National Fisherman

Paul Molyneaux

Editor

Paul Molyneaux is the Boats & Gear editor for National Fisherman.

Author Archive

At dawn, Luis Escamilla and Diego de Leon don trash bags as rain gear and start hauling the net. They bring it aboard quickly, leaving the fish enmeshed in the web, and head for home. All photos by Paul Molyneaux

Putting the art into artisanal fishing

The Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River enables shad and salmon to ascend. While some observers speculate that thriving shad negatively impacts salmon, researchers can find no evidence that such is the case. Photo by Thomas Quinn

From milk jugs to millions: How American shad took over

A pair of young fishermen aboard the scallop vessel F/V Freedom out of New Bedford choose the Showa 477 gloves for comfort and dexterity, but the fastest shuckers on the boat stick with Maritek and Hycron. Photo by Asher Molyneaux

Showa 477 gains popularity among scallopers

The Ricky B., one of NF's Boat of the Month, was one of three boats Lisa Schmidt had to learn to manage when her husband died suddenly in 2015. Photo Lisa Schmidt

Lisa Schmidt’s journey: From nurse to Gulf fishermen advocate

White Glacier believes it has made a superior extreme cold immersion suit that meets and exceeds the polar code, the Arctic 10+. The suit utilizes three layers to provide thermal protection, has a splash tent. Photo by White Glacier

Going to extremes with the Arctic 10+ immersion suit

Lake fishermen in Finland seining vendace (cisco) from under the ice can be seen using the Jokasafe mittens, which are popular due to their warmth and durability. “We’d like to get into the North American market,” says company manager Ville Sulkakoski. Ph

Jokasafe brings durable cold-weather gloves to North America

Lee Fisher International has brought a new 12-inch boot to the shrimp boot market, with the addition of a 16-inch-tall version, both at a price it believes will attract value-conscious fishermen. Photo by Lee Fisher

Lee Fisher International’s new Cajun Reeboks

The North Carolina shad boat, Miss Marsha, was originally built in 1980 and restored by Ben Brown in 2020. Repowered with an 80-hp 4B Cummins in 2023, the Miss Marsha can reach a top speed of 30 knots. Photo by Ben Brown

The shad boat: The iconic craft of North Carolina

Knowing how to don and doff a survival suit and enter the water can make a difference in an emergency. Fishing Partnership is one of several organizations around the US coast that offer fishermen free training on how to handle themselves in a survival sui

The gear fishermen can’t afford to leave behind

Landon Hill came up with the idea for the LocalCatch seafood marketing app in order to facilitate communication between local fishermen and local buyers—both retail and wholesale. Photo by Landon Hill

How apps and markets are changing direct seafood sales