Pay Scale?

[Offshore Fishermen]

I have worked over the years on many boats.
Seemed like during he hot season I was able to make real nice money but always seems to add up to around 35 to 40 k a year.

One boat I worked on did a even split for the Capt and Mate. This kept us both working hard to keep the boat clean and the charters happy.

Wish you luck on your ventures.

[Crackerjack]

I have a couple of charter boats and here is what we pay

Captain on the 12 passenger boat - 250 - 300 plus 20% of the tips
Captain on the 6 passenger boat - 200 - 275 plus 50% of the tips
Deckhand on the 12 passengerboat - 120 - 175 per day plus 40% of the tips
Deckhand on the 6 pack boat - 100/day plus 50% of the tips

If they prove to be loyal and hard working they get paid more in following years they come back.

If the captain chooses not to help the crew, they give the crew the tips.

This is fairly standard rates of pay up here and we have captain and crews from all over coming up to fish our season.

We have no tournament winnings and we are not allowed to sell fish.

With that said, the boats fish every single day.

IF you do the fisherman math - pay plus tips
captains are making about 350 - 400 dollars a day
deckahnds are making about 200 - 250 dollars a day

Captain 10,000.00 / month
Deckhand 7000.00/month


The reason captain's get paid more money is because they are accepting the total responsiblity for the boat and passengers.

The deckhand is accepting the responsiblity for doing a lot more of the work.

In our expereince up here, it is much harder to find a hard charging knowldegable captain than it is to find a hard working deckhand.
Therefore they command a higher price.

That is a lot of money for a day of work on the water, especially fishing.

That wage is comparable to a tug boat captain or AB that has to be gone from home for weeks at a time and has to get way more training. I have run tugs before and fishing is way, way more fun.

[FishBlueWater]

I was just wandering on the 12 passenger boat Where does the other 40% of the tips go?
On all the boats that I have ever worked on the mate got all of the tips, I never had to split tips with any captains.
I actually know a few captains that have thought about going back to mating because when the mate gets a good tip he can actually make more then the captain does.

[Crackerjack]

There are two deckhands that each get 40% of the tips and if the Captain stays and helps the crew clean and restock the boat, he gets the other 20% if he wants to go home the crew split all the tips. On our boats the captain works all day on deck with the deckhands, as we always have mulitple fish hooked up all day long. For these reasons, I found that it is only fair to allow the paid captain to get some of the tips.

[FishBlueWater]

OK it makes more sense that way. None of the captains I ever worked with came down onto deck, to help anyway, so we didn't split tips with them. So I understand that if they are down on deck they should get some of the tips.

[Crackerjack]

Yea on the big boat everyone has to be gaffing fish and railing them; rerigging; baiting hooks, untangling lines..etc..When the bite is on....... and it usually is on. When we have 12 fishermen on the big boat on a combination trip, we usually catch and keep 24 halibut, 36 silver salmon and between the black rockfish and lings another 25 fish so on average we are keeping 85 fish a day. Plus the fifty or so that are released; plus the ones that are busted off; we are talking about 150 hook ups a day, every day....Crazy! Divide that by 12 inexpereinced anglers and you might was well smoke a pack on the way out, take two shots of pepto when you get close and guzzel two red bulls before noon....

It makes for more work but it sure is fun!

[whowantstoknow]

Originally Posted by PHILLYFISHING

5% of winnings and 500-600 a week if your chartering... all depends on how good you are

um.
5% is low...the boat normally takes 25% then its split between cap and crew.
then there is a weekly rate...tournament wise some get up to 900-1200 a week..win or loose...
...i agree tho- it depends how good you are..if you act right (dont get caught up in the tourny bullshit...it does affect your fishing the next morning)....have your shit ready at all times.

your exp. and impression determins your rate.....there was a good article in (inthe bite) about payscale, and raises.....its this months issue.

if ya want ill forward

Good luck.

[Capt_John]

Originally Posted by Crackerjack

Yea on the big boat everyone has to be gaffing fish and railing them; rerigging; baiting hooks, untangling lines..etc..When the bite is on....... and it usually is on. When we have 12 fishermen on the big boat on a combination trip, we usually catch and keep 24 halibut, 36 silver salmon and between the black rockfish and lings another 25 fish so on average we are keeping 85 fish a day. Plus the fifty or so that are released; plus the ones that are busted off; we are talking about 150 hook ups a day, every day....Crazy! Divide that by 12 inexpereinced anglers and you might was well smoke a pack on the way out, take two shots of pepto when you get close and guzzel two red bulls before noon....

It makes for more work but it sure is fun!

Andy, you have a PM.

[Squidnation]

Originally Posted by WAHOONBOX

I ALWAYS WONDER WHY A MATE SHOULD MAKE LESS THAN A CAPTAIN....

IS IT THE 6 DAY CRASH COURSE THE CAPTAIN TAKES TO GET HIS TICKET?

A MATE MUST EAT LESS....AND HIS CLOTHES NEVER GETS RUINED IN A MAHI BLOODBATH

HE NEVER SUFFERS CUTS....NEVER GETS ANY INFECTIONS


HE NEVER HAS TO CLEANS SHIT STAINS FROM THE RIGS TOILET

I GUESS I CAN SEE WHY WE SHOULD MAKE LESS

Beacuse the licensed Captain is ultimately responsible for your safe return to port.


OOPS - I didn't realize some already said that above.

[Bluewater Lady Charters]

Speaking as an owner/operator, anyone that thinks a captain makes more than a mate is out of their mind!
I pay a mate 100.00 for an offshore trip and he keeps the tips. Typically 200.00. I have had mates get 500.00 tips.
Think of the price of fuel today. Who pays for the slip, electricity and insurance. Other things add up,something breaks, a nick here, a scratch there. Does the mate pay to fix it or spend the time to fix it? What about coming in at the end of the day and the boat is due for an oil change and you have trip the next day. Wait for the engines to cool down and stay till 10-11 at night. Spend the time getting rid of those fluids. Not to mention running for everything else that goes for the needs of charter operation.
Put away at least 100.00 a trip for when your engines need a rebuild.
If I added up all the hours I put in I would make more money working at Taco Bell. I could go on and on.
Some blood on your clothes? You should be proud. Probably had a real good catch. Cleaning a shit stain in the head? Ever change a baby's diaper?
All said, I would not have it any other way. I love doing it.
If you want to be a mate, money is secondary. You should love to do it, then most likely good things will come.
Merry Christmas to all.