The day starts early for Santa Cruz-native Matt Rockhold, 49. Most days he wakes up before sunrise to motor his boat, F/V Friendliest Catch, out of the Santa Cruz harbor to fish for either rock crab or California halibut and lingcod. By lunchtime his boat is tied up at the dock and he’s off to his other full time job as marketing director for Buell Wetsuits & Surf. If the surfs up, he’ll paddle out before heading home. Learn more about Matt’s many talents and presence in this community.

While the commercial fishing industry often attracts those with an independent spirit, creativity, and a sense of entrepreneurship, few embody these traits as fully as Santa Cruz fisherman Khevin Mellegers. He currently fishes for sablefish and Dungeness crab on the F/V Areona.

Being the spouse of a commercial fisherman or woman is not easy: They’ll be gone for long hours if not days, income can vary wildly from year-to-year, and they make their living in one of the most dangerous occupations in the country. But for Kristen Deyerle, the challenges of being the better half of a commercial fisherman have been tempered by the adventure, community, and tradition of commercial fishing in Monterey Bay.

The first line of this National Fisherman story on Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust board member Bob Dooley says exactly what we know about him: ”People tend to repeat certain words when they talk about Bob Dooley: generous, humble, knowledgeable, smart, nice, friend.”