Columns – Page 10 – Fishermens News

John

My uncle John Hurwitz, who wrote this column since 2006, passed away after a heart attack at the age of 78 in Las Vegas on April 25, 2021. Born in 1942, he lived a fascinating life and enjoyed a long career as a commercial fisherman. Before writing for Fishermen’s News, he wrote for Pacific Fishing. Uncle John’s stories, co-authored by his wife, Irene, were a lively recollection of their days in West Coast commercial fishing. My uncle always seemed larger than life when I was growing up, and his adventures were like a Hollywood movie. His father, a US Marine, served in the Pacific during WWII and after the war was stationed along with his family in Japan. It was there that “Skip”, as the family called my uncle, first fell in love with fishing with his older brother, my dad Buzz. Event...

Reminicinces of an Old Bold Fisherman

Well, I must say it’s nice to be back at the keyboard. I really didn’t think I’d miss it, but I was mistaken. The sea, the boats, the fishermen are my soul. It’s something I need to feel whole and I really miss it. It’s the little things, the weather reports, the jokes, the old-timers, the youngsters, the jargon, the slang, (the “mother tongue” so to speak). Comments you make like, “I threw the pick.” “I set the heavy first and then the dogs! Got my first bite three stops down. They’re coming right on top today! I love this hoochie!” Anyway, you get the point! As for fishing, the latest reports I hear are not promising. As most of you know, crab season has been dismal, with reported numbers being ones and twos and zeros per pot. If anyone is doing better than that, they’re not talking. Th...

Getting Reacquainted

We are more than grateful to be part of the relaunch of Fishermen’s News. While our voice is one of many, we believe we present a unique perspective and appreciate the opportunity to share our thoughts, concerns and opinions with you. We look forward to diving deeper into specific issues in future articles; but today we briefly cover a diverse set of topics. Primarily because we had trouble deciding which of the following was most important. COVID-19 First and foremost, we offer our sincere condolences to those of us who have lost friends, family members or other loved ones. COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, profound impacts of the America and the U.S. commercial fishing industry. From lost markets to cancelled surveys which inform stock assessments, the true impacts of COVID-19 w...