On Assignment-- The Roughest Catch: Ike Jime on the Gulf Coast

I was recently dispatched to help photograph a piece that one of the writers at the Houston Press was working on. An article on the ike jime process of catching and preparing sushi grade fish. This assignment took me to the Gulf coast of Texas near Corpus Christi and Aransas Pass (about 4 hours from Houston) and also about 40 miles into the deep, crystal blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Our assignment was to document, interview and photograph Captain Barry Irwin and his boss, Jim Naismith aboard their 58 foot commercial fishing boat, the La Victoria. On this day they were scheduled to take a break from their normal fishing techniques and fish for basically the same fish they would usually catch but on this trip they would be prepping sushi and sashimi grade fish.

Our day started at 5am so that we could report to the boat before 6:30am. We set sail before 7am and let me tell you, since I am hardly ever up before sunrise, I took full photographic advantage of the rising sun on the Gulf coast.

We ended up with over 200lbs of sushi grade red snapper and one bonito (a small tuna like fish) that we immediately prepared sashimi style and ate raw on the boat.

Our trip lasted 15 hours that Friday but it was the best, most exciting learning experience I have encountered in a long time. We fished over shipwrecks, a sunken German U-Boat and close to stationary oil rigs. I saw dolphins in crystal blue waters and went further into the Gulf of Mexico than I had ever been before. It was truly the best Friday ever.

The original piece that started this whole project was a cover story on the Houston Press titled, The Fish That Got Away. It's a great read with photos by me.

This piece that took me into the Gulf, is currently being published in four parts on the Houston Press.

Part 1: The Roughest Catch: Ike Jime on the Gulf Coast, Part 1 of 4
Part 2: The Roughest Catch: Ike Jime on the Gulf Coast, with Video, Part 2 of 4
Part 3: The Roughest Catch: Ike Jime on the Gulf Coast, Part 3 of 4
Part 4: The Roughest Catch: Ike Jime on the Gulf Coast, Part 4 of 4

Here's a slideshow with the rest of my photos including fishing and gutting photos: Ike Jime: Gulf Fishermen Go for Bust with Sashimi-Grade Fish

Select photos and some that are not in the above slideshow are below:

1.

Morning Silhouettes - 5DII_7975A by groovehouse, on Flickr

2.

The Captain & The Sunrise - 5DII_8012A by groovehouse, on Flickr

3.

Gulf Sunrise - 5DII_8001A by groovehouse, on Flickr

4.

Anchor Sunrise - 5DII_8037A by groovehouse, on Flickr

5.

Passing Boats - 5DII_7972A by groovehouse, on Flickr

6.

Jim Naismith - 5DII_8060A by groovehouse, on Flickr

7.

La Victoria - 5DII_8401A by groovehouse, on Flickr

8.

Rope - 5DII_8367A by groovehouse, on Flickr

9.

Heading Home - 5DII_8310A by groovehouse, on Flickr

10.

Knives Put To Rest - 5DII_8506A by groovehouse, on Flickr

EQUIPMENT USED:

For this assignment, I was very unsure about what equipment to bring and whether or not there was going to be overspray (splashing water) from the Gulf. I wasn't aware of the size of the boat or any real particulars. I ended up bringing my Canon 5D Mark II and I used some older lenses.

I took my Tamron 28-75mm, a Canon 75-300, a Tamron 17-35 and a Sigma 15mm fisheye. I was already taking my best camera body and I decided to leave my two best lenses on shore, my Canon 24-70mm L and my Canon 70-200mm L.

I would risk my camera body but didn't want to risk my 2 best lenses also. In the end, the lenses I took performed well but I realized that I could've brought my best lenses due to the calmness of the water that day.

When the trip was over, I thoroughly cleaned my camera body and all my lenses and had only a little regret for not taking my best equipment.

 

I know... thanks. Hoping to be able to contribute more again. Just been busy and haven't been on my message boards, etc.