Wearing thick rubber gloves, Su Wei stepped forward and unfastened the buckle at the bottom.
The cage door opened.
Several dark red starfish fell onto the deck, followed by three or five palm-sized stone crabs, and two hermit crabs that hadn't grown up yet.
Apart from that, it was completely empty.
The bait cage, which had been crammed full, was now completely empty; clearly, these little guys had enjoyed a free buffet.
"Damn it."
Aruk leaned out of the driver's window and saw this scene. His excited face instantly fell, and he slammed his hand on the control panel.
"I knew it. God gives us halibut, then takes away the crab. It's his usual balancing act."
With a blank expression, Su Wei used his toes to kick the small, undersized stone crabs and starfish back into the sea.
Don't jump to conclusions.
He reattached the crab trap and stacked it aside.
"This is just the first one. The ocean current structure here is very complex; it might just be a few tens of meters off-center."
"That would be best."
Aruk muttered to himself and pushed the accelerator again.
"The next point is 500 meters away."
The Wavebreaker struggled to crawl along the crests of the waves.
The deck space was mostly occupied by the two enormous halibut and the slippery black cod scattered all over the place.
Su Wei had to move by stepping on the slippery fish, and he had to be extremely careful with every step.
If you slip and fall into the sea at this time, the water temperature will cause you great suffering.
Ten minutes later, the second buoy came into view.
This time, the sound of the network generator seemed to be straining even more.
The winch's rotation slowed noticeably, the cable tightened further, and it emitted a teeth-grinding grinding sound.
Aruk noticed the change and his ears perked up.
"It's a bit heavy."
He shouted from the cockpit, a glimmer of hope rekindled in his voice.
Su Wei stood by the winch, one hand on the gunwale, the other ready to assist at any moment.
As the winch made its final turn, the massive steel cage leaped out of the water.
Clang.
The cage slammed onto the deck with a dull thud.
This time, the cage was no longer empty. The sound of shells clashing came from inside.
Through the black mesh, one could see that it was filled with grayish-brown creatures.
They waved their long legs, pushing and shoving each other, almost bursting the cage.
That's Alaska snow crab.
And it was an astonishingly large male crab.
(refer to)
"Oh My God."
Aruk yelled and scrambled out of the cockpit, not even bothering to pick up his dirty woolen hat which had fallen off.
"They're all big stuff, all money."
Su Wei quickly opened the latch.
A dozen or so huge crabs poured out and crawled all over the deck, which was covered in fish slime.
These snow crabs have extremely long walking legs, with a span exceeding sixty centimeters.
The shells were coated with the chill of the deep sea, and each one was full of vitality, its two pincers raised high, trying to grab anything that came near.
"Quickly, take the measurements."
Su Wei pulled a standard brass ruler from his waist.
Aruk was so excited his hands were trembling as he grabbed the largest snow crab.
The crab swung its pincers and clamped them onto Aruk's thick rubber gloves, but it couldn't penetrate the industrial-grade protective gear at all.
The calipers were placed at the widest part of the crab shell.
The caliper readings showed that the carapace width far exceeded the 5.5 inches specified by the Fish and Game Department.
This one weighs at least two and a half pounds.
Aruk tossed the crab into the large blue plastic bucket next to him with a thud.
"These can sell for $50 each in restaurants."
Su Wei moved with lightning speed, his calipers flying through the air.
"Damn it, throw it."
"This is a soft-shell crab, throw it away."
"Not big enough, throw it away."
Although this cage overflowed, the selection criteria were very strict.
All female and soft-shell crabs must be released back into the sea immediately.
After selection, six male crabs that met the specifications were left in this cage.
The next hour will be a test of their physical strength and willpower.
The roar of the net-raising machine never stopped.
The third cage, 4 animals.
The fourth cage is empty.
The fifth cage, 8 animals.
While not every batch was as surprising as the second one, the average yield was surprisingly high.
Su Wei was in charge of operating the winch and sorting, while Aruk was in charge of sailing and transporting the cargo.
The space on the deck is getting smaller and smaller.
The large blue bucket, originally used to store miscellaneous items, was quickly filled to the brim.
Su Wei had to repack the black cod to free up the circulating water tank that had originally been used to hold live bait.
"Put them in, don't let them die."
Su Wei picked up two large crabs and tossed them precisely to Aruk.
Aruk hurriedly caught the crab and stuffed it into the live water tank.
The seawater circulation pump hummed as it pumped cold, fresh seawater into the cabin.
Although these snow crabs have left the high-pressure environment of the deep sea, they can survive for several days in cold, flowing water. As long as they are brought back to the dock alive, their price can double.
The wind seemed to be picking up.
Su Wei felt the muscles in his arms begin to ache, a reaction to pulling heavy objects for a long time.
Even though he has started exercising and his physical condition is much better than before, this high-intensity work at sea still tests his physical strength.
But he didn't stop.
Every turn of the winch represents the inflow of real money.
Finally, the thirtieth buoy was pulled onto the ship.
As the last undersized juvenile crab was thrown back into the sea, Su Wei turned off the scorching hot net-hauling machine.
The world seemed to fall silent instantly, with only the sound of waves crashing against the ship's hull and the low hum of the diesel engine idling.
The entire aft deck was a mess.
On the deck, black fish oil, red crab blood, and white foam were mixed together.
The live water tank was already full, so the last few large snow crabs had to be temporarily put into a storage box filled with seawater.
Su Wei removed his gloves, which were covered in a fishy smell, wiped the ice crystals off his face, and exhaled a puff of white breath.
He quickly took stock of the items.
A total of 42 snow crabs met the standards for commercial fishing.
In addition, there were two flounders the size of door panels, and nearly three hundred pounds of black cod.
This trip is already fully loaded.
" Su Wei..."