Rick and Donna Quashnick

It's not just a job; it's an adventure!

The Maverick is owned and operated by one of the very few husband and wife teams in the Alaska fishing industry. Rick and Donna Quashnick have owned the Maverick together for 16 years. Rick began operating the Maverick in the fierce waters of the Bering Sea in the fall of 1991.

Rick was born and raised in Oregon and became a second generation fisherman to make his living gillnetting on the Columbia River for salmon, shad, and smelt in a family-owned 28 foot commercial gillnet boat.

Donna grew up in a career Coast Guard family and met Rick just after high school. They married and began their family of five daughters soon after. Her interest in fishing grew from a close relationship with her father, who worked on a Coast Guard tender during her growing years. Rick's love of the water and of the fishing life was something she could understand.

After Mount Saint Helens Volcano erupted in 1980 and dumped her devastating ash into the Columbia River, the fish runs were depleted drastically. They decided it was time to diversify and bought their 92-foot commercial fishing vessel, the Maverick, and Rick began fishing as many seasons as were available in the Alaska waters.

Since then, the two have operated and worked together for 14 years building one of the most successful fishing operations in the dangerous waters of Alaska’s Bering Sea.

Each year, the Maverick begins fishing for Opilio Snow crab in January-February. Then the boat switches to tendering herring in April-May and salmon tendering in June-July. After that season ends, the boat and her crew go halibut longlining in August-September, and finally run up to Bristol Bay to catch Red King crab in October-November.

Viewers have been able to see Rick and Donna's passion for the fishing way-of-life in action on the very popular "Deadliest Catch" television show, which appears on the Discovery Channel. Join us for another season as the adventure continues, and watch the Maverick crew brave the elements and the sea in order to haul in a catch of King crab.

To learn more about the Maverick, Boat Tour - Bow to Stern.

Rick Working on His First Boat

Rick's first gillnet boat bought at age 13. He was not allowed to fish it until he was 14.