commercial fishing, worth it or no ?

[V8_TITAN]

well Im 19 and slowly going to school (lack of money and other things in life slowing me down) I havent really worked since thanksgiving last year and im tired of not working but also not willing to work minimum wage either. My cousin lives on the street behind me and hes a commercial fisher, he catches mullet. He makes about 300 to 1000 a week depending on the market (which is usually very slow right now) but hes quiting because he is working full time at his church now. He offered to teach me everything and sell me all the nets and anything else I could need including commercial license.

I kind of just want to get some idea, opinions, and criticism from you guys. Think its worth my time ? thanks in advance for any advice. I dont want to do this forever, Im just hoping it might keep money in my pocket till I finish school and get my career started.


and just to throw it in there ( because I dont want people thinking im lazy for taking a year off), I haven't worked all year because I have had a lot going on in the family. Tomorrow will be one year since my grandfathers death, my grandmother died 36 days before him, and the few months leading up to their deaths, I juggled 3 jobs, graduating high school, and taking care of them every day. So I basically gave up my job to finish school, and take care of them, then they died and I was left responsible to take care of renting out the house, and selling it. So I have been a "landlord" for the most of this year, it just sold 2 months ago.

 

[200racing]

sounds like a awesome job. never heard of anyone regreting learng a skill/trade.

 

[Jim]

In my opinion, making any money is better than making no money, even at minimum wage.
I have 2 jobs, and my second job is working the grave yard shift at minimum wage....yup minimum wage. $8.50 per hour. :shock:

I thank the lord that I have the ability to work to make ends meet. :USA1:

I say go for it and then if you don't like it, keep it till you find something else. Good luck!

 

[Captain Ahab]

It is a tough racket - remember you are boss as well as head dishwasher - so you need to get your st*t organized to make money


Just like every job the deals with mother nature you are at the mercy of the weather - i worked on commercial boats and we made great money, when we could get out and nothing broke. When the weather blew us out or the boat broke we made nothing!


So, DO IT - but work smarter not harder.

Oh yeah, send me a few dozen fresh cobbs every week or so please :mrgreen:

 

[nomowork]

Nothing wrong with hard work. The longest I was unemployed after getting out of the service was one week. I took on minimum wage work to keep food in my tummy and a roof over my head but kept on looking for the next best job while I was working. Once I landed my career job, I even moonlighted after work to make enough money to buy my first house.

My advice is to continue school if at all possible. Good luck!

 

[Deadmeat]

Nothing wrong with hard work. The longest I was unemployed after getting out of the service was one week. I took on minimum wage work to keep food in my tummy and a roof over my head but kept on looking for the next best job while I was working. Once I landed my career job, I even moonlighted after work to make enough money to buy my first house.

My advice is to continue school if at all possible. Good luck!

For most of my life I would have agreed with nomowork's advice, but this lousy economy has me rethinking everything I knew or thought I knew about plotting out the course for one's life. I'm not normally pessimistic, but I just don't see anything improving in the near future and quite likely for many years. Lots of folks are coming out of college these days with huge student loans and no job to go to in order to pay them back. Personally, I think it's time to hunker down, live within one's means, and hope we can ride this one out. If it were me, I'd give the commercial fishing a shot. Yeah, it's dicey and weather-dependent, but it's also a job where you don't have 500 applicants waiting for one position. If the economy improves at a later date, school will still be there.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Do you have a way to also net Ballyhoo? if so, that can be very lucrative as an addition to the mullet.

120 Med. 'hoo frozen and vacuum packed is going for around $120.00 here!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that is a retail price - but I am sure that if you can catch them and care for them properly you can make some decent money selling this bait

 

[DocWatson]

Ballyhoo Netting....

Ballyhoo Prices....

 

[nomowork]

........but this lousy economy has me rethinking everything I knew or thought I knew about plotting out the course for one's life. I'm not normally pessimistic, but I just don't see anything improving in the near future and quite likely for many years. Lots of folks are coming out of college these days with huge student loans and no job to go to in order to pay them back. Personally, I think it's time to hunker down, live within one's means, and hope we can ride this one out. If it were me, I'd give the commercial fishing a shot. Yeah, it's dicey and weather-dependent, but it's also a job where you don't have 500 applicants waiting for one position. If the economy improves at a later date, school will still be there.

IMO, it's always about improving yourself. I was fortunate enough to be able to pay for my son's college which gave him a good start in his career. On the flip side, my GF worked her way through college and retired earlier than me at age 55 and did very well for herself so yes, hard work does have benefits.

I've worked in the telecommunications for 35 years and saw the changes that went on. The technology came on so fast that some fellow workers couldn't keep up with the changes (or didn't want to) but I saw it as keep up or fall behind.

In my experience, the older you get, the harder it is to go back to school depending on where your younger years lead you.

