Tag Archives: commercial fisherman
Captain William “Barnacle Bill” Louwsma of Everglades City, a commercial fisherman, has passed away
William “Barnacle Bill” Louwsma, 65 of Everglades City, FL died Friday, July 16, 202. He was a commercial fisherman for stone crab in the Gulf of Mexico and crawfish in Marathon. He was captain of the F/V Whatever and took great pride in working hard to provide for his family. He was a sports enthusiast who loved the Florida Marlins, the Miami Dolphins, and the Miami Hurricanes. He also followed the Detroit Lions when the Miami Dolphins were not depressing enough. He loved to tell stories, some of which might have been true. He hated prosecutors and cottage cheese. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Florida Stone Crabbers Association >click to read< 14:14
Scallop boat Captain William Francis Phaneuf, “Cape Cod Bill,” 72 has passed away
William Francis Phaneuf, “Cape Cod Bill,” 72, died Saturday, July 31st at Tobey Hospital in Wareham while holding the hand of his number one caregiver and youngest daughter Nichole. He was the son of Mildred (Myers) Phaneuf and the late John H. Phaneuf. He was a Navy Veteran and served during the Vietnam War. In his later years, he made a home for himself in Wareham, MA. Affectionately known as “Cape Cod Bill” to the most hard-core and rugged guys in the fishing industry, Billy was a proud, seasoned fisherman who honed his craft in his early years, from quahogging and bay scalloping in Bourne, MA, and later leading the toughest of crews as a scallop boat captain out of New Bedford, MA. Through the years, Billy ventured out for every type of fishing up and down the East Coast. He was an artist, he created beautiful paintings and illustrated short stories for his children. He loved to make music and never left home without his harmonica. >click to read< 22:16
Occupational Change! From Wall St. to the T.V. Tuna Fleet!
Tuna fisherman Captain Bobby Earl was fishing off the coast of North Carolina last summer when his boat exploded, a saga that the Baysider chronicles in this season of Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks, a fishing reality show. While Earl counts escaping the blazing boat as among “the most surreal experience[s] of my life,” the Wall Street manager turned commercial fisherman has had a rather unusual life trajectory. Earl was born and raised in Bayside, Queens, before rising through the ranks on Wall Street. When the housing market crashed in 2008, Earl got fired from his job as a regional manager for Bank of America investments. 2008 changed my life too. >click to read< 11:44
Province wants cash, house from banned commercial fisherman
The B.C. government is asking to seize a Gabriola Island home and more than $1.3 million in cash from a commercial fisherman who is banned from fishing until 2038. In a petition filed on June 28 in B.C. Supreme Court, the B.C. Civil Forfeiture Office says the cash and the home are proceeds of illegal fishing and money laundering. Named in the civil lawsuit are the commercial fisherman Scott Stanley Matthew Steer, and his spouse, Melissa Dawn Larocque, also known as Melissa Steer. Also named are Melissa’s mother, Diane Gail Butz, and several companies.,, The lawsuit alleges Steer, Larocque and the companies “continue to engage in commercial fishing, possession of fishing gear, and the illegal capture and sale of fish.” >click to read< 15:05
James William Salter Jr., longtime Half Moon Bay commercial fisherman, has crossed the bar
Jim graduated from Los Altos High School in California where he met his childhood sweetheart, Jan. After many camping trips to Half Moon Bay, he and Jan decided to make the tranquil coast their home. His work ethic and desire to take care of his family led him to become a self-taught commercial fisherman for over 48 years. Together Jim and Jan ran Salter Crab Co., a business his children were also actively a part of, bringing live crab and troll-caught king salmon to farmers markets around the Bay Area for over 30 years. He introduced rock crab, a delicious, sweet but smaller crab with egg row, a highly sought-after delicacy to their numerous customers. “Eat rock crab, be strong, live long,” he would always say. Above all, Jim was an amazing husband and an extraordinary father and grandfather. >click to read< 20:50
Captain Frank Gee remembered as a caring, and meticulous fisherman
If anyone was prepared for the dangers of the ocean, it was San Francisco resident and local fisherman Frank Gee. But earlier this month, his body was found washed ashore in Moss Beach. It was a shock to his family and the local fishing community who remembered a meticulous fisherman and caring brother who had survived the dangers of the sea before.,, He was no different as a fisherman and captain. Just years earlier, Gee, Erica Clarkson and Joshua “Aubri” Gift had survived the burning of his beloved boat, the F/V Ocean Gale, after an engine fire consumed the craft in just minutes. The details of the story are harrowing,,, “When they heard it was the Ocean Gale, everyone came running,” Clarkson said. “He loved that boat and when it burned it devastated all of us.” >click to read< 13:37
You don’t need five shirtless dudes to catch a big fish. One badass woman can get the job done.
