Natalie Gail SE AK Salmon Seiner, Captain Hollis Jennings, Trident Seafoods Boat
Hollis Jennings – F/V Natalie Gail, SE AK Fisherwomen – today she’s got a newer boat….
FAST FORWARD a few years later….. to present day today… here is a recap below – from Hollis at her 1st year running her own boat from back in …… 2013!
Publisher, Sea Gal – Salty Dog Boating News, Salty Dog Boating News
Hollis Jennings SE AK Fisherwomen – 30 years old runs her own boat!
Publisher – What do you like about fishing?
Hollis – Being out side, the people, well you know how it is. Jon Franklin is wonderful – the people are great. This industry has a lot of great people. I knew after my 1st year this was defiantly something I wanted to do. This will be my 8th season fishing.
Publisher – Your 1st year on the boat you mentioned you didn’t know much about driving a boat, when did you start driving?
Hollis – I started driving when I got my boat last year – well I guess I drove a bit during sardine fishing that skipper let me drive and dock a little bit. I was totally nervous, on my boat I have a bow thruster so that helps make me look good. I figure if docking the boat is my biggest worry compared to fishing I guess I am doing pretty good!
F/V Natalie Gail – Seine Captain Hollis
Publisher – How many years have you been running your own boat? How were the other captains and boats – how did they treat you?
Hollis – This is my 2nd year running my own boat. Everybody has been so great it’s kinda ridiculous; I wasn’t expecting it. Some would stop by, they would see I was working on the net – they went to their locker they brought me a bunch of extra purse rings and would tell me which ones to use, all sorts of stuff like that from valves to advice out on a set. I was surprised at all the great advice I have gotten.
Publisher – Finding the fish – what’s your intuition on finding the fish?
Hollis – OOOOoooo I don’t know – I go out look for fish and try to find a spot; it’s hard, you know you can see the salmon jumping.
Publisher – How are you in weather and snotty conditions?
Hollis – I thought I was going to be chicken about all that stuff – a lot more shaken. This boat rides really well in rough weather, I kinda enjoyed it. There were a couple of times some of the guys were tucked in anchored out – and we were still out fishing. I trust the boat, that made me feel good!
F/V Natalie Gail, SE AK Fishing
Publisher – How are you in the engine room? Keeping things run-in?
Hollis – I was always the engineer so I am pretty comfortable down there – I can keep it running. I was more worried about finding fish.
Publisher – How about the other women in the industry? We both know how women can be – and the guys quacking on the radio stirring things up…. How has that been?
Hollis – Well I always figured as long as us girls don’t talk behind each other’s back and stick up for each other that’s the way to go; the guys are already gonna talk about us. If us girls can stick up for each other that’s best.
Publisher – This season, what are your thoughts? Your predictions?
Hollis – It’s supposed to be a really big run, last year was 17 million this year is 54 million. Surely I can get a chunk of 54 million – right! I am worried about break downs which Franklin has heard me complain about. I want to go over the boat really well to make sure we are not broken down that’s what can really mess you up. I just want to keep the net in the water, I think we can do okay. It’s a big run, I am hopeful – I don’t want to spend too much money in case it’s a flunk of a year.
Captain Hollis, at the Helm – SE AK
Publisher – Being a girl out there among all the guys – I know how it is on the water in AK so what’s your trick to being a hard working kick ass girl – girl or guy your making it happen what’s your secret? How do you keep it from turning into a grind – none of us want to go up there just to grind it out?!
Hollis – Attitude has a lot to do with it. Somebody once told me, ‘Its important to be pleasant to be around.’ You don’t want to be the person who complains all the time, you want to keep positive thoughts. It’s hard no matter what so might as well put a good light on it.
Publisher – What are your thoughts on crew this season? What are your crew pep talks like?
Hollis – This year I am planning on sitting everybody down – talking to them about getting along, working together and keeping the boat clean. The best crew that I ever worked with was all girls. We couldn’t do everything by ourselves we got used to helping each other, we had to work together and it worked well. Last year I had 3 green horns on deck, I was chasing them around to keep them from killing themselves.
Publisher – How are you at teaching, coaching the new guys? I got the – ‘OOOOoooo you’ll figure it out…..’ pep talk as we were ramming into the barge…. How do you do at coaching your crew?
Hollis – Some stuff I am an okay at teaching, some stuff I guess I am not okay as a teacher. It’s nice if you have one experienced guy on deck who can show the other guys how to do stuff, that way the captain can focus on catching fish. Last year I tried to teach everyone and try to catch fish, I had 3 guys on board who had never seen a net before – my skiff man had a lot of experience but he was out in the skiff. This year my crew has 2 to 6 years of experience. I guess it all depends on the heat of the moment.
Skiff Man – SE AK Fishing
Publisher – Back in the day I referred buddies and college friends to fish in Bristol Bay; these were my toughest athletic buddies who were balls to the walls guys. By the time I got up to Naknek or Clarks Point they were literally crying, they said their ‘captain was so mean and they wanted off the boat’. Have you had any fun experiences referring buddies to go fishing in Alaska?
Hollis – Yah, I had people go up there I could have swore they would have loved it, but then they get up there and all they can see it the wet and the cold. Then their are others who I think they aren’t gonna last 2 weeks and they love it. I actually heard someone tell me the other day they didn’t think I was going to last 2 weeks, you just never know.
Publisher – What’s the future plan as a seine fisherwoman?
Hollis – I want to get the boat paid off – Trident owns my soal for the next six years. Then once I get the boat paid off – I want to try something else in the winter. I don’t want to fish all the time, I love fishing in SE AK in the summer but I don’t want a boat that has to crab and longline etc… I would be happy getting the boat paid off, fish in the summer time and find something else to get into in the winter – maybe travel.
Hollis on Deck – F/V Natalie Gail
Brought to you by: Publisher, Naknek Sea Gal – Salty Dog Boating News News, with many salty seasons in Bristol Bay – Naknek, Clarks Point, Hiding from weather up the Queen’s Slough, Egegik, Ugashik, Togiak, Dillingham…. Akutan….. AK – much fun with only a few major broken bones in 2 places each!
TO HOLLIS: – Kick some bootie best of luck getting on fish this summer – may your crew gel while your nets sink! Keep being the light and positive, motivating strong women that you are. Thank you for leading by great example on land and at sea. Go get-em tiger!
Hollis – May your mind be sharp and your feet be swift!
