bankrupt & divorced OR living the dream?

[Rainier]

Thank you Jon for putting together a great site that has been an awesome resource!

It appears that I could potentially be laid-off as a school teacher at the end of the school year. (It seems kind of unbelievable) If I am part of the “reduction in force” due to this economy, I am taking it as a sign that it’s time to move on to other things.

Regardless of whether I am laid off or not, I would like to be heading to Sitka the third week of June looking for a deckhand job. Based on the information I have read, this appears to be the best way to find a job and gain a foothold in the industry. (I am not sure about sleeping under a truck part though. )

Here are some things I have been thinking about. Please shoot away.

If I still have a job as a teacher in the fall, is it likely that someone will hire me to work only through the third week in August?

I am very interested in pursuing troll fishing as a primary occupation, can someone cut their teeth in a summer in Sitka and come back the next spring and be successful on their own? I have a lot of sport fishing experience; I just haven’t run gurdies with so much gear. I also have command of the English language.

Regardless of losing my job, my awesome wife has been very supportive of my fishing dreams. We could make it work financially to get a power troll permit and a starter boat for 2010. Is it possibly to make it financially as a troller, right out of the starting gate? I think I read that a person would be doing well if they grossed $15000 their first year. I can’t do that. I did some calculations from ADFG website. If you are an “average boat” (total fish caught/total permits fished per week and account for weight and price) it appears you could gross $45000. What would someone net after paying for deckhand wages, fuel, maintenance, gear, etc? Is it reasonable to expect to make $24000 net my first year?

Thanks for some insights into all of this. There are some great people on this board that have made some great posts.

Ben Smith

[Rainier]

Wow- 26 views and no comments?

Just curious about peoples thoughts and opinions.

Is my plan of becoming a troller a pipe dream for me, or can I get the experiences to actually make it work?

[F/V Carina]

Welcome Ben -

You have posed the same questions that many of us have faced as we considered taking the plunge into the commercial salmon trolling industry. Most of your questions have no absolute answers. There are a myriad of factors that can make or break any one season. Unfortunately, most of the factors affecting the profitability (natural and man-made) are not directly within the the fisherman's control. This may explain the lack of response so far.

With respect to starting out as a deckhand, that is a great first step. There is nothing better than hands-on experience to help you start to learn what a salmon troller is all about. If all goes well during your first summer, you will be in a much better position to answer your own questions.

What is a reasonable amount to make your first year trolling? Well again, that is hard to answer. Some trollers would probably consider the amounts you mentioned to be a poor season. There would also be those who would view them as a dream season. Even if you are a fast learner, a very hard worker, and extremely lucky, there are no guaranteed pay checks.

My best advise is to get a deckhand job, begin to acquire the knowledge and experience needed to run your own show, and do not make any major investments until you at least know what you do not know.

If I can help further, PM your e-mail to me. Good luck and be safe, Scott

[Jon]

Regardless of losing my job, my awesome wife has been very supportive of my fishing dreams. We could make it work financially to get a power troll permit and a starter boat for 2010. Is it possibly to make it financially as a troller, right out of the starting gate? I think I read that a person would be doing well if they grossed $15000 their first year. I can’t do that. I did some calculations from ADFG website. If you are an “average boat” (total fish caught/total permits fished per week and account for weight and price) it appears you could gross $45000. What would someone net after paying for deckhand wages, fuel, maintenance, gear, etc? Is it reasonable to expect to make $24000 net my first year?

I can't imagine how any power troller could fish every day of the summer opening and only gross $15,000. Some people make that much for each one of the two king openings. Assuming 60 days fished, that's only $250/day. I've only trolled full time for the last three years... but I don't think I've fished an entire day for less than $500. If it's that slow I anchor up or go to town.

That $45,000 number is as accurate as the ADF&G can make it. If you removed all the boats that don't fish full time during the summer and recalculated, it would be very interesting to see what the average gross is. Certainly not $45,000.

[JYDPDX]

I sent you a detailed PM. Check you messages in the User Control Panel.

[Rainier]

Thanks everybody,

This is all good information. I know that my questions are really general, but I appreciate the response. I love to fish and commercial fishing is in my blood. I am drawn to trolling because it seems sustainable, you can run a boat by yourself or a couple other people, and you have the potential to make a reasonable living. Time to go look at all the spoons on the SeaMar website again!

Ben