If I want to be as badass as Michelle Bancewicz Cicale from Seabrook, I have some work to do. But hey, you gotta start somewhere! Michelle has been fishing most of her life. Like most things, if you implement the three P’s, practice, patience, and persistence you are bound to get better at it. In 2015 she started fishing mostly for tuna and in 2019 she bought her own boat. The FV No Limits. “No Limits” seems like an appropriate name for Michelle’s boat. ESPECIALLY after she reeled in this monster of a Blue Fin on her first solo venture! photo’s,>click to read< 07:43
After 58 years, Fisherman Peter Marche is hanging up his oilskins, and he’s going out in style
At the age of 13, Peter Marche bought his first lobster fishing licence for 25 cents. He would get up in the morning, set up his lobster pots, and go to school. After school, it was time to return to the pots to see if anything was there. It was a tough life, but he always had a passion for fishing. Fast-forward 58 years, and he is finally hanging up his oilskins and rubbers after catching a 196-pound halibut. >click to read< 09:34
Commercial Fisherman: 10 Things You Didn’t Know about Dave Carraro
Dave Carraro probably never thought that his career as a commercial fisherman would eventually result in him becoming a reality TV star. However, thanks to the show Wicked Tuna, that’s exactly how things have planned out for Dave. He has been a cast member on the show since it debuted in 2012 and during that time he has become a fan favorite. Dave is great at what he does and he’s always willing to go the extra mile to make sure things are done right. His contributions to the show are a large part of why commercial fishing has gotten so much attention over the last decade. >click to read< 11:37
Community mourns passing of ‘a great American’, Capt. Warren Butler
Lifelong waterman, Captain Warren Butler, 92, died unexpectedly, Friday, July 2, of apparent heart failure. Upon learning of his death, Jerry Harris, founding family member of Harris Seafood, and Harris Crab House at Kent Narrows, said, “My whole family knew Captain Warren. He was a great man, a great American. He sold oysters to my father. I looked up to Captain Warren all my life. Black or white, he was a role model, someone to model your own life by. I wish there were many more people in the world like Captain Warren!” Butler had a lifetime passion working as a waterman, first, working alongside his father and brothers to help support their family. From 1954 to 1983, Butler worked in the oyster and crab industry in Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. Throughout his life, he owned and operated 17 commercial boats, carrying may fishing parties out of the Chesapeake Bay, also oystering and sightseeing. photos, >click to read< 08:10
Frank Teague, Storyteller, Trucker, Commercial Fisherman, has passed away in Bend, Oregon
“It is with deepest sorrow that we announce the passing of Edward Franklin Teague, beloved father, grandfather and great grandfather who passed away in Bend, Oregon, surrounded by family, on June 6, 2021,” He spent the first half of his life as a truck driver at Weaver Brothers, working for his father-in-law, Russell Weaver. When Frank retired from trucking, he realized a lifelong dream of buying a boat and becoming a commercial fisherman. “With his wife at his side, Frank and Janet moved to Wrangell, spending the next 30 years plying the waters of Southeast Alaska. Their days were spent sometimes fishing, sometimes sightseeing, but always together and that was what mattered most.” “Frank is once again with Janet.” >click to read< 09:36
Perkins Cove Fisherman Richard “Rick” Smith Knight Jr. of York, Maine, has passed away
Rick was born on March 28, 1945 in York, Maine, the son of the late Richard S. Knight, Sr. and Barbara Helen Weare. He died June 27, 2021. Rick served as a marine engineer in the Merchant Marine, traveling the world nine times. This period, as well as his time at Maine Maritime Academy, provided ample material for many interesting stories, which he loved to tell to his friends and family. Fishing out of Perkins Cove in Ogunquit for over 40 years, Rick first had a dragger, the “Barbara Helen”, and later his lobster boat, the “Michelle D”. Rick loved being on the water, and deeply treasured the friendships and brotherhood that he had with the other fishermen in the cove. >click to read< 10:20
Mark Lawton Doumit, a commercial fisherman, politician, public servant, has passed away in Tenino, Wash.
