If you had the chance...would you?

[CANOPY SAM]

This might be kind of a dumb topic, but I'm kind of curious...

I really enjoy watching Deadliest Catch, and Swords (or whatever the new commercial swordfishing show is called) on Discovery. I imagine I would have been adventurous enough as a young man, before I got old, fat and lazy, to have loved doing these jobs.

How many of you out there would like to try this, or think you've got the stuff it takes to do this kind of work? Any comments?

[pushbutton]

i have thought the same thing also, at 19 probably would have headed up there after watching it on tv.......opportunity for great money, the adrenaline rush, standing toe to toe with mother nature......too bad i have also become old , fat, and lazy!!

[pureinsanity]

I could handle the cold and the staying up late, I could not handle getting wet the whole time. That would be my only issue. I like the cold, and the rocking of the water doesn't bother me one bit. It would depend how many packs of cigarettes I had Seems they all smoke! at least on DC

[CANOPY SAM]

The money is certainly compelling.....but I love the ocean as well. I often wonder if these guys, and gals, are allowed to eat king crab, or swordfish steak while out on the boat. We never see em' doing that.

If it were me, I'd be eating seafood like it was going out of style! But then again, that's partly why I'm fat and lazy!

[TylerS]

I'd leave that crab business to the diehards and crazies. My buddy is a deckhand on a charter boat in Sitka during the summer. He gets elbow deep in salmon, halibut and all other sorts of ocean fishes. Now THAT would be a fun job! He always has a blast.

[mrklean]

swords i wouldnt mind doing deadliest no way thats to crazy for me

[pureinsanity]

The money is certainly compelling.....but I love the ocean as well. I often wonder if these guys, and gals, are allowed to eat king crab, or swordfish steak while out on the boat. We never see em' doing that.

If it were me, I'd be eating seafood like it was going out of style! But then again, that's partly why I'm fat and lazy!

Seems all the eat are meat, eggs and canned goods. I think the concept of eating is something quick fast and either get back to work or back to sleep.

We don't even see them hit the can! Maybe they are robots

[Daze Off]

Thirty years ago I would've definately been tempted to give it a whirl. Wanted to work with the harvester crews that start in the Dakotas and work their way down through Kansas too - long hours, hard dusty work, living on the road. Seems kind of appealing. Will always regret not going for something like DC, SOTL, or some such...

[DTro]

Me thinks most, if not all of the guys on those boats wish they would've stayed in school longer, or made some better choices when they were younger.

[Northlander]

Exactly man.

[Deitz Dittrich]

No way, no how. Not a chance.. I dont enjoy being up for 20 straight hours doing the things I love.. rather than getting sprayed in the face with water and 50+ MPH winds and freezing temps.. Heck I dont even like to ice fish for 20 straight hours and take a 2 hour nap and then do it again..

NO WAY..

But I do like to eat crab, so Im glad someone does it.

[pureinsanity]

Plowing all winter you are up all night sometimes days. That doesn't bother me. At some point I do crash but after just a few hours of sleep Im back at it again. However comparing plowing to what they do is NOTHING even comparable.

If I could make 40K in a short period I would probably do it. and find a part time job as well.

[DTro]

How much would it take for anyone to do this???

Personally I couldn't do it for a million.

[big musk411]

I just got back from Kodiak Alaska. People up there make money. Things are very expensive. The guys staying at the hotel were logging and fishing. Must be doing OK if paying $180 a night hotel.

One guy told me it would be hard not to make 200k a year fishing. Also claimed to make 5k in three days long-lining halibut. People tend to exaggerate, especially fishermen . But at half that it might not be a bad gig! The loggers said $24.50 to start no experience.

Our guide had sold his Halibut charter license for 100k....

[pushbutton]

Personally I couldn't do it for a million.

would not even do it for 2million!!!

[bobbymalone]

How much would it take for anyone to do this???

Personally I couldn't do it for a million.

they really need to switch to LED.

[pureinsanity]

Ive climbed a couple fire towers and that was bad enough. The climb up was fine. The climb down was not! If I had that job, I think I would get my lessons in sky diving. I would just jump off the top of the tower instead of climbing down

[pureinsanity]

At least they only have to climb 168 feet!

[Slabasaurus]

Holy cow. I'm not sure I could do that (climb the tower) for a job, but I'd love to try it to see if i could make it without needing a new pair of pants after.

As far as crabbin goes, nah. I'm not that kinda dude. I'm more of the make whatever money you can while sitting in a nice cozy office at a computer.

I could handle the work and the cold, but the duration of the trips, and the hours they are required, heck no. (guess that means i could not handle the work then huh)

[CANOPY SAM]

Going on little sleep has never been much of a problem for me. Don't know why. I suppose I'll be a drooling lump in a chair somewhere by the time I'm 65 though.

I don't know, dtro. If you're not smart enough to know better in the first place, maybe you don't really regret it?

I think the cold and wet would definately play a big factor in your longevity. Now, my fingers get stiff and sore from ice-fishing outdoors for an afternoon. Years ago I used to clean out the hole with my bare hands!

[gunflint]

I worked on a shrimp boat in the Gulf back in the day. I don't regret it at all. Not the same as the fisherman on the tv shows but it had it's times. Ah to be 18 again.

[JimBuck]

Crabbin' doesn't look like much fun to me at all. The few moments those guys do share laughs on the boat are surely magnified by production and editing. That's a tough way to make a go of it and while I do appreciate the work they do (love eating crab).....I couldn't do it.

As for climbing towers, NO WAY. I get pretty uncomfortable climbing heights like that.

[pureinsanity]

Crabbin' doesn't look like much fun to me at all. The few moments those guys do share laughs on the boat are surely magnified by production and editing. That's a tough way to make a go of it and while I do appreciate the work they do (love eating crab).....I couldn't do it.

As for climbing towers, NO WAY. I get pretty uncomfortable climbing heights like that.

I use to be scared of heights. Anything over 6 feet made me sick! After roofing a couple houses and falling off a couple roofs it now doesn't bother me. Climbing the fire towers was a bit sketchy as the wind really moves those suckers back and forth! I imagine those big towers don't move too much with all the cables holding them in place. Not saying I would do it every day, but I'd try it at least once. less the gear bag!

[Alagnak]

The main reason you don't see them eat it is the same reason a guy that works at Hardees probably doesn't go there for lunch on a day off, or the same reason I don't eat any of the salmon I bring back from Alaska. When that is all you see, hear, smell, taste, and have under your finger nails for weeks on end- it's the last thing you want to eat!

There's a lot to the lives and jobs of these gentleman on tv that you don't know about, and that isn't too glamorous. Remember, it is on tv. I know a lot of commercial fisherman and the majority I do know, I wish I didn't. Just like everything else there are some great people though too, but typically a pretty unruly bunch.

[pureinsanity]

The main reason you don't see them eat it is the same reason a guy that works at Hardees probably doesn't go there for lunch on a day off, or the same reason I don't eat any of the salmon I bring back from Alaska. When that is all you see, hear, smell, taste, and have under your finger nails for weeks on end- it's the last thing you want to eat!

There's a lot to the lives and jobs of these gentleman on tv that you don't know about, and that isn't too glamorous. Remember, it is on tv. I know a lot of commercial fisherman and the majority I do know, I wish I didn't. Just like everything else there are some great people though too, but typically a pretty unruly bunch.

I agree, There is a show to be put on. Sometimes you see the best of them at other times you don't even know them. I heard that most the boys on DC were completely different off the show