Tag Archives: crabber

The Adventurous life of commercial fishing

With crabbing season just around the corner, the five-person crew of the fishing vessel Adventurous is about to embark. Led by owner and captain Shon Landon, they face brutally long days prepping and converting the ship from its role as a salmon seiner for the summer season to an efficient crabber for the winter. There is both anticipation and excitement at the start of a new season; a successful haul involves planning, reviewing data, strategic decision-making, skilled teamwork, and a splash of luck. In a word, it is truly adventurous. While Landon does not hail from generations of fishermen, he still came into the industry at a young age, taking on his first job on a troller at just 12 years old. His family had moved up to Alaska after his father took a job in the logging industry. When Landon later got a job seine fishing on another vessel, he knew he had found his true passion. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 18:09

Making A Name In Outer Banks Seafood – Vicki Basnight is carrying on the family legacy, one catch at a time

When you pick up the specials list at the Lone Cedar Café in Nags Head, it’s hard to miss Vicki Basnight’s name. On a spring night during the short soft-shell crab season, her name is on it four times, not just as co-owner of the restaurant she opened 27 years ago with her parents, Marc and Sandy, but also as the crabber for the fried soft-shell crab bites appetizer, the fried soft-shell platter with French fries and coleslaw, the soft-shell crab and shrimp pasta, and the stuffed softshells filled with mounds of flaky white crabmeat. Truthfully, she gets a little embarrassed about it. But there are other names on the menu, too: Luke Midgett, who traded another fisherman for the rockfish, Boo Daniels and Joe Elms, who caught the tuna used in two different dishes. Photos, >click to read< 13:27

Commercial Lobsterman Michael Furlong, of Kingston, MA, has died unexpectedly at sea

Michael Furlong, age 65, of Kingston, MA died unexpectedly at sea on November 14, 2021 in Plymouth, MA. He was the husband of Dina (Brock) Furlong for 32 years. Michael was a beloved son of Rose and the late Edward Furlong. He was brother to Rickard Furlong. He was raised in Easton, MA and graduated from Oliver Ames High School. He was a self-employed commercial lobsterman/crabber for over 50 years. F/V Rose Marie lost her captain to the sea. There is a photo gallery of Michael with beautiful his family. >click to read< 15:04

Commercial Fisherman Leroy “Roy” Wilbur Cabana has passed away in Homer, Alaska,

Leroy “Roy” Wilbur Cabana passed away peacefully at his home in Homer, Alaska, surrounded by his family on Oct. 22, 2021, at 10:22 p.m. Even in his final moments he was still full of his quick wit and banter. Some of his final words were “turn it loose,” which was a tribute to his life as a commercial fisherman. Through his employment as a longshoreman, bus driver, body shop co-owner, professional hunter/trapper, or his later careers of a boat builder, catcher/processor, vessel owner, crabber and commercial fisherman, the legacy of his life is the fishing enterprise that he and his wife started for his children and grandchildren and future upcoming great grandchildren. >click to read< 21:20

Charlotte Goes To Sea

Martial Olivier admits it, and they both laugh, recalling when he saw her on the quay in Camaret, at the end of August. ‘When I saw her arrive, a featherweight in a rapper’s cap and her tank top, I said to myself, what are we going to do with this one?’ At 52, with 30 years of crabbing behind him, the skipper – and co-owner with Beganton – of crabber Bag Kevell, has seen plenty of crew. The last time female engineer was on his old crabber Intron Varia, she ended up being airlifted off after just a day at sea. So it’s understandable that he was concerned when Charlotte Sau arrived with her sea bag. But his fears turned out to be groundless, and his praise for the 22-year old engineer is almost enough to make her blush. photos, >click to read< 17:57

Crabber combines old methods with social media to sell his catch

Every morning, just as the sun rises over the marsh, Trevon Baum motors his aging boat named Bubba down a canal to Buzzard Bay on his way to catch crabs. He props his smart phone up on a bushel basket lid at the bow of the boat so nearly 2,500 friends can watch on Facebook live. “I get my orders as I am out working.” Fans watch him as he stands at his rudder stick and guides the boat to 150 crab pots, boxed-shaped wire traps that rest on the bottom. “I’m building a clientele,” he said. photo gallery, >click to read< 18:04

Westport crabber sentenced for stealing commercial pots

A Grays Harbor County judge has sentenced a commercial crab fisherman to 90 days of electronic home monitoring and fined him $5,000 for stealing crab pots offshore of Westport, concluding a case that began with an investigation last year by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Larrin Brietsprecher, 57, of Westport, was sentenced Dec. 1 by Grays Harbor County Superior Court Judge Mark McCauley after a jury found him guilty of possessing stolen property and related charges. Beginning May 1, click here for press release 17:28

John Corbin, commercial fisherman and crabber, describes the challenges of the business

2016_nov_1859_farm2table_crab_robkerrphoto032-400x400Delivering tasty crustaceans to crab lovers has been John Corbin’s life work. He’s been involved with fishing one way or another since he was a high school student in Astoria. In 1989, he and three friends started a commercial fishing business—Buck & Ann Fisheries—with crab as one of its main pursuits. Although Corbin spends most of his time in an office these days, he describes the typical scene on a crab boat. When the season starts in December or January, a boat drops 900 wire mesh crab pots throughout the ocean. Each is marked with a buoy and tracked by GPS. “In the beginning of the season, we just kind of throw them out in different places,” he said. “You have your favorite spots, spots where you did well last year or think you might do well this year. Then, as you start picking them up, you find you’re totally wrong. You move to where you’re doing well, or you just go to another beach somewhere and lay them out.” Read the story here 16:01

Ocracoke’s Fisherwoman – (it’s fisherman!)

Okracokes lady fishermanOcracoke Island has a long history and proud tradition of living off the water, and the people who, despite increased regulations, continue this tradition and livelihood are called working watermen, and occasionally, waterwomen. What is a waterman? A “working waterman” is a commercial fisherman, clammer, crabber, or oysterman. Tree Ray, who lives on Ocracoke Island, is one of the working waterwomen, and has been commercial fishing for nearly seven years. Read the rest here 15:53