Mark was born in Longview, Wash., on November 26, 1961, to Eli and Patricia Doumit and was the 10th of 11th children. He grew up in his family’s hometown of Cathlamet, Wash. While still in high school, Mark began a lifelong passion for commercial fishing. He began his career in the industry in high school, working on the Columbia River as a fish buyer. In college he began a nearly 40-year career in Alaska working in canneries and crewing on drift gillnet boats in Prince William Sound and Bristol Bay. Mark bought his own commercial salmon fishing operation in Cook Inlet, Alaska in 1986 and spent the remainder of his fishing career between Cook Inlet in the summer and lower Columbia River in the spring and fall. One of his great joys in life was the opportunity to fish alongside his sons and so many of his family and friends. >click to read< 09:24
Louis Harlow Nielsen June 25, 1930 – June 14, 2021 Oceanside, Ca.
Louis Harlow Nielsen was born at home during a dust storm on June 25th, 1930 in Manson Ia. Louis Nielsen began his life during the Great Depression. When he was two years old, the family moved to New Hampshire They settled in Portsmouth where Lou spent his early boyhood in a tribe of rag-a-muffins now known as the “Puddledock Kids.” After Lou’s father left, it became necessary for the children to find work, so seven year-old Lou got a job delivering newspapers. Fortunately the young boy found a job working for the Marconi family. Babe Marconi hired the nine year-old Lou, as a lobster lad to help out on his boat, but it was Babe’s wife Rose, who made certain the boy received a good breakfast every morning before setting out to sea. >click to read< 12:33
John “Jack” Horan, of Newport, RI, Commercial Fisherman, has passed away
John “Jack” Horan, of Newport, RI, passed away Sunday, June 20, 2021, surrounded by family and friends. Born in Newport, Rhode Island on March 19, 1949, Jack was an active member of the community involved in Offshore Commercial Fishing and serving as a member of The Federal Fire Department. Jack also served in the First Calvary Infantry Division during the Vietnam War. He received an honorary Air Medal for his service during that time. After his service in Vietnam, Jack began offshore fishing lobstering and was known for his spear accuracy in harpooning large swordfish. Jack enjoyed fishing and lobstering throughout his entire life on his boat “FV Hanna”. He was generous, funny, and grateful for every day. Jack was a great storyteller, and he had many stories he loved sharing with friends and family. >click to read< 19:23
Life of a Brixham fisherman selling catch straight off his trusty trawler
He’s the skipper, captain, engineer, cook, and cleaner of the Adela BM79 – a bright blue mini trawler. At 9 meters long, she’s Brixham’s smallest and self-professed ‘prettiest’ fishing boat. Recently, Tristan Northway has earned himself a new title to add to his roster, one that seemingly comes as naturally as the wind to a sail. Tristan is Brixham’s only licensed floating fishmonger; selling freshly caught fish directly from the boat on any day that he can get out to sea. “It’s not easy,” says Tristan. “I’m going out at 2 in the morning. I came home at 4 this afternoon. And I probably won’t go to bed until 10 tonight.” >video, photos, click to read< 07:44
Douglas “Daddy Doug” Guthrie Sr., commercial fisherman, netmaker of Harkers Island, has passed away
Douglas was born March 27, 1942, on Harkers Island to the late Irvin and Bertha Guthrie. He was an avid commercial fisherman, his favorite fishing being channel netting for shrimp. Douglas was a lifetime netmaker and was the first in Carteret County to introduce mechanical clamming, of which he invented the prototype. In his earlier years, he managed net houses in Florida, but the local waters called him back home, where he enjoyed being on Core Sound with his family. Douglas was a loving husband of 59 years, faithful father to his sons, constant friend to his siblings and beloved papa to his grand and great-grandchildren. >click to read< 18:34
Teen commercial fisherman hooked on a career on the water
‘Deadliest Catch’ Pays Tribute to Late Crew Member Nick McGlashan
Crab fisherman Nick McGlashan died last December of a drug overdose at just 33 years old. McGlashan had been a regular part of the Discovery Channel reality series since joining in 2013 and news of his passing sent shockwaves throughout the crew. Cameras captured the moment when McGlashan’s crewmates learned of the tragic news.,, After digesting the news, Wichrowski organized a special tribute to his late friend on the water, with every boat from the show in attendance, as well as McGlashan’s family. >video, click to read< 13:15
