Inside The Life Of A Florida Lobster Fisherman
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- Опубликовано: 8 янв 2022
- From catching to selling, this is what it's like working on a spiny lobster commercial fishing boat. 👋 Join my community newsletter here: bit.ly/3c95UOe
Life as commercial spiny lobster fisherman in Florida is hard work. It also comes with it's own new set of challenges since covid. In this video, I spend a day with a Key West lobster crew to understand exactly what goes on on a day-to-day basis. There's a lot we don't know in a world we never see.
Huge thanks to Captain George, Billy, and Hector for sharing their time with me and giving me the opportunity to try out each job on the boat. That was really an incredibly experience.
Another big thank you to Tim, owner of Key West TV. He joined in as one of the videographers who helped get a lot of these shots I never would have gotten on my own. He's got a really cool channel all about Key West that's worth checking out. / keywesttelevision
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#commerciallobster #floridalobster #commercialfishing 
Развлечения
So what was the most interesting fact you learned from this video? Mine was where most of our Key West lobsters get shipped to 🤯
We have a creature in the northern half of australia called a painted cray that looks alot like these but they won’t pot, you have to catch them by hand , so there is no commercial pressure on them. They are there in large numbers you can go out to the reefs and grab them under ledges with snorkelling gear.looks like they get a lot bigger as well
I wouldn't touch any red money!!
China is hurting for American lobster since trump....
@@jeffreyflynn2805 wow, never knew all of that! Maybe something I can cover in a future video.
@@nathanwest2276 they've been doing it long before Trump. They see our FL lobsters as a delicacy, and a part of many celebrations. Very different than how we view them over here.
It's not that most people are not willing to pay the price for Lobster, it's that most people can't afford the price of lobster. I was spoiled as a kid living in RI, were we had our own Crab and lobster pots, so I got the taste for both but being retired on pension, I only splurge once in a great while on it.
Get your diving license! It’s worth the lobster feast you can have every weekend
@@robertrusnak620 They don't have many Lobsters in Washington state were I live now! 😂
@@shewolf2584 none of my friends are commercial lobstermen anymore.
@@robertrusnak620 Funny how lobster used to be a poor man's food, now the poor man can't afford it. 😂
@@shewolf2584 I’m a diver in NJ and I’ve eaten so much lobster I’ve lost my desire to eat it anymore. The last thing I want after spending a whole day on and under the water is seafood🤣
Thank you for putting these videos out my friend. They are truly fascinating for me to watch the other commercial fisherman work their trades too. To hear them all say the same things we are experiencing here in our own fishery is eye opening and uniting. I feel like we are all in the same boat. I'm rooting for them to make it too. Thank you for your support!!
It's absolutely wild what you all have to go through to make a living. You are very welcome and thanks for what you do 💪
Cool video and cool guys on the boat. I like the saying “ take it easy , everyone has to get theirs. “
I think the most interesting thing for me is how all 4 of these guys speak with wildly different accents.
The dad of a good friend of mine when we were growing up in Norfolk, VA was a commercial fisherman. He was a really hard working man and you're correct to say it is dangerous work. Shalom
thats the kind of boat im looking for
Nice video! Great crew! Thx.for all of the hard work putting food on the tables across the world!
Hard working crew indeed! I was exhausted that day and I hardly did any of the work, ha!
Thanks for working hard to provide for our little slice of paradise here in Big Pine Key.
Hard working people for sure. Whew!
Yeah thanks for bringing up the lobster but no thank you for hiking up the price every year we know it's hard work but God damn it a prostitute doesn't hike up her prices because there's a serial killer out there
@@ScottGerke I would love to work in the fishing industry or somwear along those lines I just don’t know how to get started
@@barbecueddeer395 my suggestion would be to walk the docks and introduce yourself to the captains. I started out mating on a sport fishing boat by showing up to the dock as the crew was getting the boat ready and someone didn't show up. If someone didn't show up and you know the basics of tying hooks and such, you have a good chance of getting a job.
Love watching your videos! Great job. Looking forward to the next one.
I'm glad you liked! I feel like every video I make has a different format and not sure how well it will do. Next few videos will be about people in Belize!
Man don't you know that you are not supposed to bring a banana on a vessel? LOL!!! I about fell out of my chair when I saw that! :)
The context of that scene was poorly explained and I'm aware of the superstition. I'm a boat captain and there was a joke tied to it. Anywho, I deleted it now cause it just doesn't make sense to keep it in the video.
