO buy the boat & get out there and start fishing. Don't hire any deck hands, more money for yourself. A good life insurance policy is a good idea too. If & when you make it back to the dock after your first trip out you will know what you need to know.

[seadawg]

Take my advice, I'm not using it! GO buy the boat & get out there and start fishing. Don't hire any deck hands, more money for yourself. A good life insurance policy is a good idea too. If & when you make it back to the dock after your first trip out you will know what you need to know.

IMHO..what a great "Darwinian" approach.."git err dunn"!!

[seanfinn]

I would second the advice wet dog gave you, don't give up on the dream but for sure do not buy a boat and permit right off the bat. There are so many things you need to learn navigation really being a minor issue if you ask me. You need to learn how the salmon behave, how tides and weather affect that flow, how to fix your power roller with improvised pieces of warmed rubber, how to mend the huge whale holes, how to pull up to a tender in 80 knot winds and not kill anyone/damage fiberglass. You really want to see all this from the perspective of the deckhand, who for better and for worse really doesn't have much into a fishing operation but their time and gear costs. You do not want to sink your savings or borrow against the equity of your home to finance an already risky business venture. I have many a friend who remarks on their successful winter jobs, " I run this or that enterprise so I can afford to fish " . Don't find out how hard it is wearing the skipper hat.

Having said all this stuff you don't want to hear I'll go ahead and assume you'll ignore every word. In that case I would buy a 34 foot Branko boat with a chiller unit and a recently rebuilt engine. I would buy or lease my permit out in False Pass ( aka Area M, Port Moller way beyond Bristol Bay ) or the Prince William Sound. These areas have lots of fishing time typically and there is time to make mistakes. Assuming you know the ins and outs of plumbing, electrical, diesel motors and reefer units and also assuming you hire an experienced man ( 10 or more years ) you could just go out and learn by doing and would eventually get along. You may go bust in the process but you'll have done it your way.

I hope you go out and show us all up truthfully.

Sean

[seacomber]

do yourself a favor and go fishing before buying into it. you get to see the process without spending a bundle, then you can decide from experience. there are alot of factors to making fishing profitable, and not too many people in the fishing business are making a bundle anymore.

[c.captain]

I know the West coast fisheries and if you have never trolled for Salmon before, then DO NOT pursue this! You will be taking money out of the mouths of your kids! Forget the dream until you have a secure income to care for those who depend on you! Invest your money in going to school to work on boat engines...I have noticed that there never are enough qualified people out there who can work on outdrives and outboats. If you live on the Oregon Coast you might not even need to relocate to make a good living. Once you have a secure skill to fall back on, your kids old enough and six months of income in the bank, then consider finding your longterm goal. Trollers and permits to fish off of Oregon will still be there ten years from now. Consider you family first ever before chasing a dream!

I pray this advise gets into your head before you do something very STUPID and cause your family to SUFFER!

btw, most fishermen who own trollers do not hire deckhands...they cannot afford them!

[Steamer]

"Forget the dream until you have a secure income to care for those who depend on you!"

Yeah, go to Alaska and lease a gold claim for a season. Then you can buy the boat and get even richer!

Since Alaska is where the money is you can use the profits from the fish boat to buy mining equipment ... or is it the other way 'round?