Born and raised on the island of Galveston, red snapper fisherman Bill “Bubba” Cochrane has made the waters of the Gulf of Mexico his second home since the age of 19. Photo: Ed Lallo/NewsroomInk
by Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
A fourteen foot wave breaking the bow and crashing into the cockpit of the 50 foot Chelsea Ann doesn’t scare Bill “Bubba” Cochrane, its just part of his job as a Gulf of Mexico commercial fisherman. What scares him is losing the ability to harvest twenty percent of one of the most sustainable fish in the Gulf of Mexico.
The crew can fish as many as six lines on the Chelsea Ann. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
Born and raised on the island of Galveston, located South of Houston, the 44-year-old red snapper fisherman has made the waters of the Gulf of Mexico his second home since the age of 19.
“I started in recreational fishing as a deckhand for charter boats,” said the burly Texan standing on the dock of his island home. “ When I turned 20 I made the switch to being a deckhand on commercial boats.”
Cochrane started his commercial fishing career working the deck for an island fisherman who operated both a charter and commercial boat. In the summer he would work the charter, and the winter would fish for red snapper the commercial boat. He was promoted to captain of both boats after 10 years.
Eventually he managed to save enough to purchase his own commercial boat, and did less and less charter fishing and more and more commercial.
“The charter boat season kept getting shorter and shorter with season closures and smaller limits,” he said. “I found myself naturally making the transition to commercial.”
Commercial Red Snapper Fisherman
Commercial fishing for Cochrane has always been about one fish, Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper.
The wheel of the Chelsea Ann lays against the cockpit window during the boat’s restoration and upgrading. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
The well-spoken, driven fisherman owns the right to harvest approximate three per cent of the popular fish. Currently he doesn’t lease any quota out or in, but “if the right opportunity arose on a good deal I am sure I would be interested.”
The father of two spends approximately three months of the year in Gulf waters, making four-day trips up too ninety miles from his downtown dock.
“The boat travels approximately five miles an hour, so it takes awhile to get to where the fish are,” he explained. “Knowing where to fish is the tricky part. Sometimes it might take a day to get the lay of the land, or in this case sea, to find where the fish are plentiful. On the next trip you go back to where you left off and use that as a starting point.”
Bubba will bring in an approximately 13,000 pounds of red snapper on an average trip, and as much as 17,000 pound on a exceptional excursion. In addition he keeps and bycatch that is open and legal, such as vermillion and grouper.
Time at Sea
A crew member on the Chelsea Ann baits hook with mackerel. Photo: Bubba Cochrane
A typical fishing trip starts on a Friday. The boat is loaded with bait, ice and groceries, as well as last minute items the crew might need, like tackle.
On Saturday the Chelsea Ann, named after his daughter, leaves the downtown Galveston dock; Sunday fishing starts. The crew of four will fish till Tuesday, and arrive back at the docks on Wednesday to unload.
The boat’s crew of four are capable of fishing up to six lines, but mainly use four lines, with approximately 20 to 40 hooks per line, depending on experience.
In the morning, the crew baits hooks. A piece of mackerel is attached to each hook that is dropped straight down between 150 to 300 feet.
“When the boat is anchored or tied to a platform, I blow my horn the lines hit the water,” said Bubba, whose nickname is a result of having the same first name as his dad.
Almost as soon as the line is set, the crews start to retrieve the line and send another down.
On board the snapper is released and the hook re-baited. By the time the fish is in the cooler it is time to start the process all over again. A process, that according the boat’s captain, just “goes on and on and on” until the fish start to play out.
Each crewmember is responsible for keeping track of what they catch. Fish are logged and weighed, and crewmembers are paid on their individual catch total. Photo: Bubba Cochrane
Each crewmember is responsible for keeping track of what they catch. Fish are logged and weighed, and crewmembers are paid on their individual catch total.
“I pay my crew 70 cents a pound; on a good trip a crew member can make around $2000. The money is good, but it is a lifestyle that is not for everyone,” said Cochran, who serves as president of the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders Alliance, the organization representing commercial red snapper fishermen. “When the fish are biting we keep fishing. Sometimes they will work 24 hours straight; they know that’s just how it is in commercial fishing.”
According to Cochrane, on a line of 20 hooks, an average of 15 will come aboard with a snapper attached.
“When we start to get a lot of small fish it is time to move the boat to new waters,” he said. “We release all undersize fish, those under 13 inches, and more than 70 percent will survive. If are lines are filled with undersized, we are going someplace else. We are not hanging around that fishing hole.” Fishing responsibly is the top priority of every commercial fisherman, according the Bubba.
Fishing for His Customers
He sells his entire catch to Katie’s Seafood in Galveston, where his fish ends up on the counters of H-E-B and Central Markets, as well as on the tables of restaurants like Caracol in Houston.
Cochrane sells his entire catch to Katie’s Seafood in Galveston, where his fish ends up on the counters of H-E-B and Central Markets, as well as on the tables of restaurants like Caracol in Houston. Photo: Bubba Cochrane
“Bubba has been selling to me longer than anyone else,” said Katie’s owner Buddy Guindon. “He is dependable and I enjoy working with him. He made decisions that others didn’t make early on, and in the long run they have proved to be the right decisions. He doesn’t run to the easy money, but is in the business for the long haul. He is definitely one of the smartest fishermen I know.”
Cochrane, who doesn’t fear the Gulf’s large waves, is concerned that his business might face a tidal wave sized setback by newly proposed legislation.
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s Amendment 28 proposes to change the allocation of total red snapper caught by commercial and recreational fishermen. The legislation would give 20 percent of the commercial fishing allotment to recreational fishermen.
“If they take away 20 percent of my allotment, it would not only affect my income, but severely impact the customers that depend on my fish,” he explained. “The reason I spend three months on the water is so consumers from New York to California can enjoy a taste of the Gulf. This would be devastating.”
He says commercial fishermen are pretty resilient, and that he would find away to survive, but it is the consumer that is getting hurt. “I have been adapting to this fishery every since I got into it. It has just recently turned profitable, as well as sustainable, after all those years of barely surviving.”
“In the past I would have never have encouraged my son or daughter to get into fishing for red snapper,” said the Galveston fisherman. “Now I look forward to them taking over after I am finished.” Bubba’s son Conner does a little night fishing aboard his fathers boat. Photo: Bubba Cochrane
The fisherman says there is a lot of misconception about where and how red snapper is caught. While dining out he always asks where his red snapper comes from, “I get some weird answers, like it is farm raised or comes from the bay.”
He sees a need for chefs and restaurateurs to be better educated on the tractability of snapper, and who catches it, “If they can’t tell me where it comes from, I don’t want it.”
“I always look for Gulf Wild because it is seafood with certainty and restaurants should be promoting that,” he said. “Tractability is the key. I have an open invitation to any chef who would like to come and see exactly where red snapper is caught. If they have four or five days to spare, and don’t mind a little rough seas, come on down.”
“In the past I would have never have encouraged my son or daughter to get into fishing for red snapper,” said the island fisherman. “Now I look forward to them taking over after I am finished. I am a first generation commercial fisherman, and I hope that my kids will continue the tradition.”
Visitor Comments