During the day, tons of little jobs are needed to be done when being a deckhand. This article will tell you about a day in the life of a deckhand.
Once you leave the breakwater, you must prepare the boat for fishing. These tasks are super easy. You first need to ask the captain what pound weights to use for the sinkers. This can vary depending on the tides. We usually run two-pound weights, but we have gone up to four before.
After that, one deckhand gets the log book all situated. This means getting everyone’s fishing licenses written down, writing the mark sheet, and returning the fishing license. The other deckhand is getting the rods out and set up. This includes putting the sinkers on, getting circle hooks on, and ensuring the reel’s drag is set right. Once all the rods are out, you must cut bait. We usually like to have all the bait we need for the day. When we cut the bait up, we do them in halves.
Once the bait is cut up, you are done setting up the boat. We usually get the boat done before Caines Head, which is a point about 25 minutes out of Seward. Now, we can relax in the wheelhouse and talk to clients.
Our boat ride is about two hours long. Once we get to the fishing grounds, we drop the anchor, and one of us gives a fishing speech. The fishing speech contains safety, how to use the rods, and what the limits are on fish. Now, we get the lines in the water and start fishing. Throughout the day, we must bait hooks, gaff fish, release fish if needed, and keep the boat clean. Usually, in the mornings, it is super slow.
We run around gaffing fish and baiting hooks when the bite gets hot. There is no time to eat lunch or sit down. We keep the boat clean because it makes our life a lot easier at the end of the day when we clean the whole boat.
We get done fishing around 3 p.m. and start to head home. We lay out all the fish and get pictures. Then we start to filet all of the fish. We slice them as fast as possible to clean the boat before entering port. Once the fish are fileted, someone cleans the boat’s bow, and someone hits the boat’s back deck.
Once we pull into port, we usually have the whole boat done, which needs fresh water. We pull into our slip and offload the clients and all the fish. One deckhand starts to clean the boat while the other runs the fish up to Captain Jacks, a fish processing place. Then, we have to clean the boat and prepare it for the next day.
Working as a deckhand is a hard job, but it is also a fun job. You make great money and experience. I highly recommend working on a boat if you want good memories and your bank account to look nice.
