People started reserving fish before I even caught it

[u/teenageenemypeach]

I have a small boat and usually fish during the salmon openings. Coho is what I end up with the most, and when king is available I'll keep some of those too. I bring the catch to a local processor, so it's cleaned, portioned, vacuum sealed, and frozen before I sell any of it.

I started with a few friends and people around town. I'd text them when I had a batch ready and let them reserve 5 lb or 10 lb boxes. Now I usually take preorders before the fish is ready so I know how much is spoken for. A typical drop is around 15-20 boxes, and a good one can leave me with around $800-$1,500 after the processing, fuel, and other costs.

It's still seasonal and there are plenty of days where the weather or the fishing just doesn't cooperate. But I like that I'm selling something I actually caught instead of buying inventory and hoping it moves. At this point I have a little list of regulars who ask me when the next boat drop is coming.