COMMERCIAL SPOT PRAWN FISHING BRITISH COLUMBIA

Here is a little episode I whipped up of my crew and I fishing! Spot prawn season is one of the last shotgun opening fisheries we have here in British Columbia. Spot prawns are world renown and a true delicacy, and we are so fortunate to be able to harvest them once a year to sell into local and international markets all over the world, and supplying jobs to most if not all coastal communities all over British Columbia. I am truly blessed to say that my job is not a job at all, but a lifestyle that I wouldn't have any other way. The cherry on top is that it also sustains my race car addiction.....
music: @epidemicsound
drone clips: www.tompatalley.com

[@freedomforever6718]

This brings back memories of my youth when I set shrimp traps in and around Ketchamak Bay, Alaska. I loved being on the water and went on to set long lines for halibut for several seasons. I miss those days. Calm winds and flat seas to you Skipper Al.

[@Skipper_al]

I’m so glad this video sparked some fond memories for you! Thanks so much for watching and thanks for the wishes! Cheers mate 🦅🦅

[@michaelseal9714]

Awesome channel, love how you show all aspects. Cheers from Bundaberg 🍻👍🍻👍🍻👍🍻

[@Skipper_al]

Hey thanks a lot, and thanks for watching!!

[@peterparsons7141]

Much appreciate you taking the time and making the effort to show the setup. I’m interested in the details and I’m sure many other people are also. It’s interesting. I’m looking forward to watching some of your vids ! You caught Some really nice prawns! I didn’t know we had a prawn fishery, I’m going to find where to purchase some. I’ve been to Cowhead, Nfld. And seen the Shrimp plant and boats. The krill are really small, and a deep red colour. ( not very good eating), but great bait. I’ve had some NFLD. Shrimp that are a little smaller than your small size prawn. Those were pink similar to the prawns you’re catching, and were very good eating. They trawler fish them, and can be very abundant. I remember as a kid getting large burlap sacks of them for shrimp boils. Nice boat, good crew,,,thanks for showing your work.

[@Skipper_al]

Thanks so much for watching Peter!! You will have to come to the west coast and enjoy some BC Spot prawns, they are absolutely amazing! And if you come this way check out our fish store in Victoria while you’re at it! It’s called Finest at Sea seafoods! Thanks again for the lovely comment!

[@searun1418]

Really enjoying these commercial fishing videos. Thanks for posting them. Most memorable times of my life was seining SE AK.

[@Skipper_al]

Thanks man I really appreciate it! Looking forward to filming more for yah soon!! 👍👍

[@aumigogold2707]

Great video , unreal scenery !! Thanks for sharing

[@Skipper_al]

Thanks Nate!!

[@MurraydeLues]

Not full of egos, doom and gloom merchants and drama queens. This can't be real fishing;-) A pleasure to see a crew knowing their jobs and just getting on with it.

[@Skipper_al]

Yeah man we try to keep the boat drama free 😂 thanks for watching dude!🦅🦅

[@skittles23891]

keep these coming.. loved the video

[@Skipper_al]

Appreciate it dude! Thanks for watching!!

[@PAVEL--JAKL]

Good video bro..👌

[@Skipper_al]

Thanks for watching dude!! 👍👍

[@derekcox6531]

Used to fish with my dad in Nootka sound when I was a kid. It’s nice to see it again.

[@Skipper_al]

Such a beautiful place. Thanks for watching Derek!! 🦅🦅

[@richardmiller4104]

Awesome video.

[@Skipper_al]

Thanks for watching Richard!! 🦅🦅😂

[@calono]

Nice day for a boat ride

[@Skipper_al]

Hahha nothin like a nice day for a boat ride 😂

[@blacklabel810]

Present mister I always watch your videos... Glad to see the video which is very useful for me, 👍

[@Skipper_al]

Thanks so much for watching dude!

[@WW-sj7zk]

Pretty decent set up… Ours is quite similar here on the east coast for Lobster. We have 375 4ft traps here In Grand Manan NB. We also fish 25 trap “trawls” we call em in anywhere from 40 to 100 fathoms. Offshore in winter sure is fun!! Stay safe . 🦞🇨🇦🦞

[@Skipper_al]

Sounds like very similar depths for lobster. Pretty much the exact same depth range for prawns. That’s cool man yeah we are running 500 traps a day for the season until it ends. Check out my other fishing video where we fish blackcod through the winter. Thanks for watching man!

