Pacific Gillnet Fishing

Gillnet fishing takes place on the Pacific Coast of North America from central California to Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. Gillnetters are particularly numerous in the many inlets in British Columbia where they catch a substantial amount of fish.

Most gillnets are fished from fishing boats drifting with the tide and the nets may be either on the surface or along the bottom. They may also be fished from the shore or between posts or buoys. The nets are made of fine linen thread twine, of 5 to 10 in. (12.5 to 25 cm.) mesh for salmon. They are often up to 900 ft. (275 m.) long, or even 1,500 ft. % m.), and are from 14 to 20 ft. (4.3 to 6.1 m.) deep. Fine threads and muddy waters improve the efficiency and where the water is clear, fishing is usually done at night.

Gillnetters developed from small handlining craft of 28 to 32 ft. (8.5 to 9.8 m.) in length, operated first by oars and sail, then by gasoline engines. This development was recently repeated in Alaska, where fishing with motors had been prohibited. As soon as permission was given, in 1951, the Bristol Bay fishery began to adopt motors and completed the change-over in two years.

The Columbia river fishing boats uere equipped with 3 to 5 h.p. engines in the early 1900s, and they made 6 to 7 knots. When larger engines became available, the speed of the double enders increased to 9^ to 10 knots, which is the maximum possible with that design. Then transom sterns were introduced and still larger-engines employed, so that in the 1920s up to 25 knots were obtained.

The gillnetters were built with different general arrangements, generally as " bow pickers ", but later also as " stern pickers ". The latest development is to install the roller so that it swivels on a base to facilitate the hauling of the net from any angle. Most rollers are mechanically driven, but hydraulic drive is used to some extent. The rudder and propeller have steel guards to prevent the net from becoming entangled.

The fishing boats are from 26 to 32 ft. (7.9 to 9.8 m.) long, and from 9 ft. to 10 ft. 6 in. (2.74 to 3.2 m.) wide. They are designed to be as shallow as possible, but for work in deeper waters, the deadrise is increased to get better seaworthiness.