Considering working the summer in commercial fishing as a college student, advice?

Professional Mariner Forum
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Just to start off, for the past few weeks I’ve grown interested in working in commercial fishing over the summer in Alaska as a college student. I reside on the east coast and finding a job here in the city is extremely difficult. Even with the qualifications and experience that I have along with a decent resume, I’m still not finding luck. I did research and found this reliable site that connects participants with skippers and that looks promising considering walking the docks isn’t a possibility right now.

I’m truly seeking advice on this profession. I’m not a stranger to hard work and I don’t mind experiencing the long hours if it means accomplishing my goals that i have set in place. Genuinely, you can be brutally honest and blunt with me.

  1. What should i be doing now to prepare myself for the summer or a season?
  2. What should should i pack for something like this?
  3. Safety concerns or risks that I should look out for?
  4. What is the expected salary as someone with no experience?
  5. If hired, what could i expect to make during the course of the summer? (Just an estimate or guess)
  6. How do you keep yourself from going crazy and burnt out?
  7. What sort of job should I pursue as a beginner?
  8. What are the hours like? Are there any day offs? Are you working 24/7?
  9. What do deckhands do exactly?

If you have any other advice, input, or opinions. Please share it, I am truly open-minded and dedicated enough to hearing each of you out.
Thank you once again for your time and help,

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No, it’s not

1 Like
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Use the search function: RTFF. This has been discussed several times before.

After several record years, Bristol Bay Salmon was bad last year. This will be another bad (hopefully not so bad year). Jobs should be very plentiful and the season is short. Most of the fish are caught from the last week of June to Mid-July.

The factory trawler companies are now hold job fairs all over the place and hiring for “B Season.” You won’t be on deck actually be fishing, you will be processing fish below deck in the factory.

Wherever you are from, the landscapers, painters and construction companies are all keen to hire anyone that will show up everyday and work.

You may not realize it, but you are balls deep in job opportunities.

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Is there somewhere I can go to see these job opportunities? Thank you for your response by the way it means a lot!