Elda Curtis Henry, followed in his Commercial Fisherman fathers footsteps, has passed away
Family and friends are mourning the loss of “Curt,” since he passed away in Eureka in the presence of his family.,, After graduating Arcata High School in 1964, he married Eloise Henriksen of Fortuna. Curt followed in his father’s footsteps to become a commercial fisherman, and when his father retired, he and Eloise also took over the family business of Henry’s Crab Traps. Curt continued to fish for Dungeness crab, salmon and tuna along the entire West Coast from as far as Tahiti to Alaska. Over the many years of his career, he owned and operated the Cavalier, Early Dawn, Compass Rose and The Jewel. He taught his older sons, Rodney and Jeffrey, along with his nephew, Raymond, to fish when they were in their teenage years. In 1991 Curt met his second wife, Carolyn. Together they ran a successful bed and breakfast at East Brother Light station in Point Richmond, Calif. After some time, he returned to fishing, and they also divorced. >click to read< 17:02
Home in Maine, Fisherman Taylor Strout reflects on the Alaska commercial fishing industry during the pandemic
From Maine, it takes him a good 24 hours and four airports to get where he is going. Taylor Strout is a mate aboard the Fishing Vessel F/V Northern Defender which was tied up at the dock in Dutch Harbor. As the crow flies, he is more than 4000 miles away from home. What is the draw? “It’s kind of a different level of fishing out here. And it was something that I’ve always wanted to do and try back when I first got into it. I had the opportunity to do it, and to try it, and I didn’t just try it, I ended up kind of falling in love with it. And continue to do it since. I love the rotation of it. You know, you go to work, you work hard, you put it in there, and then when it’s time to go home and focus on your family you get to come home and just be Dad and take care of the family that way too,” says Taylor. >Video, click to read< 12:50
Sanford “Sandy” Twitchell, Santa Rosa – WWII Marine Vet, teacher and commercial fisherman has passed away
Sanford “Sandy” Twitchell passed away on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, at the age of 96, 17 days before his 97th birthday. He is now with the love of his life, Lois, and his middle son, Bob. Sandy, a man of God, was an amazing son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, Marine, teacher and commercial fisherman. During summers he was a carpenter and pursued commercial salmon fishing. He had a 38 foot boat named the ‘Tomina Mae.’ Later, he built the first cement commercial fishing boat on the West Coast, a 42 foot vessel built from government plans that he modified to make it stronger and more seaworthy. These mods were so superior, the government bought the plans. >click to read< 09:27
Obituary: William G. Englehardt of Salem, Ma., WWII-Korean War Navy Veteran, Commercial Fisherman
William G. Englehardt, 96, died May 10, 2021 after a brief illness. He was the husband of Maria C. (Constantino) Englehardt. He was born in Salem to the late Albert and Agnes (Buckley) Englehardt. William was an honorary discharged veteran of the United States Navy, who served our country from the Navy’s submarines during WWII & Korean War. He worked on assembly at the United Shoe for many years. William retired at the age of 62 he loved fishing so much that he became a commercial fisherman which he continued until the age of 88. >click to read< 13:25
Commercial Fisherman Thomas Allen Hoxsie of the Point Judith Fishing community, has passed away
Thomas A. Hoxsie,64, passed away Sunday May, 9, 2021. A lifelong resident of Narragansett, Tom was the son of the late Samuel Bailey and Anne Nichols Hoxsie. He was the beloved husband of Doris Aschman and devoted father of Sarah and Benjamin Hoxsie Tom was a fixture of the Point Judith Fishing community, spending over 30 years tending floating fish traps, lobstering on his boat, the North Star, and raising Point Judith Salts oysters. Tom was unique in his ability to see forward and backwards in time. He saw the fishing industry in its entirety – as a business, a way of life and as a part of a whole. >click to read< 07:15
James Farrell Styron, 89 of Davis, Commercial Fisherman, James Styron Fish Co., has passed away
