OT: Going Commercial Salmon Fishing, Bristol Bay Options

[Rhodes71/914]

As most of you that read the board know I just moved back to Alaska. Before I left here 3 1/2 years ago, I made most of my income commercial fishing. When I moved to Oregon I decided to get a "real Job" you know a 8-5 kind of thing. Well after 3 years of office work I am happy to go back to what some refer to as summer camp to men.

It's a month of living on a 32 foot boat with 2 other guys trying to catch as much sockey salmon as you can during the gillnetting openers. An OK season is around 100,000lbs.

I used to do this fishery when prices were good and we had record runs. There was a rough patch around 2000 with low returns and bad prices, but it is on the upswing now. I am just glad to get out on the water again and make a buck at the same time.

My wife will stay home with the little ones and work on our new baking business.

Here is a pic of "the line" where some real combat fishing takes place.