@@ScottGerke I wasn't chastising, I thought that scene was funny, because it appeared that the captain didn't catch it! 🤣😂
@@walteranderson2507 I know you were just having a good laugh and so was I when I made that scene, but man, some ppl in these comments were out with a pitch fork! haha
That's really awesome, be safe gentlemen, and yes I love my local fresh seafood ❤
Currently editing my own experience as a lobsterman. Wish I could’ve made this good of a video. Good job.
I'm sure it'll be great in your own way! Are you fishing spiny or Maine lobster and what's your job on the boat?
Very interesting! Awesome video Scott!
Thanks Rowan! Def a lot of interesting facts came out of that experience 🤯
So very different from lobster fishing here in Maine!! We have single traps here but mostly we have ten or fifteen trap trawls on one string and haul from the side of the boat. Very cool video!
Thanks for stopping by and glad you enjoyed the video!
what a great crew
Love all of the videos.
awesome! Thanks for sharing that with me, Kim :)
10% to the big guy
Amen Hector!
Vero Beach 🏖️⛱️ FLORIDA
Great video Scott.
I'm a commercial fisherman and big game.
Oh very cool and thanks!
That was cool as heck. Enjoyed an sub.
Great to hear and thanks for your support!
Great video 😊
Wicked stuff man. I’d love to spend sometime doing something like that!
First time seeing your content. Good job. People need to see more about where their food comes from. And the real men that bring it to them. These are the men bud light should have put on their products.
Amen to that! Thanks for stopping by and I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the video :)
There would of been a fight if I was on that boat and saw that banana 😂
hahaha, what if I brought the Chiquita Banana gal with me?!
@@ScottGerke a banana on board AND a woman? Now you're trying to sabotage the boat!
@@vonnegutshot I should have explained the banana clip better on video 😬
@@ScottGerke both bananas and women are taboo things to have on board if a fisherman or sailor be ever the believer of superstition
that was awesome, sometime you should venture to Maine and go with some lobster boats up there, my dad was a lobsterman for years and i used to help him on weekends, miss them days
that's in the works!
Awesome video!
Thanks!
great video bud very informative too
Much appreciated! Fishing channel approved 😀
The sea hold a special place in my ❤ got to love it to enjoy it 🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹
Boy I painted my share of brown and yellow buoys
great video!!
Thanks Suzy :)
Why are they using heavy wooden traps versus the newer mesh traps that weigh less? I'm just curious I have no clue
😎🥳You Either Have SALTY SEAWATER IN YOUR VEINS, OR YOU DON’T…& Those who don’t will NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW HARD THESE HEROES WORK 😎😍🥳🙏MUCH RESPECT,
GENTLEMEN, MUCH RESPECT 🫡🙏From a 3rd Generation South Florida Native & 3rd Gen.
Commercial Fisherman & Lobsterman 😎🙏🫡
I’m in a land locked state and really want to try out commercial fishing, specifically lobster/crab. How hard of an industry is it to get into? They said there’s not a lot of young people in it, could that be because a lot of boats want experience? Thanks.
Selling to China is a blessing and a curse. After the first few weeks of the season we (U.S. consumer) can’t get fresh spiny lobster anymore and it drives the prices up for when you can get them. Good for the lobster fisherman bad for the US consumer.
Just discovered your videos, awesome point of view. Have you ever been to any of the Catfish farms. They got to move alot of fish.
Howdy, Danny 🤠! I have not…yet!
Brings a banana on the boat!
Ha! As a fellow fishing captain myself, I had to poke fun at that superstition.
Maine lobstermen hear you did a really good job on the video 👍👍👍. most USA Seafood gets shipped more places than just China 60 is 70% of what we catch goes overseas. right now Maine's biggest market at least the dealer I sell to is France and Spain currently it changes with the seasons
Thanks Josh! Yea, that's what I've learned since getting into all of this commercial fishing work. What a fascinating industry.
@@ScottGerke it really is fascinating even being an insider. as one who catches and help unload the boats and then helps load the trucks and unload the bait trucks and see where everything is going or coming from nowadays. you did very very well on a couple of videos you did on fishing in Florida it sure did show in your videos but most importantly you learned something new
@@joshwelner1951 and I hope it continues to educate as we all need to better understand how our food is caught
Quite an interesting setup compared to northeast lobstering
There’s the reason when you dive the Keys you’re lucky to see one short lobster
Highly educational. Thanks !
What are these traps made of? Wood?
