The Captain's Dilemma

Backing into the slip with a rigger full of release flags and a box full of fish is the best feeling in the world. We bust our asses every trip to put our clients on fish so we can relive this feeling. We are very competitive and it bothers us to know that someone else came back to the dock with more fish. As professional fishermen, we should be one of the top boats on each given day. Reminiscing about an epic trip is usually short lived. When we wake up each morning, yesterday's catch is only relevant in the context of how it will influence today's fishing. Regardless of what we've been catching, each new group steps onto the boat with high expectations. To keep them happy we have to fill the box every day, regardless of the conditions. Mother nature constantly conspires against us. We don't step foot into a stable work environment each morning. Our office is influenced by a number of factors. The wind speed, currents, tides, barometric pressure, water temperature, air temperature, and more are constantly changing. The most significant factor is the fact that the animals we are trying to catch will do everything in their power to stay alive. Whether they travel 100 miles per day or sit in a hole waiting for food, all fish have adapted to their environments so they can hunt efficiently and avoid being preyed upon. Mother nature serves up a puzzle every day and we are stuck piecing it together. It is our job to adapt to the conditions, anticipate where the fish will be, and execute our techniques. We don't have a manual that tells us how to handle every situation. Instead, we mix experience with effort and hope for the best every day. Fishing for a living is a constant challenge but we wouldn't have it any other way.