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You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:40 am
by Salty
Fellow trollers,
Carl Petersen started a conversation on the VHF the other day which morphed into a discussion of how you know when you are a lowliner. We both came up with some gems. I had not realized how many of the guys were eavesdropping until I got back into cell range and had several calls relating how much other guys enjoyed that discussion. Some had some ideas to contribute so I thought I would start a thread here.

You know you are a lowliner when:

The hoist operator asks you twice "Is that all??" after you have unloaded your partial tote of fish.

After agonizing days over where to start on July 1 and you travel hours to get to the hot spot you look around opening morning and their is not another boat, bird, or whale in sight.

After you unload to the remote buying station with your 50 coho a day trip that you are pretty proud of and ask the buyer how your trip stacks up and he says; "They are doing better both a little north and south of where you are."

You call the plant manager and he can't remember which boat you have.

You find out all the highliners are getting a dime under the table and you have not been offered that incentive.

The guys unloading before and after you are getting meal tickets but you have been "overlooked".

You are more worried about the grading of your fish than you are about turning around quickly.

The gear store manager tries to sell you the hootchies that have been on the rack for decades.

Your "partners" have developed an "alternate" secret method of communication and "forgot" to clue you in about it.

Anyway I think it would be great if others wanted to contribute.

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 12:32 pm
by ericv
This is great Salty, here's few that come to mind: (of course none of these have ever happened to me) ;)

You know you are a lowliner when---

Your accountant looks at your fuel bill and fish income and asks "Do you have any other means of income?"

The ice man from the sole place you do business remarks he knows you've been going out but hasn't seen you in awhile.

You can get 3 weeks of use out of a 1/2 ton of ice in the summer.

When the new, orange fishing gloves still smell new, and have no signs of wear after a 5 day trip.

Your spouse notes your post-trip laundry doesn't smell fishy but sure reeks of coffee and peanut butter.

You "borrow" your kids wagon to deliver your fish at the 11pm processors closing time instead of a daylight dock delivery.

When the next boat on the off load list gets called for an open hoist and says "Gee that was sure fast" as you leave.

You dig out the paint while on a desert drag and paint 70% of the boat while on autopilot.....and it dries to a fine cure.

The day selling handtroller in a beat up skiff has 3 dock carts of fish at the scale waiting for your 1 cart, 5 day load to be weighed.

When picking up your fish check the owner of the plant you've been doing business with for a decade says "Have we met before?"

When you find the Tide Tables from Brazil to Barrow and your Light List enjoyable reading.

The only kings you catch are undersize and caught in the tail as they tried to frantically flee your operation.

The sea otter you pass at an arms reach doesn't dive and has a distinct look of disgust on it's face.

When the only thing of size you see during the day is the humpback that plowed through 4 wires worth of gear leaving a crusty barnacle on hook that used to have a hoochie on it.

When you are relieved when you calculate that you have caught just enough fish to pay for the day's fuel.

The Bass-Pro-Greenhorn-Kansas-Grain-Farmer-Charter-Operator-Dock-Neighbor has more fish than you from a 4hr charter than your 4 day trip - Ouch! Then you know you're really a Lowliner.

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 7:10 pm
by yak2you2
My all time favorite is being reminded by the buyer that the minumum requirement for a sale is; " one fish at least two pounds!"

you know your a lowliner when your bass and lingcod by-catch weigh more than the money fish!

You trade "secret hootchies" with the local highliner, then a week later you see the one you gave to him hanging from the rearview mirror in his truck.


You over hear a group of guys belly laughing down at the end of the bar as their talking about the idiot they were fishing near, and describing a boat that sounds alot like yours.


and you KNOW your a lowliner when you just can't seem to " mark" the fish everyone else is talking about over the radio on your Eagle depth finder.

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 8:41 pm
by Hotspott
You know you’re a lowliner when:

A group of highliners runs towards you when you are fishing by yourself, sees you flip a nice one aboard, reads the name on your boat…and keeps going!!