Forgive me if I rambled on too much. I wish I could have done things differently before, but oh well................

 

[V8_TITAN]

IMHO, things in this world, are not going to get better. human race is on a downward slope. I just dont see it happening. anyways, Im not going to get any loans for school. it is pointless to spend a ton of money thats going to take 20 years to pay off for a career that you may never even get. my 2 year degree is going to turn into a 4 or 5 year degree, but ill still get it done. also about the weather, the boat ramp I will be using is only 15 minute drive, and the fishing is only a 2 or 3 mile area. if the weather is bad, I wont go out that day. I dont have any bills, although I would like to help my mom out with things. But any money made is just gravy, I really want to save money to start my own business of some kind.

 

[gillhunter]

I agree with nomowork, but I am looking at your situation from a much older person's perspective. I remember when I thought life ended at 30. When I was an enlisted man in the Navy I was offered the opportunity to attend a 4 year university and spend 6 years of active duty as an officer. That would have meant I would be in the Navy until I was 30. I turned them down, I was 20 at the time. Like nomowork I worked 2 jobs for a number of years. My wife went to work when our oldest started college and made sure that all 3 of our children graduated from college. Do what you need to do now, but don't underestimate the importance of a good formal education. Commercial fishing may be able to provide the funds to work your way through college. Good Luck.

 

[baseball_guy_99]

I agree with everyone that says to back to school. After highschool I went to a junior college. I had no idea what I wanted to do. So I just started taking classes. After 2 years of this I buckled down and decided to pursue a business degree. While in school, I started working at Lowes part time. I was told after I graduated with my associates I would work my way right into management. So I went full time after I graduated. That was 3 years ago and I'm still making crap wages as a sales specialist. Last night while sitting at work doing absolutely nothing I made up my mind that I was going to go back to school. I'm torn between whether finishing up and getting a batchelors in Business or pursuing an engineering degree like I have always wanted. BTW I'm 24 and getting married next summer. I figure do it now or I will never do it. So August of 2010 I will be going back to school.

 

[gouran01]

Gonna be a lil bias but join the ARMY RESERVES! or any other branch (haha) 1 weekend a month for any branch (i believe) will get you $4,500 a year in tuition money, $20K in student loan repayment and $24K with the Reserve GI Bill. I've just finished my BS in business management and haven't paid a dime. Not recruiting here since ya ain't in my area, but if you haven't considered it, look online. If the sites ask for personal info, put fake stuff in (or they will call!) I'm certain there are a few other vets on here than can give ya the info as well. Commercial fishing is a tough (physically) job that takes true commitment to getting up in the morning, maintaining all of your equipment, being legally responsible with correct licenses, tags, etc. If it is the route you decide to persue, do A LOT of research, if you take game/fish illegally (even by accident) they can take everything you use do do the illegal act, IE truck, boat, motor, trailer, nets, etc.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Gonna be a lil bias but join the ARMY RESERVES!


is a tough (physically) job that takes true commitment to getting up in the morning, maintaining all of your equipment, being legally responsible

Wait - I thought that was how the Army operated as well? :LOL2:

 

[JeffChastain]

I'm gonna have to disagree with gouran01. I spent a few years on active duty in the Army, just finished up with them on 01 July of this year. I worked in Aviation, and gained many certifications and skills. But, I found out after transferring to the civilian world that those certifications mean nothing to a civilian employer, and they don't care if your responsibilities in the military were that of mid-level management in the civilian world. Also, if you ask me, all the mess that comes with the military isn't worth what you get out of it. Trade schools and IT schools are priced reasonably for the most part, and most can afford to take classes if they sacrifice a few things for it. Don't join the military for the GI Bill, otherwise you'll dispise waking up at 0430 every morning to go run your ass off. The ONLY reason a person should join the military is to serve their country. Those are the only guys who enjoy military life, and thrive in the environment, in my opinion. Okay, I'll come off my soap box now. Just my .02 cents.

 

[nomowork]

I'm gonna have to disagree with gouran01. I spent a few years on active duty in the Army, just finished up with them on 01 July of this year. I worked in Aviation, and gained many certifications and skills. But, I found out after transferring to the civilian world that those certifications mean nothing to a civilian employer, and they don't care if your responsibilities in the military were that of mid-level management in the civilian world. Also, if you ask me, all the mess that comes with the military isn't worth what you get out of it. Trade schools and IT schools are priced reasonably for the most part, and most can afford to take classes if they sacrifice a few things for it. Don't join the military for the GI Bill, otherwise you'll dispise waking up at 0430 every morning to go run your ass off. The ONLY reason a person should join the military is to serve their country. Those are the only guys who enjoy military life, and thrive in the environment, in my opinion. Okay, I'll come off my soap box now. Just my .02 cents.