The fact the majority is shipped to Asia is weird tho. If you go to grocery store - majority of frozen seafood comes from Asia 🤷
Glad you enjoyed it! Yes, traps are made out of wood. As for the shipping to China part, it’s just basic economics. Once I understood that they were able to sell for twice as much as they could locally, I get it. The reason why I think it’s important that we all understand this is because if we want local food, we have to be willing to pay for it. But the demand has to be there to make it worth it to them.
As our lives get more expensive, so does it for those who feed us. The only reason why we get imported seafood is because it’s cheaper. At least that is what I’ve learned.
Peace and love from Morocco ❤️ Atlantic Ocean
👋 I love Morocco! Hoping to be there sometime next year 😁
the stacker lifts 21600 lbs. or 9.8 tons of traps in this video. also great video
holy cow, I never thought to do the math on that! 🤯 Thanks, Eli 🙏
Have you ever heard of a banana boat sinking I haven't LoL
Guys, on a 6 :20 you shoeing sea shell that you catched. I will be wondering if you can sell it for me but I need a lot of it.
that is unsellable in the states
How difficult is it go get a lobster commercial fishing license? Are there any certain requirements? Or as a Florida resident do I just fill out a form and good to go?
I'm not the best one to ask about that since I came only to film their lifestyle.
How long do they keep the traps in the water for?
upwards of a few days, then rebaited and dropped back into the water
What do you call that thing that the trap lands in. A see saw ? Where can I get one or find directions to build one. Thanks
Its called a trap table
Can you please tell more about the boat? Do you know approximately how much it will cost?
I can't answer that question, but to get into the business you're looking at least a couple 100k
@@ScottGerke that’s for sure. I just wondered how much it would cost. Think between 300k and 500k in some how good condition
@@stoyankiryakov7382 that's prob a good estimate
So why did they stacks the pots. Why did they not re bait and splash ?
This was filmed towards the end of the season and all of the traps had to be out of the water by March 31st. During the first half of the season they would bait and splash.
@@ScottGerke roger disregard last comment
Can you please tell me the place where i can buy wholesale spiny lobster ? I want to buy alot !
I'm not sure who to call, but I'm sure there are plenty of fisherman out there who would be happy to sell to you!
Buy a retail license in Florida and you can buy wholesale from the fish house, actually a very small mark-up
I grew up commercial fishing in Anna Maria Island, Florida.
In 1995 the state banned gillnetting within states waters. I was the 6th generation and was forced out of my occupation by propaganda. The numbers used to prove the environmental impact were horribly inaccurate. That’s why you have no one in the industry
yea, that's what I've learned during the course of making the king mackerel gill netting video :/
Maine fisherman you're speaking facts
I have a question why is it important to wash traps and lobster at same time?
lobsters don't need to be washed, but the traps do and it's easier for him wash the trap before the line and buoy go in it.
Thankyou Scott I was curious
@@texasangel517 hey, that's what this channel is all about! I had no idea how it all worked, so I wanted to go right to the source to find out! Thanks for watching and cheers to learning something new!
Yeah thats dangerous. Have you checked out offshore lobster fisherman outa north eastern Maine?
it's on my list of industries to film!
Damn so its a everyday job then..
only through the season and in proper weather conditions. There's times they'll take days off, but there's always something to do at the dock.
verry intresting vidio one question am from the caribbean where there is an aboundance of spinny lobster,since china is buying 95% of it from there is there any contact info i can get to suply some lobster there to help the industry
I'd say call up some miami lobster distributors since I am unsure on who you'd contact
How days a week do they go fishing for lobster
Their season is August 6 through March 31st. During that time they will go out as many days as they can, weather depending. Sometimes they go to pick their catch and sometimes it's to move traps after a storm or better location.
@@ScottGerke that day you filmed. They pulled pots. And took off the bot why..?
@@ScottGerke that day. They. Made. 2700
@@bayardtaylor2990 it was nearing the end of the season when I filmed, which was the reason for pulling the traps out of the water.
There is a difference between lobster and crayfish. WHAT were you catching?
Ha, yes! As these guys would put it..."crayfish". To everyone else...lobster (and a good time)
next time you want to do a video of commercial lobster fisherman you need to go to Marathon and see how it is really done hahaha i did commercial for at least 35 years or more and this is not much of a video. 180 traps lol you need to see how it really done send me a message and i will set you up on a trip
ohhhhh man, them some fightin words haha
I'm only showing up if you're pulling 1,000 traps a day 😆
👍🎣⛵🏖️⛱️🌊💯
I'm diggin the emoji choices!
