11 Sep Tim Obert: A Life Built Around Fishing and California King Salmon
Tim Obert: A Life Built Around Fishing and California King Salmon
For Tim Obert, fishing has been part of life for as long as he can remember.
Born and raised in Santa Cruz, Tim grew up spending time on the water with his father, a minister in Scotts Valley. Because his father often had weekdays available, fishing became part of their family routine. Tim started young, sport fishing for salmon with his dad when he was only five or six years old. During salmon season, they often went out two or three days a week.
Fishing also had deeper roots in the family. Tim’s great-grandfather ran a well-known tuna boat out of San Diego, although he passed away when Tim was still very young.
Tim’s father was not a commercial fisherman at the time. Instead, he caught fish and often shared it with members of his congregation. Since then, however, he has become a commercial fisherman himself. What started as family time on the water quickly became something much bigger.
Growing Up in the Fishing Industry
By age ten, Tim had already found his first way into the fishing business. At Bayside Marine in Santa Cruz, he learned how to tie salmon mooching leaders. Before long, the shop owner supplied him with hooks, packaging, and labels and paid him 25 cents for every leader he completed.
Tim and his twin brother got to work. Eventually, they were tying between 3,000 and 4,000 leaders each week for tackle stores around town. “That was the first money we ever made in fishing,” Tim says.
From there, the brothers kept finding ways to work around the harbor. They washed charter boats for $25 apiece, worked on six-passenger charter boats by age 12, and started crabbing together at 13. “He ran block, and I ran box,” Tim says. Commercial salmon fishing came next.
Today, Tim is only 40 years old, yet he already counts 29 fishing seasons behind him — “pretty crazy for my age,” as he puts it. That early start gave him a deep understanding of the fishing industry. More importantly, it created a lifelong connection to the water, the work, and the fish.
His combination of experience and youth has also earned him seats on several fishery management bodies. In those roles, Tim says he is focused on “looking for a future” for the fishery.
A Season That Brought California King Salmon Back to Markets
After three consecutive years without a commercial ocean salmon season, 2026 marked an important return for California fishermen.
Fresh California King salmon once again reached coastal communities, seafood markets, and consumers. Although the fishery was carefully managed through limits on fishing time, areas, and harvest, Tim believes the impact was significant.
“There were a lot of boats that participated, and for some, it was life-changing,” Tim says. “It was really beneficial for the markets to get salmon back to them and get it to the public, get it to the consumer.”
The impact extends far beyond the boats catching salmon. Tim points out that an active salmon season supports working harbors, seafood buyers, tackle stores, markets, restaurants, and many other businesses connected to California’s fishing economy.
As he explains, the season “does bring value back to the product, back to the industry, it brings revenue to the harbors, it brings it to the tackle stores, and it gives that resource to the public, and it keeps them eating salmon.” Even a limited season can make a meaningful difference, especially after several difficult years.
For fishermen, markets, chefs, and seafood lovers, the return of California King salmon creates an important connection between California’s fishing fleet, coastal communities, and the people who look forward to enjoying fresh wild salmon when it becomes available.
A Life Built on Salmon
For Tim, salmon has never been just another fishery.
It has helped shape his career, his business, and much of the life he has built around California’s fishing communities.
Today, Tim operates a large vessel with a partner who is also one of his best friends. He also works with two smaller boats: a 40-foot steel boat and a 42-foot lobster boat.
Together, the operation targets salmon, Dungeness crab, and groundfish along the Central Coast.
His twin brother remains part of the fishing operation as well. He works alongside Tim on the crab boat and runs a salmon boat of his own.
Tim also holds fishing permits in Oregon. During summers when California salmon fishing is closed, he follows albacore north in search of other opportunities. “I go all over the place and catch whatever we can, whenever we can catch it,” he says. Still, salmon remains at the center of his story. “Everything I have in my life — my house, my boats, my everything — was built on salmon,” Tim says. That history helps explain why he cares so deeply about the future of the fishery. He wants future fishermen to have the same kind of opportunities that helped him build his own career.
“We need to make seasons sustainable so we can remain viable and continue to have opportunity,” he says.
For Tim, sustainability is not simply about protecting a resource. It is also about maintaining a working fishery that can support families, communities, and future generations.
One of the Coolest Fish in the World
When Tim talks about salmon, his respect for the fish is obvious. “Salmon is one of the coolest fish in the world, period,” he says.He is especially fascinated by the salmon life cycle and the journey each fish makes.
“The life cycle of the salmon is absolutely amazing. How it’s blueprinted in the river and comes out and lives this wild life out here, escapes every predator, finds its way back — GPS tracker at its nose to go to this river that we couldn’t find our way back to a harbor without electronics… It’s amazing.”
