How to Get a Job Crab Fishing

So, you’re hooked on Deadliest Catch and you want to know how to get yourself on one of those boats and learn how to earn a year’s salary in a couple weeks. It’s actually quite a bit harder than you might think. With the rising popularity of the Discovery Channel’s hit show, more and more people try their hand at one of the most grueling and dangerous jobs on the planet. To tell the truth, it’s probably easier to land the starring role in the next Spielberg blockbuster than to get yourself into that coveted bait boy/greenhorn position. But, if you’re still determined to be a crab fisherman, try these next few tips to give you an edge.

1. Start small. If you want to get the best chance of finding a position on a crab boat, don’t sell everything and move to Alaska.

Move to Seattle instead. Quite a few crab boats hail from Seattle and return home when they’re not hunting the elusive king crab and fish for cod and other fish. This is a good opportunity for you to get yourself on one of these boats when the competition is less stiff and, if you’re worth your salt, you might be asked to stay for crab season.
2. If you really want to experience the great wilderness and move to Alaska, get yourself a job in the crab industry, which opportunities abound. Try landing a job in a processing plant. This is an ideal place for you to gain some experience and network with the fishing captains.
3. Be prepared to take some criticism and rejection and first, but don’t give up. If you find that you are continually rejected for the greenhorn deckhand position, trying offering yourself up for performing some of the more menial jobs on the boat. Remember, you are trying to get on the boat during fishing season. After you set sail, you can try to offer your services, albeit for free, to showcase your willingness to work hard and learn the ropes. Think of it as an internship with the payoff being experience and getting you noticed.

Whatever you choose to do, wherever you choose to do it, be willing to work hard and do anything that is asked of you. Crab fishing is not a job for idle hands, nor is there room on a crab boat for a prima donna who refuses to start at the bottom and earn their place. The downfall of most unsuccessful greenhorns is the belief that they are above doing what the captains ask of them. Whether you land yourself a position on a boat, or on land, all jobs in the harbor area are related to the fishing industry and your reputation may be all you have when trying to do get hired. A good reputation and someone to vouch for you will take you far while a bad attitude and lazy work ethic will ensure that you never set foot on a crab boat.