[@mcbassinfaas7285]

bobby out here like a curious cat lol

[@Skipper_al]

He always is! Thanks for watching!!🤘🦅

[@timweightman848]

Hello Skipper Al. I trust you , your family and ship mates are well. Great videos. It is nice to see that you put back any catch that is under size. I am sure some would not!!!!!! Got to keep planning for the future and sustainability. Take care and be safe. Tim W, England

[@Skipper_al]

Yes sir! Anything undersized and anything bearing eggs as well! Thank you for the kind wishes and thanks for watching!! Take care Tim!

[@jacobaccurso]

Hi, Al! Normally, I will scroll past any video over eight minutes in length, but I watched every second of yours. We have a small house in the Saint Johnnys (Center Island) and I go up every May for the spot opener. 50 fathoms off Deer Harbor on Orcas Island. Dying to know the recipe for Bobby’s hot mix. How many days is your season? I actually phoned the Washington Department of fish and wildlife and talked to a guy who explained how they look for the sex ratio before opening a season. It all has to do with how many females there are. You were incredibly generous to make this video so that we could see what goes into commercial shrimping. Amazing job. Loved your crew. Cheers from near Newport, Oregon!

[@Skipper_al]

Hello Jacob! I appreciate the very kind words. Thank you so much for watching it means a lot. It is an extra effort to do all the filming and editing but people like you make it all worth it 👍 Bobbie mixes the best bait that is for damn sure😂 yes we have a very well managed spot prawn fishery with what you describe as the “spawned index” Thanks again for watching!

[@SwingerVic]

excellent video team....one of my bucket lists to work a day on a prawn boat even individual boat and eat my fill ....nice vid

[@Skipper_al]

Hey thanks for watching! Message me and I could take you out some day!

[@douglasalderman9031]

A wonderful backbreaking dance.

[@Skipper_al]

Yup and worth every penny 😂 thanks for watching Doug? 🦅🦅

[@Islandwaterjet]

Wonderful top quality product.

[@Skipper_al]

Thanks dude!! We always strive for the finest!

[@chuenyeelau]

Great Documentary ThANKS

[@Skipper_al]

Thanks for watching!!

[@georgeeberle1119]

New subscriber ! Great run and awesome scenery ! Your truly living the dream ! Hi five to your great crew, thanks ! G

[@Skipper_al]

Haha thanks George!! Glad you enjoyed it! I got another video coming out this week 😃

[@josephsadowski4532]

Beautiful Love it right through the whole trip next time make a whole I'll Love it and many others too

[@Skipper_al]

Glad you liked it, thanks so much for watching! I appreciate it!

[@josephsadowski4532]

I got you tagged for all other Georgiou's work you are doing I Love fishing and will always head for the Boat like you! God Bless and stay safe you and the crue! @@Skipper_al

[@petermccuskey1832]

Very interesting beautiful scenery around you.

[@Skipper_al]

Thanks I’m glad you enjoyed! More to come!

[@marcchapman4875]

I REALLY enjoyed watching, thx

[@Skipper_al]

Thanks so much Marc! More to come!

[@davidmcdonald654]

Those little ones make great striped bass bait here on the east coast.

[@jonnywaselectric]

Prawns are my favourite thing to eat, I plan to visit Alaska one day it's got some great fishing. 400th subscriber here, tight lines from Australia.

[@Skipper_al]

They are sooo tasty! Dude thanks so much for being number 400!!!! When you head this way for fishing hit me up and I’ll take you out no problem, we are not far from Alaska at all!!!

[@jonnywaselectric]

@@Skipper_al awesome, that would be epic, I'll start saving

[@cls9876]

I used to work on the west coast of Scotland on a creel boat mainly dropping pots for velvet crabs which are becoming more popular in the UK but were maily exported to Spain. We did catch a few lobsters which were few! but it's great to see what's coming up or not!

[@Skipper_al]

Trap fishing is by far my favourite because you never know what you’re gonna get!

[@scottymckibban2660]

Thx for sharing

[@Skipper_al]

Thanks Scott!

[@Marcos-Osca]

Here in the tropical north of Australia we have a species of prawn that grow so big that the adult prawn weigh in at between 250 to 400 grams each.

