Commercial fishing guides and crew-life posts
Practical guides for lobster, crab, and other commercial fishing crews -- seasons, pay, crews, and safety.
- How to Become a Commercial Fisherman in Canada
The realistic path into commercial fishing with no experience: deckhand roles, the certificates you need, and registering as a fish harvester with DFO.
- 4am Departures: A Day in the Life on a Lobster Boat
What a typical day actually looks like on a lobster boat during the season -- from the pre-dawn start to hauling gear to getting back to the wharf.
- Buying a Lobster Licence: What It Actually Costs
What buying into a Canadian lobster fishery actually costs, why prices vary so much by area, and how DFO licensing rules shape who can buy.
- Deckhand Shares Explained: How Crew Pay Works
Why fishing crews are paid a share of the catch instead of a wage, how the split usually works by role, and what that means for take-home pay.
- From Sternman to Captain: The Path Up
How crew move from bait boy to sternman to captain on a lobster or crab boat -- the roles, the papers you need, and the realistic timeline.
- Fishing Families: Generations on the Same Boat
Why commercial fishing in Atlantic Canada and BC often stays in the family, how licences get passed down, and what that means for outsiders.
- Fishing Injuries: Why It's One of Canada's Most Dangerous Jobs
The real hazards on a commercial fishing boat -- stability, falling overboard, and gear entanglement -- and what Transport Canada rules say.
- Leasing a Fishing Licence vs Buying One
How leasing a fishing licence compares to buying one outright -- the costs, the risks, and who each path usually makes sense for.
- Setting Day: Inside Nova Scotia's Biggest Fishing Day
What Setting Day actually looks like in Southwest Nova Scotia -- the prep, the weather calls, and why it's the biggest day of the year on the wharf.
- Storm Days: When the Fleet Stays Tied Up
Why fishing crews lose days to weather, how that affects a short season's earnings, and how boats decide when it's safe to go out.
- Snow Crab vs Lobster: Comparing the Two Seasons
How snow crab and lobster seasons differ across Atlantic Canada -- length, timing, pay structure, and what that means for a deckhand choosing between them.