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 Carrying
a crew of about 14 people (captain, mate, vessel pilot, chief engineer,
second engineer, cook, and eight fishermen), steamer
vessels depart
from various plants and arrive on the fishing grounds near
daybreak. On most fishing days, 4-5 sets are made on average. Depending on their catch, the weather, and other factors, a
vessel may make several trips during the week.
 The
search for menhaden is conducted by three persons, the spotter
pilot, the vessel captain, and the vessel pilot. Once a
"color" or "whip" is sighted indicating that a
school of appropriate size is within range, the steamer
crew goes into action. On orders from the captain, the purse-boat
crews (fishermen) rush to stations at the purse boats near the
stern. The purse boats are lowered into the water and join at the
stern of the steamer.
 Each
purse boat carries half of the purse
seine as they race together toward the school of fish. Once
they get close to the school, the purse boats separate and begin
to "play out" or "set" the net as they proceed
in a half circle around the school and meet with the school
surrounded by the net. The purse line, running through the bottom
rings, closes the bottom of the seine to confine the menhaden. The
seine is then retrieved mechanically by the power block aboard
each boat forcing the fish into a relatively small section of the
net known as the "bunt."
 The
steamer moves to the purse boats where they are secured to
the port side. The fish are raised closer to the surface as the
net is lifted by a large boom. The catch is then pumped across dewatering
screens into the refrigerated hold through a large, flexible
hose that is attached to a suction pump. The excess transport
water is returned to the sea. If it appears that there will be
more fish in the immediate area, the purse boats are secured to
the stern of the steamer and towed to an adjacent location.
Once the
hold is full or the trip is otherwise completed, the steamer returns to the plant where the fish are unloaded by pumps
and processed or
"reduced". The number of "sets" made by
the vessel per day depends on the availability and size of the
schools. Schools may contain from 3 to 100 metric tons of menhaden
each;
however, an average set contains 17 to 22 metric tons of menhaden.
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