Fishing Slang

Talk like a Fisherman from Deadliest Catch

Working on a crab boat in Alaska takes strength, stamina and an
adventurous spirit. You also need know what the heck everyone is talking
about.

Anchor watch:
Time spent in the wheelhouse to make sure the boat does not drag anchor and start to move.
Bow:
The front of the boat.
Bunk:
A bed.
Cabin or house:
The living area on a working boat.
Chumming for fish:
Vomiting over the side of the rail
into the sea.
Climbing mountains:
Climbing up waves that are the size
of the boat or bigger.
Crab pots:
Traps which consists of a steel frame covered with a nylon mesh.  They are set in strings on the bottom of the ocean to catch crab.
Drop the hook:
Dropping and setting the boat’s anchor.
Galley:
The kitchen and dining area.
Greenhorn:
A first time fisherman.
Head:
The bathroom.
In the trough:
The space in between waves. The boat will naturally fall into a “trough” while drifting. When drifting in the “trough” the boat is parallel with the swell and will rock from side to side.
Jogging:
When the boat engines are at lower rpm. Jogging is often used to hold the boat in a safe position during bad weather.
Lazy swell:
Waves that are far apart with not much wind.
Making ice:
When ocean spray from waves freezes on the boat.
Master Baiter:
A name given to a Green Horn once they have mastered the art of filling bait jars or baiting halibut hooks.
On the crab:
When fishing is great and the pots are full.
Portside:
The left side of the boat facing the bow.
Prop Wash:
An essential cleaning agent. If the ship is low on Prop Wash, it is the job of the Greenhorn to go into town to buy more.
Radar Navigator:
A fisherman who relies too heavily on the radar to navigate instead of his own knowledge of charts and other instruments.
Rollie Pollie:
Middle size waves with a slight wind at the side of the boat.
Screamer:
A captain who screams at his crew.
Skipper or skip:
The captain.
Skunked:
Pulling up an empty pot.
Sloppy-choppy:
Waves that have no real pattern
and seem to be coming from different directions.
Starboard:
The right side of the boat.
Stateroom:
A bedroom.
Stern or aft:
The back of the boat.
Twin Screw:
A boat with two propellers instead of one.
Variable to Terrible:
Often when the forecast predicts “Variable Winds”, it means the weather could get worse.
Wheelhouse:
Where the captain drives the boat.
Wheel watch:
When a crew member takes a turn driving the boat.
Whitecaps:
When the wind is blowing strong enough to produce a crest of foam on waves.