commercial fishing

Does anyone on here commercial fish out of their kayak? Do you think it is feasible to make your investment back for the license/registration by only fishing weekends. Even doing it fulltime. I am curious to hear from guys that do this. Have to imagine you could really cut costs down by doing it out of a kayak. Just would need to consistently be on fish. Sounds like a dream job. Also seasonal, as I would assume you would need to target different species throughout the year to maintain consistency and keep money coming in.

A curious onlooker who I was talking to about halibut told me that she had just paid $25 per pound for halibut. I had to ask her to repeat herself because I was sure she had misspoke! I never buy fish so I have no idea what it should cost, but hell at that price you may be able to get by.

A curious onlooker who I was talking to about halibut told me that she had just paid $25 per pound for halibut. I had to ask her to repeat herself because I was sure she had misspoke! I never buy fish so I have no idea what it should cost, but hell at that price you may be able to get by.

Don't forget about
"Never Frozen" +$2/lb
"Sustainably Caught" +2/lb
and of Course "Locally Sourced" which could be +/- $2/lb depending on your customer and how much they know about our local waters lol.

There used to be a guy in Dillon Beach who trolled Tbay and Ten Mile commercially for halibut. This was a few years back and he frequently got up to a couple dozen a day. I do think his Tbay permit elapsed and there isn't any more issued. No commercial fishing in Tbay anymore, thankfully. There are halibut commercially caught by drag net off the California coast but I think you must be three miles offshore. Usually nice fish, many 40 pounders. The nets occasionally also catch large white sea bass. Most of the halibut sold in around here the markets are Alaska fish.

I think you would need a boat to have a shot at it.  Even a small boat gives you a huge advantage.  I follow guys who commercial fish locally on instagram and they fill coolers up with halibut regularly.  Lots of 2/3 man operations.  I see them out on the water too.

They handle the fish very carefully, bleeding them, ice slurry, etc.  Which I do too on my kayak but not as well.

Just guessing here and could be way off but $25/lb fillet to the consumer means probably $6/lb whole fish to the fisherman?  Probably is even less, that still seems high to me considering the buyer still needs to process, market, and sell all with a few day shelf life.

Plus with a boat you could have a side charter business.   

My understanding is that in order to fish commercially you need to have a commercial license and fish on a commercially registered vessel. I am not sure if you could register your kayak as a commercial vessel.

My understanding is that in order to fish commercially you need to have a commercial license and fish on a commercially registered vessel. I am not sure if you could register your kayak as a commercial vessel.

yes and yes, and yes. is it worth it... hmmmm maybe not

$387.00 vessel registration, $149.00 Licence, another $89.00 for commercial salmon stamp. You gotta catch just to make the investment back. Couple halibut a day will not cut it.

Then I believe there's another license to sell direct to the public, and then it's whole fish only. Past whole fish only then you're into processing with what I imagine is another "whole lotta" regs and fees.  Right now you can get whole salmon legally off the boat for $12-14/# gutted and gilled but has to be whole fish.

Ideally i'd just sell the entire fish to local restaurants. Ideally catch enough fish to pay the investment back and pay for the hobby. Anything on top of that is just gravy because I do this every weekend because I love it.

I'm leery of mixing business with pleasure... Guys in my other hobby started selling their work to pay for the hobby, and I think they tend to burn out. Just something to consider (or not!).

once you register your vessel as commercial you can no longer sport fish from it. you also can’t retain non commercial species ie stripers or nearshore rockfish

Then I believe there's another license to sell direct to the public, and then it's whole fish only. Past whole fish only then you're into processing with what I imagine is another "whole lotta" regs and fees.  Right now you can get whole salmon legally off the boat for $12-14/# gutted and gilled but has to be whole fish.

Just passed by HMB pier after a walk (grounding) at San Gregorio State beach last Saturday.
The salmon is priced right but did not buy coz the smallest was 15# @ $12 a pound.
Instead bought a 5# halibut @ $10 a pound. Live @ $12 a pound.

InSearchOfFish (Kevin) is licensed commercially. Reach out to him.

You can't recreational fish out of your commercially registered vessel. So if you want to fish with friends for instance for a non target species you need a second kayak. Salmon is an entirely different deal and you must acquire an existing Salmon permit from someone getting out of the game I believe. Lot's of rules and regs and you will probably not make any money.

If you just focus on lings & verms you could make enough to pay for your expenses. Guys were getting $6-8/lb for whole lings last year and the comm limit is 10/day. There are a lot of little rules though...like nobody with a rec license is allowed to touch your kayak or help carry/launch it. And the catch logs must be kept up to date.