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 6:58 am
by Salty
These are great guys. Thank you for sharing. Another one that came up is that you know you are a lowliner when the highliners are jockeying for position behind you on the drag.

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 7:50 am
by gumpucky
When at the grocery store you request paper instead of plastic so you'll have something to put over your head when you deliver..............Guess plastic would work too if it gets really bad.

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 5:57 pm
by yak2you2
You know your a lowliner when, you get boarded by the fish cops while 2 miles over the line, with an extra line out, and get off with a written warning because they feel sorry for you!

You know your a lowlier when, the guy you sold your boat too is casually picking at the corner of the first letter of your vessel name with one hand while doing the final handshake with the other.

You can leave your bait on the hatch cover all night, and seagulls won't even eat it.

The ass is worn clear out of your rain pants!

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 6:27 pm
by John Murray
Good one's Eric, Hi Yak good season up there.

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 7:52 pm
by yak2you2
Hello John, I sent you a pm so as to keep the thread on track.

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 8:31 am
by Salty
You know you are a lowliner when your partner, who catches at a comparable rate to you; is on the spot where there was a big bite and didn't get poop, so you didn't get the word until too late.

You know you are a lowliner when your ex-troller friend who comes crewing with you politely asks if he can run his own hootchies and gear arrangement on "his" side and then proceeds to catch about triple on that side.

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 7:17 pm
by Salty
You know you are a lowliner when you are more optimistic about finding a floater than getting a bite.

You know you are a lowliner when you are evaluating the quality of your strikes rather than the size of the fish on board.

You know you are a lowliner when two days before the July 1 opening you are tying chum and pink bugs instead of king hootchies.

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 1:07 pm
by ashadu
you know you are a lowliner when the only way out of alaska is credit card miles.

your best day of chumming, the guy behind you pitches off 4 to your 1.

the only way people acknowdge you is when you mention your offspring.

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 1:05 pm
by squarehead
your asking about the winter king prices before the summer season is over.

your buddy got more for his emergency transfer than you made on both king openings.

your 10% crew share includes three cases of of canned #2 cohos.

3 fathom hand marked line has so many splices it looks like 1.

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:21 am
by carojae
You know you are a lowliner when you pull up to the dock and ask where you can get some "hot spot flashers" and the answer directs you to the pharmacy for some menopause medication to help ease your "hot flashes". :oops:

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:00 am
by Salty
You know you are a lowliner when it has been so long since you updated your hot spot flashers that you can't find one without white spots all over the flashy stuff.

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:25 am
by Journey
your permit renewal fee is $37.50 instead of $75.

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 4:48 pm
by Salty
You decide to add bowpoles because your floats don't catch

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 7:09 am
by mydona
your shoveling the snow from your driveway ...wondering what all your coding buddies are drinking in paradise
over 50yrs and still hanging sheet rock to supplement your trolling income
rushing out to buy the kids a new outboard for Christmas so your income taxes will balance out to 0 for the year

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 6:07 pm
by sparky
You know your a lowliner when you go into the p bar with your 200 dollar check for the last 5 day trip and and you watch the lady sitting next to you win 500 bucks on 35 dollers worth of pulltabs.then ask if she might buy you a beer.

Re: You know you are a lowliner when---

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 11:24 am
by Salty
You know you are a lowliner when the troll snaps you are using are phased out at the main gear store.

You know you are a lowliner when the guys at the coffee gathering know all your scores for the past week and they still aren't going out.

You know you are a lowliner when the food grade grease you use on your gurdies is only available in cases because the only people buying are the processors. How come I am the only troller using food grade grease on my gurdies. We have saltwater running around them all day and leaching grease onto the deck out the scuppers etc. Am I the only guy catching so few fish that I have time to worry about quality issues like whether the beautiful king salmon on my deck is being bathed in non-food grade grease running off my gurdies?