I am very interested in heading up to alaska over the summer and most likely work at a processing plant, but I'd really to find a boat to get on and be out on the water.

I have A LOT of inland fishing experience but nothing offshore so what do you think my chances of finding some kind of deckhand position would be?

And any information would be great. I've been reading a ton of stuff on the internet, its just always better to talk to someone with actual experience so it'd be great if anyone could help me out here.

I wanted to get on a boat when I first went up there 20+ years ago and had no luck. I worked several years in a processing plant and I was fine with that decision. In the plants you get health insurance and probably steadier hours. What I did learn to you need to do to get on a boat is to put the hours in on the docks and the bars. However you have to use the bar route with a grain of salt. You can make some good contacts but they don't want drunks, although alot of people who work the boats have been known to have their moments. Most boats hire people they know or people that are recommended. The good captains (where you will actually make good money) have experience people lining up to try and get on their boats. If you hook up with a bad captain it can be very dangerous with not much money to be made. If you get an offer on a boat, ask the captain a bunch of questions. The other key would be to get to the docks early in the year as they are getting the boats ready for the season. That is harder to do now with the quota system they have going now. Good luck and enjoy the adventure. If you work the plants you will meet a bunch of great people. I still get together yearly with a bunch of guys I met up in AK.

Thanks for the info fivebucks. I'm pretty much planning to work at a processing plant just working towards finding my way on a boat or finding some contacts at least.

Do you think I'll have any problem finding work at a plant?

And the reason I'm going up there is to experience the area because I really have a passion for remote areas and I love to fish. Will I have some good opportunities to do some fishing and exploring?

When I was up there just about anyone could get on at a plant. What area are you thinking? I was in Seward and you had to get your application early and keep checking back. They hired first come first serve after the returning workers filled in their positions. You should check online with the State of AK employment offices to see if you can get the application in before you leave MN. The main summer push is the salmon season which in Seward kicks in after the 4th of July. I was there early to mid June and got in line. There was a lot of waiting around but you would usually find out early in the day if they were hiring so it left you plenty of time to head up to the Russian River for some early Reds, combat style.

Most of the plants on the road system means more people, including crowds at the fishing holes. It is not the "remoteness" a person thinks of when you think of AK but there is something about the place. You can find plenty of areas to hike into lakes for rainbows and dollys and get away from the crowds. Fishing around the Kenai and Russian Rivers for salmon will be crowded but it is still a ton of fun.

I don't know what's involved with getting on at a plant say in Bristol Bay but that would be much more remote but also more expensive to get to (fly only).

Good luck and have a great summer. Fire away other ? you may have and I'll answer as best I can.

Thanks a lot you're being a lot of help. I'm thinking I'll end up somewhere around the Kenai Peninsula area, but I'd probably like the Bristol Bay area better if I could find a job there.

I've been checking around all over the net and got a bunch of applications so we'll see if i can actually land a job at one of those places.

Did you have something lined up ahead of time and start working as soon as you got up there, or did you just go up and look around for a job?

Nothing lined up in advance. We had a name at Seward but that was it. 3 of us just drove up and winged it. We got there in mid June and didn't start work until a week or so after the 4th of July. We sold the car to tide us over money wise until work started and ate alot of fish. We had a good few weeks of time to fish and hike cause once the pinks started running there was barely time to sleep. The next years I had my job all lined up at the same place.

hey Fred Bear-
Fivebucks had good advice and IMHO winging it is the way to go. It really helps to know someone up there to point you in the right direction for finding a job or to offer up a couch for you to sleep on til you start getting some paychecks but if your serious about seeing AK, JUST GO! I garantee you won't regret it especially if you love the outdoors, it's truly a sportsman's paradise. Some friends and I went 10+ years ago in April before tourist season and knocked on a lot of doors before finding work. I washed rental RV's before I ended up as a maintenance guy at a fly-in lodge and worked my way to fishing guide for a couple summers. I met alot of really good people up there and I can't wait til the next time I get to head back up to paradise. I'd like to think minnesotans have a stronger work ethic than most you just have to strike up the right conversation w/ the right person and then prove it. It's difficult for businesses to take a guy from 1000 miles away seriously so your better off going up early and knocking on a bunch of doors and filling out a bunch of applications before things get hectic. By the time tourist season/fishing season starts up I'm sure you'll be able to find something for work. Geographically the state is huge, but population wise it's like a small town, everyone seems to know everyone, so talk to as many different people as possible and sooner or later you'll meet the right folks to hook you up a decent job. Pinch your pennies by sleeping in your car or at the hostels, ride the bus in anchorage and eat lots of P&J sammys so you can afford a few beers at eth end of the day. Good luck and have fun!
redhooks

Hey Fredbear how is your search coming?