[@Skipper_al]

That’s so cool, I would love to see one of those! Thanks for watching!! 👌

[@dancampbell8149]

Awe miss fas

[@gordonmackenzie7782]

Had me thinking you were Australian for a while. Stared with a G'day, and then called them prawns, not shrimp. lol

[@Skipper_al]

Hahaha hello. No I am not Australian but would love to go there. And that’s because these are actually prawns. There is a biological difference between shrimp and prawns. We have shrimp here too. But generally prawns have different gills than shrimp, are bigger, and actually have more pincers on their legs. Thanks for watching!!

[@maxbomb101]

well oiled machine brother great crew

[@Skipper_al]

Thanks max! I do have myself a fantastic crew! Thanks for watching! 🦅🦅

[@joelcr250]

aah, so I get to put a face and a name to the commercial traps I see laying around Vic

[@Skipper_al]

Yeah man! Just your local fisherman 😊thanks for watching!

[@AgentStang]

holy crap that's a big crew, that would make the crew share a lot smaller :(

[@Skipper_al]

Have you done 60,000 pounds of prawns on a stacker freezer boat before? (500 traps) In 30 days?

[@johnwedzicha]

Too funny! Saw your buoys on May 15 at Hein Bank off of Victoria. Cheers, M/V Victoria's Secret, Port Angeles WA

[@Skipper_al]

It really is such a small world isn’t it!!

[@tonywestover9610]

My uncle sent these down to us so tasty!! RIP uncle Charles

[@Skipper_al]

They are amazing! Super high quality we take every precaution to have the finest catch. BC spot prawns are world renowned. Thanks for watching. Sorry for the loss of your uncle.

[@gary8491]

Your video is cool, the scenery is similar to our water's in scotland west coast , with the mountains and sea Lochs,

[@Skipper_al]

I really hope someday I can travel there and sea it for myself!

[@gary8491]

If you get yurselve to bonnie Scotland someday, look me up and I will gee you a tour of oor bonnie Highlands, and I will arrange a sea fishing trip fur you and let you see oor sea Lochs and mountains, and oor beautiful scenery, you won't be disappointed, cheers

[@Skipper_al]

That would be incredible Gary! I’ll hold you to it! Same goes for you if you make it to Vancouver island!

[@mushroomon]

Man you need to show your haul n unload .im a commercial shrimper but we bottom dragers .was very interesting to see .it sure sucks on our end with prices

[@Skipper_al]

Yeah luckily prawn prices are still good right now because we only get to fish like 40 days a year! Thanks for watching man!

[@mushroomon]

@@Skipper_al we get from April till December with a lil split but man we got rob all year for 60 cents a pound shrimp from jumbo to small .but the video an the outdoors looks amazing

[@Skipper_al]

Sorry to hear that man, I hope the prices turn around for you guys soon!

[@benwaitson7462]

From the islamd wanting to get into crabbing/prawning you guys need a deackhand

[@Skipper_al]

Go to our office. Finest at sea seafoods in James bay

[@benwaitson7462]

@@Skipper_al I'll come down this next week

[@dalehansenab]

Bearing on puller is wrecking your lines!

[@Skipper_al]

Yeah we were aware but in the middle of no where, it’s been addressed for the next season! Thanks for watching!

[@jasonbelk7129]

Cool videos bro. I am a fisherman/skipper/engineer from Australia. Do u use the hardness module on the time zero or just depth? I love using it when targeting a specific species when shooting traps. I can target the ground they like best. Most of the time😉 Are the prawns mostly nocturnal/ bury themselves during the day/moon? Keep up the good work!

[@Skipper_al]

Hey Jason thanks a lot man! I do not use bottom harness on time zero only because the transducer I have isn’t capable of it. But yes very important I wish I had that feature. I do keep a very close eye on the bottom with our regular sounder so I can tell bottom hardness with that. The prawns do bury themselves to molt in mud dependant on the moon and tides. But as far as day or night activity they seem to go in the traps day and night.

[@mountdesertrock]

Incredible man, if you ever make it out to the east coast of the US specifically Maine, let me know you can come lobster fishing with us, we fish year round.

[@Skipper_al]

Thanks so much dude! God I would love to come out to the east coast and go lobster fishing! I will be in touch 👍👍👍

[@240Turbo48]

Boats and the Chuck, cool! You steam from Roscoe Inlet to Nootka and where’s home port?

[@Skipper_al]

Home port is vic!

[@pawpawmike7372]

Why do trap prawns in Alaska instead of trawlling like we do shrimp in Texas? Is it a difference in the laws up there, or is it that the bottoms are not suitable for a trawl ? Just curious.

