America's Deadliest Season - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

TBone · 07-19-2004, 02:27 PM

Anyone see this last night on the Discovery Channel? Great series about the Alaskan crabbers fishing for King and Opelia (sp?) crabs in the Bering Sea. It's considered the most dangerous profession in the U.S., with there being at least one death a week during the season. But the money is EXCELLENT...full hand mates can make up to $50,000 on a 5 day trip, although the average is about $15,000 for the same time...still nothing to balk at. Guys come from all over the country to mate these ships. There were a bunch of episodes on last night covering both crab seasons, and they had actual footage of a rescue of a guy going over board in almost freezing water, which is a 1 in 1,000 chance of happening. Anyway if you haven't seen it yet, it's definitely worth the time watching.

striprman · 07-19-2004, 02:59 PM

I saw that a while ago. Seems like they were fishing in storms and 30 foot seas the whole time they were out there. I wonder
if they ever have calm seas and no storms.

likwid · 07-19-2004, 03:01 PM

rarely.

TBone · 07-19-2004, 03:05 PM

Yeah it did look HARSH out there...30 foot seas and icy decks from the spray during the Opelia season, with 800 # traps swinging around all on two hours of sleep. UNREAL!

fishweewee · 07-19-2004, 03:13 PM

Saw it a while back. You have to be n#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g futs to work under those conditions!

Shawn B · 07-19-2004, 03:16 PM

Tbone, I watched it last night myself. I just couldn't believe the elements they had to work in. I'm surprised they only lose an average of one guy a season based on that footage. I felt so bad for the new guy (the greenhorn as they called them) that got sent into the icey water and was rescued amazingly. I'm sure a lot of guys have gone out on those ships thinking they could make some real good money for a weeks work but they really had no idea how bad it was going to be for that week!

Slipknot · 07-19-2004, 03:17 PM

Yep, been there done that. After I got out of the service I made enough for most of my house. Now I live in a mansion and fish all day sipping martinis on my 50' Hatteras.

Notaro · 07-19-2004, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fishweewee
Saw it a while back. You have to be n#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g futs to work under those conditions!

That's why you told me that I shopuld reconsider about working in a commerical fishing industry.

Backbeach Jake · 07-19-2004, 05:49 PM

If I remember the chances of injury are 100% in a couple of trips. If you stay long enough death is certain. Gotta love the trap baiters tho, If he don't get the bait bag wired to the trap soon enough, he becomes the bait, Over he goes, trap and all. They don't pay big bucks for the easy jobs , do they.

TheSpecialist · 07-19-2004, 08:22 PM

I watched the 3 shows. In the first show they rescued 5 or 6 off a ship that was listing badly. Second show a guy went over. The captain sent a second guy over in a survival suit to help the second guy keep his head up. They got both back on board but the guy without the suit was'nt breathign, and eventually died. Third show a rookie almost went over once, and then later in the trip did go over. Those guys got him out, but he was in the water for about a minute and a half, during a blizzard. Crazy for sure.

Moose Nuckle · 07-20-2004, 07:13 AM

Does that type of boat fishing count???

Iwannakeeper · 07-21-2004, 10:47 AM

I know a marine biologist that had to go out on those boats during a season. apparently these shows do not come close to doing the horrible job justice. And this is a guy who was standing on the side observing.

His estimates about how frequently they "almost loose someone" was incredible.

and I agree, the trab baiter is the freakiest and scariest job on the boat. couldn't pay me enough.

And it my book - that kind of boat fishing counts.

S-Journey · 07-22-2004, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TBone
Anyone see this last night on the Discovery Channel? Great series about the Alaskan crabbers fishing for King and Opelia (sp?) crabs in the Bering Sea. It's considered the most dangerous profession in the U.S., with there being at least one death a week during the season. But the money is EXCELLENT...full hand mates can make up to $50,000 on a 5 day trip, although the average is about $15,000 for the same time...still nothing to balk at. Guys come from all over the country to mate these ships. There were a bunch of episodes on last night covering both crab seasons, and they had actual footage of a rescue of a guy going over board in almost freezing water, which is a 1 in 1,000 chance of happening. Anyway if you haven't seen it yet, it's definitely worth the time watching.

""Opelia (sp?)""

That would be opillio-- I fished Opi's for three years back in the early 90's. I could not belive when I heard the complaining coming out of those guys, they only had to fish for 10 days! We would stay out in that stuff for 10-30 days, until we had 155,000 pounds of crab or until we were running out of water or fuel. Then we would make a run to the Pribilof Islands to sell the crab to a processing ship and would be back out there in less than 24 hours. When I first started the season was two and a half months long!

I have many, many stories about crabing in Alaska. If anyone is interested let me know.

Slipknot, you fish in AK too?

And yes, that type of boat fishing DOES count--

Rich

S-Journey · 07-22-2004, 02:20 PM

The baiter should never have to enter the trap unless he is under 5' 8". I would say the most dangerous jobs are as follows:

Two way tie for first--
1) Person stacking the traps
1) Person climbing into trap to clean out what did not come out when it was dumped; this job requires a lot of faith in hydraulics
3) Person throwing shots of line

The baiter should never have to enter the trap. I baited for a while during my time out there and we used 6 1/2 x foot traps and I'm 5' 11", I never had to enter a trap. You just lift the bait with one hand and clip it to the top netting, good way to get carpel tunnel and the reason why my hands go numb from fishing here by Aug.

S-Journey · 07-22-2004, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by striprman
I saw that a while ago. Seems like they were fishing in storms and 30 foot seas the whole time they were out there. I wonder
if they ever have calm seas and no storms.

Yes, there are very calm nights with temps in the 70's and no wind in Jan and Feb, honest to god this is true. Nights like that would happen right before the full moon. We would be out working in our t-shirts enjoying the weather because when the full moon hits the worst weather of the entire month would come with it.

Slipknot · 07-22-2004, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by S-Journey

Slipknot, you fish in AK too?

Rich

Nope, it was a joke

those guys are nuts

S-Journey · 07-23-2004, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Slipknot
Nope, it was a joke

those guys are nuts

No, not nuts just true cowboys on the last frontier:-)

I'd do it again in a second if I could, and this thread got my blood pumping again. I just called my old boss to see if I could get on for Opi's or Red King for next year because it is such a short season. Found out he just excepted a buyout from the government. He doesn't have to give up the boat, but it can never fish commercial again anywhere on the planet.

The boat is the "Mary J" listed in the article below:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/178083_crab16.html

Crafty Angler · 07-24-2004, 08:26 AM

Commercial fishing anywhere is a tough goddammed way to make a buck - a lot of my friends and some of my family did.

Ever notice, there aren't a lot of real old deckhands? It just beats the hell outta ya physically if you get to make it to old age. And there's a good many of them that don't - I've lost friends that way.

You've gotta have respect for those guys.