KNOW YOUR FISHERMAN
Grant Niver
WHO GOT YOU INTERESTED IN FISHING?
2017 was my dad’s 39th year fishing in Bristol Bay. He is beyond passionate about Bristol Bay sockeye salmon and has been for as long as I can remember. He was absolutely the catalyst to get me hooked on the Alaskan red gold!
WHOM DO YOU FISH WITH?
We are very fortunate on the F/V Surrender to fish with all family. My dad, Mark, runs the boat and his crew is myself and my two younger brothers Blake and Bryce. It is a ton of family time, which can be good and bad, but mainly good.
WHEN YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES AND IMAGINE YOURSELF ON THE BOAT, WHAT DO YOU SEE?
Waves, I see a lot of waves. I also see a lot of fish, because with terrible weather comes lots of fish. I have a love/hate relationship with the weather in Bristol Bay.
HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE THE BRISTOL BAY WATERS & FISHERY TO THOSE WHO’VE NEVER BEEN?
It’s the most beautiful place on earth, period.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO PREPARE BRISTOL BAY SOCKEYE SALMON?
Though there really is no wrong way to cook sockeye, on the grill is my favorite way. On the grill after marinating the salmon in teriyaki sauce. Doesn’t get any better than that!
WHAT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SALMON PRODUCT MAKE IT DISTINCTIVE?
The bright red hue of sockeye salmon jumps out of any display case. We call it “red gold” for a reason!
FISHING IN BRISTOL BAY IS TOUGH WORK. WHAT BRINGS YOU BACK EACH FISHING SEASON?
The adventure brings me back. I love living in Minneapolis and the big city life that comes with it, but there is something about being on the boat in the middle of the bay with no connection to the outside world that I just LOVE. The adventure is addicting and not to mention, who doesn’t want to eat the FRESHEST salmon in the world every single day for a month? #heaven
WHAT HAS FISHING IN BRISTOL BAY TAUGHT YOU?
It has taught me about the value of hard work, plain and simple!
DO YOU HAVE ANY UNIQUE FISHING TRADITIONS THAT YOU DO DURING THE SEASON?
We have two traditions on the F/V Surrender. The first is that once our boat hits the 100k pound mark, we celebrate with a bucket of ice cream for the crew. The second is that on the Surrender, we have a bucket of red vines that we snack on throughout the season. When the bucket is empty, that means the season is over!