I was in the USAF for four years (that's alright, you can laugh) during that other conflict as a hydraulic aircraft tech. It wasn't bad and it had it's exciting moments. Like the previous poster, civilian employers never saw military experience as experience. Never mind the constant BS and the occasional flying projectiles around.

I never used the benefits myself. I did sell a house that the buyer went through the VA. I'll never do that again!

As for school, after fours years of "growing up", all I wanted to do was play! :roll:

 

[Deadmeat]

Let me explain an earlier post: Heaven knows I'm not against education. At age 37 I went back to college to work on my Master's, 15 years after I got my Bachelor's. It took four years instead of the usual two because I continued working full-time (48 hours/week, actually) while going to school. I came out four years later, though, with an advanced degree and no debt.

After that I continued working full-time, but at age 49 I decided to go back and work on my Ph.D. Six years later, at age 55, I received my Ph.D. and now I'm working in the profession I love, albeit late in life. Again, I did not take out any student loans and came out with no debt.

I saw on the new last night that students graduating today now graduate with an average student loan debt of $24,000 and that student loan debt now surpasses credit card debt. Worse, the job situation is dismal and shows no prospects of improving anytime soon. For the life of me I can't see coming out owing the feds $24,000 or worse and having no job to go to.

If things were as they used to be and jobs were plentiful, I would certainly advise going back to school. But they aren't and they aren't going to be for the foreseeable future. If you can go to school without taking out a student loan or otherwise going into debt to finance your education, I'd say to go for it. Otherwise, my advice would be to go to Plan B, whatever that is.

 

[fender66]

Okay...something from a different perspective.....

I'm a millionaire. Inherited all my money from my father in law. I work because I want to. You all are right though..the economy is sucking bad. My last investment statement that I received last week told me that in the last quarter I lost 26,XXX on just one investment. That really sucks. I'm ready to pull all my money and put it in a mason jar in the back yard. Maybe I should invest in a big enough tin to put a small house on it so I can live in it and fish all the time and not worry about anything else. I'll tell you this....the more money you have...the more you worry about it.



What you just read is a bunch of hooey! Well..the parts about me having money is. For the most part...we are all in the same boat. The only difference is how fast each of us are sinking. The only way out is either hard work or luck. I've had plenty of both, but not enough of the latter. God Bless us all....and good luck with whatever you do decide to venture into.

PS...this thread is very difficult to NOT get "political". I could put pages of that here........but I didn't. :roll:

 

[SVOMike86]

A friend of mine is a commercial crabber and loves it, but he DOES have a second job to cover the days that he is not on the water. He does well for himself, but I don't know that I know any one person that is a harder worker. You definitely have to be committed to do it, but how cool would it be to be paid to fish? On the other hand, my father is a retired Navy Chief. He never pushed me to join the military, which I was thankful for when I was a teen (I'm 29 now), but looking back on it, I definitely would (should) have gone that route. I worked in shipyards for a couple years on Navy boats installing communication equipment and got to know a lot of sailors. I have never heard so much wining and complaining from young sailors (and soldiers here now in Afghanistan) about how they are getting out after 2 or 4 years because of this or that. Always some political crap about how someone else got something and they didn't (which I myself am guilty of every now and then). They get out and go work for Best Buy or some other place that hires new workers as fast as they can fire them. The same BS that the kids in the service griped about, they face everywhere else. What people don't realize though, is that when they leave the military because of "politics" or whatever, they are throwing away job security. In todays situation, there is nothing more valuable than job security. It takes a lot to get "fired" from the service. Besides the fact that you always have a job in the service, you get a retirement, which in my book is the second most valuable thing. My Dad, being a retired Chief, pretty much doesn't have to work if he doesn't want to. It wouldn't be a glamorous life, but his retirement pays the mortgage and all of his other bills. The other perks which include free healthcare, free education (Dad also got a Bachelors and Masters courtesy of the Gov't) round it out pretty nicely. You can also get approved to buy anything you want as soon as you whip out a military ID. You can buy a house with $300 down with a VA loan. The list goes on and on. Being a reservist gets you some, but not all of the perks. Bottom line is, you're young enough to do whatever you want, and if it doesn't work, screw it. Go fish for a while, see how it works for you. You have plenty of time to make up your mind, hell I thought I'd be a mechanic for life until 10 years into it I got burnt out and realized $10/hour at a muffler and brake shop wasn't going to cut it. Also, as much as I hate to say it, education isn't everything. For every person I know that graduated from college and has a job that pertains to their degree, I know at least 5 that don't. But again, military (active or reservist) pays for all/part of it, as do most reputable companies that you could work for, so if you're dead set on school, try to find a job that will help pay for it. Rant over.

 

[Captain Ahab]

This thread is awesome! Especially the facts that the guy who asked the question has not been back to read any of these answers :LOL2: :LOL2: :LOL2: :LOL2: