# question for captains



## Stumpgrinder1 (Jul 18, 2016)

Guys, what defines "experienced " to yall. I'd like to respond to some crew wanted ads but dont want to misrepresent myself. I grew up going "offshore" which for us meant day trips to the Heald bank , Buccaneer field, etc to catch red snaps, kingfish, ling etc. I have been to the floaters as a guest a handful of times as a guest on boats and am proficient with rod/reel, gaff, rigging gear, washing boats, not getting sea sick and generally knowing my way around the boat . ( i personally own a 23 bay boat and have for 20 years ) I also know these rigs dont run on "thank you" and know how to open my wallet at the end of a trip. 

Do I qualify as "experienced" ?


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## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

Yes. Youre a good one.

You will know you are a good one when you get invited back.

......for those of yall paying attn.....if you dont get invited again.....well....DO BETTER!


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## jamesw (Dec 1, 2014)

A good crew member is someone who knows how to help out without being asked and makes the trip easier, not harder for the captain.


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## ShawnQ (May 21, 2004)

You sound like a good crewman to me.

I was the same way. I've boated my whole life, including owning boats between 15-23' from 16yrs old til now (I'm 35). I then bought an offshore capable 28' boat in 2017, and did almost a year worth of refit to it before I took it out.

While working on it, I wanted to get offshore locally as I had never fished offshore from the upper Texas coast. I was hesitant to say I was 'experienced', as I hadn't fished offshore in 12-15yrs, and never in this area. All of my offshore fishing experience was in Port Aransas, and a little in Florida. I did, however, have a couple thousand hours on USCG small boats, a very good working knowledge of navigation, emergency procedures, and marine mechanical knowledge. I also tend to be a busy body, working hard, both fishing and in general. My jobs both train me to act calm when things get hairy...which really helps offshore (like this past week in dense fog with <200yd visibility).

I was here for 7yrs before I got brave enough to reply to a crew wanted ad. I made sure the Capt knew I hadn't fished this area, but told him I was strong in several other aspects. I told him I'd gladly pay, sit back, watch, and learn...then help with cleanup afterwards. Halfway through the trip I was driving the boat so he could rest. I've been on that boat several times since, and have had to turn down multiple invites as well.

One thing I didnt realize at the time is that the TX offshore guys, especially on the upper coast, are a pretty tight network. If you are a good crewman, someone is always looking...and your name will get passed around. After my first trip, I had 3 out of 5 days on a boat, overnight, in a row, just through word of mouth from people looking to get offshore during a mid-week weather window. Getting time off when weather allows is also a big plus. I gained a ton of local knowledge in a week.

That quickly made me realize how often people need crew. These things are expensive, especially if you run deep. Even if you have the pockets to cover all of the expenses, and dont even request payments, they are still a lot of work and require a crew to work effectively. Offshore overnight with 2 people isn't optimal. A strong crew of 3-4, more if you have space, is a huge benefit.

On my boat, I want you to be safe, respectful of other's gear and property, and willing to help with cleanup (especially maintenance cleaning and de-clutter while underway as it's the #1 thing that makes it quick and easy to clean once you get home). I want you to fish
hard as it helps fill the box so everyone can eat, and I want some sort of personality with thick skin as we'll probably be giving everyone a hard time. If you can navigate and operate a radio and chartplotter/radar, even better as we can swap helm time.

Give it a shot. You'll be good. 


On the flipside of this, I'm now a boat owner and I'm hesitant to ask for crew. I feel obligated to put people on fish...and although I can guarantee 1mil red snapper every trip, I'm not confident enough for tuna, grouper, or pelagics. If we can't keep snapper, we may have an empty box for $100-200/ea. I hate to ask people to split a bill if we come home empty....but can't run forever on my own. 
I also tend to make last-minute go/no-go decisions based on weather. It's tough to plan ahead on long range trips. 

Maybe I'll shoot you a message next time I head out!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk


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## Drundel (Feb 6, 2006)

I've wondered about that in the past too.

Having fished with cajuntriton a lot and watching his guests who all are "experienced fishermen" has lead me to realize there is a difference between experienced and good fishermen.

I've come to the conclusion if you show up on a snapper trip without some combo of gloves/lippers/pliers/venting tool, you are a paying customer and not an experienced fishermen. I love it when you net a fish and go back to fishing and they sorta stand there and are like, now what? Same for watching people put rods down on the deck, hooking nasty bait like squid over the boat vs the water, letting heavy lead baits (snapper slappers) bang on gunnels. I could go on.


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