Understanding Commercial Fishing
Daily Events:
- Leave the dock early in the morning. Perch tend to be more active during the early hours of the day.
- Find a spot to fish and set the nets. Setting the nets involves first throwing a buoy out of the back of the boat that will mark one end of the nets. The nets will then be let out of the boat as it travels away from the buoy. The nets will sink to the bottom and remain stationary, until the fish swim into the net and get caught. A second buoy is released at the end of the net to mark the ending spot. (This may be repeated throughout the day)
- When it comes time to lift the nets, the buoy is first pulled into the boat and stored. The net then is lifted with the help of a lifter, a winch that is positioned inside the boat on a table. The nets and fish are then pushed across a table until the fish can be pulled out of the net. Fish are stored in a cooler which contains ice and the nets are returned to a box for later use.
- Once finished, the boat, crew, and fish return to the dock. Fish are off loaded and transported to a local fish house where they are cleaned and packaged for sale to area restaurants.
Commercial Fishing Management
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources manages the commercial fishing license holders. The D.N.R. set rules and regulations that include how many pounds of fish can be caught which is called a quota. Each license holder has a quota of fish they are allowed to catch during the season, which starts over every January 1st, and not all license holders have the same amount of quota. This is because some business have purchased/bought out other fisherman's businesses over the years.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many fish do you catch every day?
What hours do you work?
What do you do during the winter when you are not fishing?
How has fishing changed?
Can I come along to see what you do?
What is the biggest issue affecting fishing right now?
- It all depends; that is why they call it fishing. Some days we don't catch enough fish for the family to eat a meal on, while other days are remembered forever. Weather conditions like temperature, humidity, dew point, wind, rain, thunder, and lightning all affect fishing conditions and the amount of fish caught that day.
What hours do you work?
- We typically leave the dock around 5 a.m. but what time we return all depends on how the day goes.
What do you do during the winter when you are not fishing?
- Mark works on nets, either cutting them apart or stringing new nets. This time consuming process is the most important part of fishing because without quality nets, we won't catch fish.
- Nick is a 4th grade teacher so you could find him in his classroom.
How has fishing changed?
- Fishing really hasn't changed over the years. The gear (nets) and approach has stayed the same for generations. What has changed though are the same factors affecting everyone. Diesel prices have soared to near record highs, yet the price of fish has remained the same for nearly 15 years. We do need to deal with different exotic species over the years like white perch, zebra mussels, cormorants, spiny water fleas, and gobies.
- Quotas have been imposed by the Department of Natural Resources. Fishing years back had a catch limit of 2-3 million pounds but was dropped down to 1 million, then 500 thousand, 400 thousand, 200 thousand, 20 thousand, and now, 100 thousand pounds for the whole industry. These quotas were established to manage fish populations and regulate how many fish were taken from the bay to protect the species, but despite the cuts, fishing production has never been at the same levels.
- Regulations where we can fish has also changed. Inside Long Tail and along the east shore by Bay Shore Park were two of the best areas to fish years ago. Those areas are now closed to commercial fishing. In addition, the types of nets that can be fished has also changed. Drop nets now can only be fished after July 1st which is different than the May 20th season start. Once July comes, drop net fishing on the lower Green Bay is not profitable because of algae growth that clings to the nets.
- Biomass - When there were a lot of fish out there, you would build up your bank account and save money for when fishing went down. Now we aren't able to catch the quantity we could and the price hasn't matched inflation of gas, license, and operating expenses.
- Rough fish are fish that were caught while in the process of trying to catch yellow perch. Many of the other species were able to be kept and sold to offset expenses. Walleye, northern pike, and carp are not allowed to be sold and the other species that are caught no longer have a market to be sold at.
Can I come along to see what you do?
- We understand that many want to see how our operation works, but this is our job and career. Unfortunately, we don't take people on the boat with us.
What is the biggest issue affecting fishing right now?
- Low water levels! The Great Lakes are at near record lows which have forced us to move our boat away from the Suamico River and our home dock. These low water depths also require young perch to lose shelter in the weeds that should be covered with water. The real affects of the low water levels will not be known for years to come, but there is nothing anyone but Mother Nature can do about it!
- Price and expenses continue to be an issue all commercial fishermen struggle with. The price per pound that the fishermen get for the fish off the boat hasn't changed in over 15 years. While gas prices and expenses continue to increase, the margin of profit continues to decline.
- Some would say the future of commercial fishing is an issue as well. Most of the fishermen involved have been involved from a young age and had it passed down to them from family or friends. The number of vessels operating on the bay had steadily declined over the years and past the current generations, we wonder if it will continue.