SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — At 6 a.m. on a chilly weekday in January, Captain Eric Hodge and deck hand Bailey Raith arrived at the Santa Barbara Harbor, just as the sky turned bright orange and the only thing one could hear was the lulling sound of seagulls.
Hodge and Raith are a dying breed of commercial fishermen. Their office is nine feet wide, 24 feet long.
“It’s a lifestyle you know? Kind of mystical in a way,” Hodge said.
Raith, a 24-year-old Massachusetts native, said he tried other professions but none suited him quite like the sea.
“There’s nothing better than coming home and getting a bunch of fish to a local restaurant,” he said.
Life was good until March, when the pandemic hit and their income dried up overnight.
“Restaurants closed, everyone stayed home, and I was like, ‘Oh no. What do we do now?’” Hodge recalled.
The last few months, he said, were rough. He was able to survive thanks to some savings, which eventually ran out, and a few steady clients. But now he’s back in business. And even though his job hasn’t really changed, the people eating his fish have. Charities are now buying up seafood from local fishermen and donating it to food banks, helping to keep fishermen afloat and the needy fed.
On this particular trip, Hodge and Raith are heading 18 miles into federal waters to catch 1,400 lbs. of rockfish for the Food Bank of Santa Barbara County.
The money came from a non-profit called Catch Together which, through the Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, is supporting people like Hodge, as well as area plants working through the pandemic.
This the biggest order Hodge has had in a while. As Raith prepares the bait, Hodge searches for the right spot. Finding the fish is half art half science, using sonar, GPS, and intuition.
“You’re so present, body, mind, and spirit,” Hodge said. “But usually if the seas are calm and the fish are biting, it’s as good as it gets.”
As soon as they reach their destination Hodge and Raith drop their fishing lines 500 feet below the surface. Within minutes, the fish begin to bite.
Each fish is about 4 lbs. They are bright red with poisonous fins that can cut through your skin if you’re not careful.
At the end of a long, hard day, Hodge and Raith make their way back to the harbor, along with more than 1,000 lbs. of rockfish on board. Even though they came up a bit short, at $3.5 a pound, that comes to $3,500 — not bad for a day’s work.
“It feels damn good at the end of the day,” Hodge said. "Knowing that we caught a lot of fish, it’s a good feeling."
They’ll be sleeping well tonight, knowing they can finally breathe a little easier as they ride out these turbulent waters while feeding those most in need.