the crew won’t get out of bed. Lead byexample,” says Buck Gibbons, exclusive
fisherman for Giant Eagle salmon, ofpreparing for another arduous journey in Alaska for
The Copper River Salmon season.

Gibbons started fishing as a junior incollege after being offered a summer job by his
brother-in-law. “I had a desire to gointo the FBI. Once I got a taste of fishing, I threw my
diploma in the desk drawer and headedto Alaska and never really looked back.”
Based in Bellingham, Wash. -- the lastmajor city before the Washington coastline meets
the Canadian border – Gibbons’Wildcatch fishing company was co-founded with his
partner Jon Saarheim in 1999. While theprimary mission of Wildcatch, according to
Gibbons, was to “introduce wild salmoninto the organic marketplace as an alternative to
the then more common farm-raisedsalmon,” he and Saarheim also sought to better the
communities of independent fishers inWestern Alaska, communities that previously had
little recognition, resulting in scarcecommercial-fishing opportunity.

“Bringing our customers to thosecommunities would really help connect the dots, create
the connection between producer andconsumer,” Gibbons explains the Wildcatch
strategy of lending a helping hand.

Gibbons and crew will return to theseAlaskan communities from mid-May through late
August to fish The Copper River for theyearly salmon haul, an opportunity he treasures,
calling the adventure “modern dayhunting and gathering.”

“All of those instincts that we allhave come to the surface when you get on a boat … and
the opportunities [are there] for youto be really competitive and successful.”
Gibbons maintains a crew of three: tworelatively green fishermen (high school and
college students) and anothercrewmember with about 25 years of experience. Gibbons
loves having the extra experience onthe boat, giving him the ability for much-needed
breaks. As for the youngsters, Gibbonssays he’s proud to mentor the young men with a
good job that pays really well.

During the The Copper River season, thecrew will average 20-hour days on a boat that’s
32-feet long and 14-feet wide, allowingthem four to five hours of sleep. Gibbons says
that the grueling two- to three-weekstretches are common on the river, and that every
crewmember must be in great physicalshape.

A successful Copper River seasonparallels with a successful pre-season preparation.
“Manage for every contingency. Thewheels are always spinning, and you’re always
making decisions.”

Gibbons is proud and excited to bepartnered with Giant Eagle: “It’s been an unbelievable
relationship. This thing started withsome baby steps but has grown into quite a
concession … they’ve supportedWildcatch like crazy. It continues to amaze me how
popular it has become, which is nice tosee as a salmon fisherman.”
Buck Gibbons, co-founder of Wildcatchfishing company has lived in Washington State
since he was 14 years old and has beenfishing professionally since college.