Haul Back

When the captain (day) or first mate (night) is ready to bring up the net the haul back begins with the whir of the net reels. In around 20 minutes the doors are pulled up with a loud rattling thud. After the doors are secured, the net reel continues until the first part of the net comes aboard. At that point a high tech monitoring device, which allows the captain to view what is entering the net, is removed and set aside. Soon thereafter the remaining length of the net and codend (part containing the fish) is pulled aboard alternating between two large cables called gilson lines. After a while you get used to the boat sounds and can tell what’s happening on deck from anywhere on the boat. Once the codend is completely up the captain or mate comes down from the wheelhouse to check out the catch, live tanks are uncoverd, a zipper-like rope is pulled from the end of the bag and the fish are dumped into the live tanks to await processing. Larger codends are sequentially dumped somewhat like squeezing a tube of toothpaste.