I. Want to know more about fishing
Great, cause I'll be adding a few more types of commercial fisheries on this channel soon!
How do we look for careers like this?
Start walking the dock or search online for boats hiring deckhands.
The lobster would literally be oil if left long enough. Maybe the captain should show a little appreciation for the oilfield hands that provide the fuel that gets his ass 7 miles offshore and back.
Interesting how the people love fresh seafood as the captain said, and the people are willing to pay, then at the end of the video Scott stated they are kept alive to be placed on a plane to go to China. Nice
I’m a commercial blue crabber in Florida I’d like to take you out if interested let me know a way to get in touch with you I’d let to set something up with you
that would be great! It's people like you who help make this channel happen and I appreciate the invite! Please fill out the contact form and I'll get back with you :) www.scottcgerke.com/contact
They love talking about the 2020 worldwide lunacy. Give me a break!
Di Indonesia sangat melimpah lobster mutiara namun sayang harga terlalu rendah
Fish should be expensive, it protects the fishery that way.
He talks about environmental friendly and in some ways they are and a some ways they arent but at least theyre trying i give that to them
That’s the first time I’ve ever seen a captain clean his buoys like that 🤔lol whatever works I guess
I thought that was a pretty smart alternative to brushing them all by hand!
you just had to bring up oil , boo
that banana was just wrong plain wrong
The context of that scene was poorly explained and looking back at it now, it does look wrong. I'm a boat captain and there was a joke tied to it. Anywho, I deleted it now. Fishing went well as you could see at the end of the video.
Can you please give me the address at that lobster warehouse? Thanks you
sorry, I'm not sure where the lobster house is, but maybe if you Google "Miami lobster distributor" you may find one.
Idk if that pressure washer can knock somebody out that’s a little Exaggerating but I have seen one take somebody skin right off like butter
After trying it for myself, that brass nozzle can easily knock you out if you loose control of it. The pressure would spin that thing all over the place.
There’s no such thing as an environmentally friendly commercial trap 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
There's no such thing as an environmentally friendly human existing. It's all relative...
Has the China crash caused problems?
The price they pay for lobster has gone down a lot, but I'm not sure if it's because of a crash
its z craw CRAY FISH YOU SHPOULD NOT EAT THEM
Warm water lobsters are not as good as cold water lobsters and should be much cheaper.
You've never tried Bulldozers then! They used to be a bycatch on shrimp boats, look like a giant pillbug but boy are they sweet and tasty 😋! I used to get them free from my shrimper friends back in the 80s. Now everyone knows about them and they cost more than lobster 🙄! They renamed them Slippery lobster I think 🤔
@@julialaw6471 lucky you!
The boys in the fishing boat are for sure getting ripped-off with the price of the catch, if it is true?......8-12 dollars per kilo,
they are definitely getting the "raw end of the prawn", whereas in Australia mate, the boys are getting 48-50 $AUS per kilo,
and that's in Tasmania, where the average wage is slightly less than the Mainland. Florida has one of the highest wage
rates in the United States, only behind California and Texas. Florida's total GDP is bigger than the entire Australia's GDP,
so as you can see, the numbers don't stack-up, although the fishing traps stack-up nicely, like brickwork, but the wages
are not stacking-up, lagging way behind, with working as a brickie paying better I imagine, the "bricks & blocks" weighing
5-10 pounds and not 180 pounds wringing wet, you get to go home at 3pm, work an even 8 hour day, have lunch at 11.30,
clock-off at 3, and see the missus at 3.45, eat a sandwich and crack open a beer by 3.55, just like clockwork. On the fishing
charter boat, whether it's lobsters or fish, they work very unconventional hours, sometimes "away" at sea for days at a time,
they want to be paid accordingly, putting-in 16-18 hour days. Tassie lobster fishermen are Happy-as-Larry catching the local
lobsters, the "Reds" & "Brindle's", make good coin, selling to China, their main "enemy" is the Squids, that eat into their profits.
*Note: Professional "fishermen" are doing a great job, and should be "supported" with ...........DIRECT SALES FROM THE PIER,
TO THE PUBLIC..... RESTAURANTEURS, CAFE-OWNERS, BUSINESSES & FAMILIES, BUYING DIRECT WITH CASH OR EFTPOS.
