Alaska fishing or crabbing job info/advice (companies, wage, money)
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I'm hoping to make my way up to Alaska and get a job fishing or crabbing this fall (September or October). I'm wondering what the best time would be for me to get a job and where would be a good place to start? I have no experience but have several years of cooking and train hopping under my belt. I grew up working farms in Wisconsin and am able to work hard and I'm willing to risk the dangers. Any advice is helpful.
Thanks
I've got a good amount of money saved up and I can live on next to nothing (sleeping outside and scavenging for food) I'm looking for suggestions of what type of fish/crab to go for and what city is best to look for jobs.
I've got a good amount of money saved up and I can live on next to nothing (sleeping outside and scavenging for food) I'm looking for suggestions of what type of fish/crab to go for and what city is best to look for jobs.
Scavenging for food? What does that even mean? Dumpster diving or living off the land? You aren't going to be doing much of either in the fall. You won't be sleeping outdoors in September without a weather and bear proof shelter and a LOT of DEET! You aren't going to be sleeping outdoors for very long after that, period. Municipalities are actively clearing out squatter camps these days. Most official "camping" sites limit length of stay. Most completely close down in September.
Try posting this question on the Alaska forum, not here. Some forum members may have some industry names or contacts and towns where you might be able to get a job (some packer/canning type companies provide some bunk house type housing) or they'll tell you to stay home. Alaska is a pretty unforgiving different place with declining economy and declining social support services. Usually a bad idea to just expect to find work once you get here. You will need enough $$ to get you out again. No small matter.
Last edited by Parnassia; 06-28-2018 at 03:19 AM..
You can't just break into the frontier and make a Man out of yourself anymore. At least not in terms of nature. That is not how things work today.
Perhaps with your culinary skills and money saved up - Open a food truck in a town with a rising population where there aren't many eclectic food options. That would probably be a better bet. You demonstrate you are willing to work hard - Well food business is hard work and requires physical and mental stamina.
At this point the Government has cracked down on fishing so unless your family did it before 1960's you're locked out the industry.
The new frontiers are tech. If you want to get into the new wild west - Learn Cyber-security. Bitcoin exchanges would be happy to hire you once you get some certs and present them with some vulnerabilities.
I think you'd get more responses if you posted on the Alaska forum. You might do a search in the forums, I believe there are several threads on the topic there.
I don't think it's a good idea to go up there without a job. If you do decide to do that be sure you have enough money saved to get back if you can't find work or don't like it.
I'm hoping to make my way up to Alaska and get a job fishing or crabbing this fall (September or October).
Have you done research on this?
From what I've heard, yes, you can get a fishing job up there with no contacts / experience. And there's money there... but they will work you to the bone, and then work you for another 12 hour shift. You'll spend weeks at sea, stuck with the same group of guys who have absolutely no use for someone who doesn't shut their mouth, open their ears, and do what they're told when they're told to do it. You'll get the worst and nastiest of grunt jobs, and your share won't be what the rest get. At the end of the trip, for all the hours you worked you'll get effectively minimum wage. If you learn the job and keep coming back as a "salt", you can make good money, but it's still brutally hard, incredibly dangerous work.
If someone told you a fairy tale about quick, easy riches... no. Ain't happening.
From what I've heard, yes, you can get a fishing job up there with no contacts / experience. And there's money there... but they will work you to the bone, and then work you for another 12 hour shift. You'll spend weeks at sea, stuck with the same group of guys who have absolutely no use for someone who doesn't shut their mouth, open their ears, and do what they're told when they're told to do it. You'll get the worst and nastiest of grunt jobs, and your share won't be what the rest get. At the end of the trip, for all the hours you worked you'll get effectively minimum wage. If you learn the job and keep coming back as a "salt", you can make good money, but it's still brutally hard, incredibly dangerous work.
If someone told you a fairy tale about quick, easy riches... no. Ain't happening.
Precisely. And the OP apparently didn't take into account the cost of living of Alaska - which is high. Making minimum wage there means he's homeless.
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