[@Skipper_al]

Good question, we do do shrimp trawling here too but prawns are better targeted with traps! Thanks for watching

[@scallopshackfarms]

what depth do you typically fish for spot prawns

[@Skipper_al]

Typically we catch prawns anywhere between 240-600 feet of water! 👍👍 thanks for watching! 🦅🦅

[@mrfish49el]

So do you do any live product or only flash frozen?

[@Skipper_al]

We do live product on on of our other boats. When we are fishing close enough to a town we will also do live prawns but because we are setup for freezing it allows us to fish where lots of the live fleet can’t.

[@naliekim1522]

Can you share more info on the 10 min soak of the prawns in that ‘preservative’? What is the solution comprised of? What is it exactly doing?

[@Skipper_al]

It’s basically a high concentration of salt, and they were joking when they said 10 minutes, prawns only go in for 1 minute. The idea is the prawn breathes in a high concentration of salt which kills them and then the film that the salty solution covers them with reduces freezer burn which in turn helps them keep there beautiful colour . Otherwise we would have to do a thing called glazing, which is a process where we freeze the product, then dip the product in water and freeze them again, which puts a protective layer of water on the prawn to also stop it from freezer burning. the salty solution is just a better way of doing it.

[@naliekim1522]

thx for the answer/reply to my soak/perservative question! does this also help prevent the prawns' head from going 'black' after they have died? i noticed your prawns in the box look great where as mine are soon 'dripping ink' from the 'head juices' that turn dark after prawns have died. Or do you guys do anything else to help prevent this unpleasant dark ink from happening and messing up the appearance?

[@Skipper_al]

@@naliekim1522 the most important factor to not having “black heads” as we call them, is to get them frozen within minutes of them being packaged. Our freezers are -40 degrees Celsius. This is because that black ink you see in there heads is actually them starting to spoil. You will notice a smell when that happens too and it doesn’t taste very good 👍

[@naliekim1522]

thx for info about flash freezing the prawns to avoid "black heads". Been thinking about a flash freezer and now i really want one! @@Skipper_al

[@ericluscombe3272]

That's messed up I've never had that few prawns in my traps before really strange because I've always gotten a pile of prawns or nothing never that few. Another thing I found is those other metal square traps that are farely new work way better. I've heard it's because the traps you're using the netting moves a lot like an octopus. Couldn't imagine switching traps prob cost a whole house lol

[@realliving9253]

These guys don't know what they are doing!

[@maury8441]

what do you use for bait?

[@Skipper_al]

It’s a mixture of “skretting” (which is the pellets), ground up albacore tuna carcasses, and fish oil 👍

[@wesleymonske8103]

Your using crappy bait. Try chum salmon. Use 1 skain of eggs and one fillet skin. The skin chums ooze. They love eggs and skin. In nature, they eat fish scales and eggs and fish scrap anyhow.. Fish liver are good too.. Try fish oil soaked dog food. You need a chum line.

[@Skipper_al]

Hey Wesley I love your bait combo! Fortunately I am a career fisherman and have spent years perfecting my prawn bait mixture. Trust me I have tried everything and this is what has worked for me VERY well. But you can’t catch a million prawns if the biomass isn’t where you’re fishing. Unfortunately, this year that was the case! Thanks for watching though I appreciate it!

[@AgentStang]

Holy man how do you afford running around all those different spots while the season is open, that doesn't seem very productive burning fuel instead of fishing. Let alone having a 5 man crew seems a little bit counter productive. I catch more prawns at the pumpkin patch here at home you did running around all over the west coast. I wouldn't even post this unless you like getting made fun of from other west coast prawn fisherman :D

[@Skipper_al]

It was my first season filming last year. When we were catching prawns I’m just too busy to record. We had a good season. Just didn’t get it on camera 👍

[@drewapple9681]

I wonder the difference in taste from that shrimp to our Gulf of Mexico shrimps?

[@Skipper_al]

I’m curious too, honestly I don’t think I’ve ever had a Mexican shrimp! Thanks for watching!

[@drewapple9681]

@@Skipper_al I was raised in a fishing community and grew up on shrimp boats in south Louisiana it’s my dream to come to Alaska to see the fishing communities and get a trip in one day. Stay safe captain.