WITH THE TASSIE LOBSTER FISHERMEN SELLING DIRECT "TO THE PUBLIC". THE SAME IN MAINE, WHERE A CAFE-OWNER
MAKES "LOBSTER-ROLLS" (THE LOCAL PRODUCT) VALUE-ADDING, AND "MOVES" 1000 LOBSTER ROLLS PER DAY, SELLING
AT A REASONABLE $10 PER ROLL, HE EVEN LOOKS LIKE HE EATS A FEW ROLLS HIMSELF. IT'S A "ROUND BUSINESS" FOR
THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, WHERE THERE IS WORK ON THE BOAT, ON THE PIER, ON THE FACTORY FLOOR, IN THE KITCHEN,
IN THE CAFE. THEY EVEN EXPORT "LOBSTER MEAT" IN SACHETS "TO AMERICA", SELL LIVE LOBSTERS, AND THEIR SHELLS,
WHICH ARE LEFT-OVER FROM THE "MEAT HARVESTING", USED FOR VITAMINS & MINERALS. ALL VERY VALUABLE EXPORTS
FOR THE "LOCALS" ...........ALSO APPARENTLY, THERE IS "SOME CULTURES" THAT DON'T LIKE "CRUSTACEANS"?? WHY??
BECAUSE THEY ARE "EASTMAL PUPPETMANIC'S" - WHO COME FROM THE DESERTS OF THE MIDDLE-EAST - THAT'S WHY.
It won't be long before the Chinese go and catch there own lobster in those waters
LOL its amazing how people are terrible at guessing weights. A commercial lobster trap weighs about 45 to 60 pounds NOT 120 pounds. 180 traps do not weigh 21,600 pounds Hello That's 10.6 TONS, could sink that boat . At best 180 traps weigh 9,000 lbs.
Only a matter of time till Chinese own all that business
Now that the Chinese only pays around a dollar more than the American buyers, who knows at this point.
Maybe if we did not sell to china they would not be so expensive here
I can’t afford to eat lobster because we sell to the Chinese who drove there price through the roof.
I would say robbing banks is even more dangerous. A soldier in Ukraine...That is dangerous.
Sitting in a bath tub filled with rattle snakes...that's dangerous.
@@ScottGerke😂
Nobody young is coming into the industry cause the government isn't giving anymore permits to do it.
Yea, since it's only allowed to be passed down to immediate family, you don't see many. Though, you can lease the license and I know of at least one young guy (35 years old) doing that.
Shit don't look like that hard of work!
true sign of a pro 😎
I cringe every time I hear rope
haha, when people come onto my boat, I make sure we say rope and bathroom. 🤷♂
Why the heck they ship the lobster to China? American lobsters for local people! It is good nono young people come to this industry, why will they join if all you guys did were to ship the products overseas.
"Most dangerous job in the world," lmao No, no, it's not.
I seriously don't know how lobster fisherman are always happy I guess they really must enjoy what they're doing and they probably make a lot of money doing it because I have a cousin that's a fisherman there's a lobster fisherman matter of fact and when I go out fishing with him I am totally miserable it's cold it's hard work it's very dangerous I never have any fun the only fun part is when you're eating it that you put you put it in life and you let it cook in the Sun and you eat it well that's about it
It can get pretty rough out there, but it's all a mindset. I'm sure they have their bad days, but fisherman like these guys, pretty much live on the water and feel right at home.
What hard work these guys doing? Some soft boys
Everyone says their job most dangerous. Not really. Ironworks, lumberjacks, oil drillers, I can think of many more dangerous jobs
I would get tired of seeing this guy's smiling all the time.
I'm busting my ass tired as hell and turn around too see this guy with a dorky smike on his face. It would eventually drive me over the edge.
The most dangerous job in the world? Absolutely not lmao dude needs a dose of reality
? Tf are you talking about
Yeah, He apparently has never fished the bering sea
I Have some advice too. DONT SELL OUR SEAFOOD to the CHINESE
He's not, it's the middle man
Please come to Japan 🇯🇵 and do a day in the life of a Japanese fisherman. You could do a collab with a Japanese RUclipsr that goes by the username @Hamayu1137 he’s a RUclipsr and a fisherman. He’s real awesome, should be great 👍 thanks for uploading good content 👏
Thank you for sharing that RUclipsr with me! I would love to make a video about a Japanese fisherman and will reach out to him if I ever make it out that way!
Why are they using heavy wooden traps versus the newer mesh traps that weigh less? I'm just curious I have no clue