James Farrell Styron, 89 of Davis, passed away Friday, May 7, 2021, at his home with family at his side. The eldest of four, James was born to Alice and Virgil Styron Aug. 2, 1931. James met the love of his life, Nadine, at Smyrna High School and they were married Oct. 21, 1950. Soon after, James served in the U.S. Navy. James returned to Davis to start his more than 40-year career in the commercial fishing seafood industry. In his lifetime, he fished several vessels, including the Lorraine, Gulf Stream, Ken-Pat and Dickie Boy, from the waters of Virginia south to Key West before later focusing on seafood sales. Beginning in Beaufort in the mid-1960s with his father Virgil, his business later migrated to Davis. James Styron Fish Co. was a thriving seafood venture with clients all over the country, >click to read< 09:59
Fishermen support local legislator’s bill that would ban offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Maine
The bill, LD 101, was introduced by Rep. William “Billy Bob” Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor) who is also a commercial fisherman. “It is time to put a permanent halt to offshore wind development,” Faulkingham said during a hearing with the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee. Dozens of fishermen submitted testimony,,, Lobsterman Jason Joyce said the push by foreign wind companies seeking to industrialize the Gulf of Maine is an “unprecedented attack” on the fishery. “There are many other options of renewable green energy that don’t require the destruction of a hard-working industry,” wrote Nathaniel Snow, a Tremont lobsterman. “Nuclear power, hydroelectric and solar are all much more viable options. >click to read< 16:50
Shorefire fisherman Mark Rochfort feeds Christmas Island with a rod and a reel
For the past 25 years, commercial fisherman Mark Rochfort has navigated open sea off Flying Fish Cove. His company Shorefire has operated since 1994,,, Rochfort, who is nearly 60, says he still reels in fish weighing up to 200 kilograms. “I get out there in my open centre console with just a rod and reel. “People always ask me, ‘How do you do it?’ “But it’s alright — there are worse ways to make a living.” Old men and the sea – Mr Rochfort’s 83-year-old father helps him put the boat in the water every morning at 5.30am., photos, >click to read< 12:51
Fishery advocate Robert E. Best Sr. of Belford N.J. commercial fisherman/lobsterman/dealer, has passed away
Robert E. Best Sr., 78, of Belford, passed away April 20, 2021. Robert was born Sept. 20, 1942, in Long Branch, a son of the late Madlyn (Truax) and Frederick Best Sr. He lived in the Bayshore area all his life. Bob proudly served his country in the early 1960s as a part of the U.S. Navy’s construction force, the Seabees. In 1975 he found his true calling and became an independent commercial fisherman/ lobsterman. He and his partner, Jack Baker, opened the Shoal Harbor Lobster Co. in 1975 and ran it for 45 years until Hurricane Sandy destroyed the building. Bob was an advocate for local fishermen and the fishing industry in New Jersey. He worked with marine fisheries and senators. He was also the fisherman responsible for bringing black fish into the New Jersey fish markets. >click to read< 08:36
Tributes to Cove Fisherman Peter Gray, 64, who died at sea ‘doing the job he loved’
Lifeboat crews from Dunbar and St Abbs, a rescue helicopter from Prestwick and local fishing vessels joined the search for Peter Gray, of Cove, south-east of Dunbar. The 64-year-old dad-of-two and grandfather-of-two was located in the sea,,, His wife of 42 years Betty was very grateful to all the fishermen and volunteers who had joined the search for her husband. She told the Courier “he loved a holiday in the sun” but, as a fisherman, had “no time for hobbies”. Rev Dr. Suzie Fletcher said, “Peter Gray was one of the fifth generation of his family to fish from Cove, and had been out to sea doing the job he loved day in and day out for decades. His loss has left his family, the local community, many circles of fishermen and countless friends in shock. >click to read< 20:06
Kona fisherman snagged by large hook credits Coast Guard with saving his life, shows his gratitude
Kenton Geer says he was hauling gear aboard his boat the F/V Vicious Cycle last Tuesday when he was snagged by a massive hook and dragged across the deck. The 39-year-old commercial fisherman has worked on the water more than two decades. He says without the help of the Coast Guard he might not have made it back to shore alive. “I think that there was a real possibility, I could have bled to death,” Geer said. “Or be talking about not having a hand.” A helicopter trip to the hospital is a ride no fisherman ever wants to take. After five days at Honolulu’s Queen’s Medical Center 
and two surgeries, the fisherman is back in Kona and on the mend. But before going home, he made an important stop to thank the Coast Guard crew who saved him. >video, click to read< 14:50