[@Skipper_al]

Wow that’s cool man, same here would love to go south and see how it happens down there! Maybe some day we can switch spots for a week 😂

[@drewapple9681]

@@Skipper_al well make a trip to south Louisiana and come pass a good time.

[@adamyoung480]

Aloha. They’re so much sweeter, and more firm. The ones I caught also had no poop shoot. And they’re bigger.

[@idahobob180]

Looks like the commercial fishing is doing a real good job of catching every last spotted prawn left.

[@Skipper_al]

You sir obviously have no idea what you’re talking about. We have one of the most well managed fisheries in the world. During the season every area is sampled throughout the opening and when the prawn index gets to a certain level they close the fishery to ensure a healthy biomass for the next year. It works incredibly well and in fact the prawn biomass cost wide is significantly larger then at was 30-40 years ago before there even was a fishery… healthy harvesting can actually cause a stronger biomass because there is less competition between breeding stock and juveniles!

[@dano5616]

@@Skipper_al Al speaks the truth, I guess the word hasn't made it to Idaho yet lol. If you don't believe it look it up this fishery is highly studied, regulated and its sustainable, even the greenies agree on that. And no I'm not a commercial fisherman but I live near where he fishes and fish and prawn myself with a sport fishing license.

[@shannoncargo468]

@@Skipper_al been a commercial fishermen my whole life and nothing we want more than to have what ever fishery we are doing to thrive 😎

[@matthewtran9054]

Do the prawns live in sand or rocks

[@Skipper_al]

Hard bottom, mud or gravel usually not rock, but definitely not sand!

[@xXpurplenurple007Xx]

Dude I catch shrimp recreationally with two pots in an aluminum skiff and I still catch more than you

[@Skipper_al]

Good job Slip Slap! Did your two pots earn you 80 grand in 40 days last year? Didn't think so. It's hard to film when we are catching prawns and I'm new to this. Take your stink somewhere else boy.

[@jase4270]

That's not a boat its a dingy

[@juliemanarin4127]

Wow...that sucked...none in the first pots at all

[@Skipper_al]

Yeah hard to film when we are actually producing, thanks for watching!

[@fishnhunt1381]

Why dog clips instead of longline clips? Seems like a more complex spring based clip.

[@Skipper_al]

The main reason is we can set faster safely, when we snap the dog clip on the line it gives us time to push the trap out. If we used the regular spring loaded longline clips, as soon as you release the tension of the snap onto the line it’s gonna go flying off the boat because the longline snaps are meant to be firm on the line and not slide.

[@fishnhunt1381]

@@Skipper_al that makes a lot of sense. A bit of slack in the line. Above you mentioned using a Skretting brand product for bait. Looking at their website they have a variety of products. Which do you use?

[@Skipper_al]

pacificnetandtwine.com/products/21706001

[@moose.knuckle]

My farts smell like roses 🌹

[@stephendrumm3354]

I live in a Small coastal town of 600 . the commercial prawning boats come in our protected inlet directly in front of town and take SO MANY spot prawns the the entire town has nothing to fish for the remainder of summer . taking away a vast necessary food resource for us and for our tourists that bring us much needed money since the mill shut down . so many inlets on the island and they still choose to come and take away from our small community. maybe not this captain but it's what does happen .

[@Skipper_al]

BC was built on commercial fishing and logging. It’s the way it is. You can catch your prawns before the commercial season maybe…? Also that is just bogus because our catch is monitored and once it gets down to a certain level they shut the area down to insure prawns for next year…. That is why you see those same prawn boats every year…. I’m sure there is people in your community who are involved in the prawn industry. I don’t know any town that isn’t. So it does help with your economy. It just does not help YOU! Quit being so self centred and get your facts straight. Maybe you just SUCK at catching prawns. Also who the hell lives off prawns, they are a delicacy and no one eats them all the time. Protected inlet? What are you talking about if it was protected than we wouldn’t be able to fish there in the first place… Just like your Mill was to your town and family, fishing is that for me and thousands of other families. Don’t be so quick to squash a coastal tradition when you have no idea what you’re talking about.

[@kohyangchi4307]

ALL TALK NO 🦐🦐🦐🦐🦐🦐🦐💨 😬😭💦

[@Skipper_al]

Hard for me to get any footage when we are catching 🦐 because we are so busy, I will try harder next season to be more on top of the camera 😂

[@realliving9253]

Looks like you are losing money!

[@Skipper_al]

Honestly hard to film while we are catching lots, that’s the footage I got 😅We had a good season.