BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Commercial fishing in Alaska is one of the more lucrative jobs available, with some deck hands making up to $50,000 for a few month’s work. The opportunity awaits men and women who are willing to venture north to make their fortunes. “The Greenhorn’s Guide to Alaska Fishing Jobs” is the most specific book available on the subject. It will supply you with valuable information on how to apply for jobs fishing for salmon, crab, halibut, herring and groundfish. And it includes a contact list of over 17,000 boat skippers, canneries, and processors to help you with your job search (list updated in 2020). You’ll also learn about the basics of fishing, what it’s like to work on a boat, and the technical know-how you’ll need to become a commercial fisherman in Alaska.

Greenhorn’s Guide author Mark Maricich is a 13-year commercial fishing veteran and founder of the leading Alaskan fishing industry website AlaskaFishingJobs.com. With family roots in the commercial fishing town of Anacortes, Washington, the Maricich family and circle of friends, relatives, and fishermen boast a legacy of well over 100 years of experience in the Alaskan commercial fishing industry. It’s with this drive and love for the sea, that Maricich brings you “The Greenhorn’s Guide to Alaska Fishing Jobs”. With 270 pages packed with valuable Alaska fishing job information, it includes step-by-step details covered within the following chapters.

• Introduction
• Note About Deadliest Catch
• PART 1 – The Harvesting Industry
• A Day in the Life of a Fisherman
• The Basics of Fishing
• Women and Fishing
• What is a Salmon?
• How Fish Are Caught by Purse Seine
• Parts of a Purse Seine Net
• So… You Want to Be a Salmon Fisherman
• Photo Page-A
• Alaskan Purse Seiner Picture
• The Different Salmon Fishing Areas
• Photo Page-B
• Chart of Alaskan Waters
• Year-Round Opportunities
• Various Fish That Are Harvested in Alaskan Waters
• Various Methods of Fishing
• Photo Page-C
• Photo Page-D
• Salmon – Drift Net
• Halibut Fishing
• Fishing for Groundfish
• Alaskan Trawler Picture
• Herring Fishing
• Crab Fishing
• So… You Want to Be a Crabber
• Parts of a Crab Pot
• Alaskan Crabber Picture
• Anonymous Journal Entries from Alaskan Crabbers
• More Alaskan Fishing Boats
• Search Tools
• PART 2 – The Processing Industry
• How to Get a Job in the Processing Industry
• Canneries and Shore-Based Plants
• List of Canneries and Shore-Based Plants
• Floating Processors and Factory Trawlers
• List of Floating Processors
• List of Factory Trawlers
• The Types of Seafood Processing Jobs
• Photo Page-E
• State of Alaska Employment Service Centers
• Proper Documentation
• Summer Cannery Jobs: The Peak Periods
• PART 3 – Things You Need to Know
• Travel and Lodging Tips
• Supplies You Need
• King Crab Gear: What You’ll Need if You’re Gonna Be a Crabber
• Where You Can Buy Your Gear
• Photo Page-F
• The Psychology of Fishing
• How to Stay on Good Terms with Your Skipper and Crew Members
• Knots You Need to Know
• Safety Tips: How to Survive on a Boat
• Photo Page-G
• Seasickness and Health Tips
• How to Splice a Line
• How to Sew Web
• PART 4 – Good Stuff from the Journal
• Uncle Roy’s Smoked Salmon Recipe
• The Seasick Sailor or Convulsing Cook
• The Eagle of Dakavak (a true story)
• Photo Page-H
• PART 5 – Directory of Skippers and Permit Holders
• Salmon Fishing List: Purse Seine
• Salmon Fishing List: Gillnet
• Salmon Fishing List: Troll
• Herring Roe Fishing List: Purse Seine
• Herring Roe Fishing List: Gillnet
• Herring Spawn on Kelp List
• Halibut Fishing List: Troll
• Halibut Fishing List: Longline
• Black Cod (Sablefish) Fishing List
• Ling Cod Fishing List
• Groundfish / Miscellaneous Saltwater Finfish List
• Octopi / Squid / Rockfish Fishing List
• Commercial Freshwater Fishing List
• Dungeness Crab Fishing List
• King Crab Fishing List
• Tanner Crab Fishing List
• Geoduck Clams Fishing List
• Shrimp Fishing List
• Sea Cucumber / Clams / Urchins / Scallops Fishing List
• Glossary of Terms
• Epilogue
• Index
• Questions for the Reader