That remarkable journey is part of what Tim wants consumers to appreciate. “And that’s why I tell people, when they’re eating salmon, that’s something special.”
California King salmon is more than another seafood choice. It is a wild, seasonal fish with an extraordinary natural life cycle. It also has a close connection to California’s rivers, ocean, fishing communities, and coastal economy. For Tim, every salmon represents survival, instinct, strength, and the work required to bring a wild fish from the ocean to the table.
Salmon Is for Everyone
California King salmon is often treated as a premium seasonal product. For Tim, however, its value is also deeply personal.
It is food he wants to bring home to his family.
“I want them for my kids, I want them for my wife, I want my family to eat that quality food,” he says. His children have learned to appreciate salmon in much the same way. “My kids look at salmon like I do,” Tim says. “It’s a treat.”
That perspective matters. California King salmon can be served in restaurants, prepared by chefs, and enjoyed for special occasions. However, it also belongs at family tables, backyard grills, community gatherings, and simple home-cooked dinners.
California King salmon is flavorful and naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids. It is also closely connected to the fishermen and coastal communities that bring it to shore.
For Tim, the health benefits are especially meaningful.
“In this world, it’s very rare we get something that’s not touched by humans,” he says. “This is a wild animal… It’s wild-captured and brought in, and I’m bringing it to my kids the day I catch it, and I just love seeing their faces.”
Some years, salmon may feel like a familiar part of summer in California. During more limited seasons, however, it becomes something people have to seek out and savor.
Either way, Tim believes consumers should understand and appreciate what they are eating.
The Freedom and Adventure of Fishing
Tim talks about commercial fishing with the perspective of someone who understands both its rewards and its sacrifices.
The work requires long hours, constant flexibility, and the willingness to follow fishing opportunities whenever and wherever they appear. Still, the pull of the water has always been strong.
“There’s such beauty in fishing,” Tim says. “The freedom of fishing and the adventure that it gives you is something I’ve been addicted to my entire life.”
That adventure has shaped nearly every part of his life. Fishing has allowed Tim to travel, meet people from different communities, form friendships along the docks, and experience a way of life that few other careers can offer. “It’s amazing. You don’t get it anywhere else,” he says. “It’s one of those things that is just unique to this industry.”
At the same time, Tim does not romanticize the sacrifices. “You’re gonna miss your kid’s school play, you’re gonna miss baseball games, you’re gonna miss times with your wife, your anniversaries, funerals, weddings,” he says.
“There’s times where you kind of regret decisions of being a fisherman, and there’s other times like, this is the greatest job on earth.”
Because fishing can take him away from home for long periods, Tim tries to make the most of the time he does have with his family. When he is home, he says, “I’m 100% there.”
That combination of sacrifice, freedom, hard work, and pride is part of what makes fishermen’s stories worth telling.
Behind every fresh California King salmon is someone who has chosen a demanding life shaped by weather, changing conditions, long days, uncertainty, and the satisfaction of bringing a wild seasonal fish to market.
Why California King Salmon Is Worth Seeking Out
California King salmon is prized for its rich flavor, firm texture, healthy oils, and versatility in the kitchen.
According to Tim, quality is something consumers can taste.
“When you [prepare] it correctly, get it from a good processor, it’s something special,” he says. “You’re going to notice the difference in it.”
For consumers, that is also a reminder to ask questions about the seafood they buy.
Where did the fish come from? How fresh is it? Who handled it? And most importantly, is it actually California King salmon? Those details can matter even more during a limited season, when fresh fish may only be available for a short period and demand can be high.
Tim wants people to recognize both the quality of the fish and the care required to move it from the ocean to the consumer. “Every fish is a special fish,” he says. “Every time you’re able to eat it, it’s something different than you can get anywhere else.”
Where to Find California King Salmon
Because California King salmon is seasonal, availability changes throughout the fishing season.
Tim recommends starting with California’s coastal communities and looking for direct sales when fresh salmon comes into port. “Mostly your local coastal towns will have it available,” he says. Depending on the season and open fishing areas, consumers may find California King salmon in Half Moon Bay, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay, Moss Landing, Fort Bragg, Bodega Bay, and other California ports.
Local seafood markets, seafood buyers, and direct-to-consumer sales can all be good options for finding fresh fish.
The California King Salmon Council also maintains several resources to help consumers locate California King salmon during the season.
Find California King Salmon at Local Markets
Visit the California King Salmon Markets Directory to find fish markets and seafood sellers offering California King salmon near you.
Buy California King Salmon Direct From the Boat
For off-the-dock and curbside sales, visit the Curbside California King Salmon page. Listings may change as fresh fish becomes available.
Order California King Salmon for Delivery
If you are not close to the coast, visit the California King Salmon Delivery page for businesses offering delivery or shipping options.
Tim is also clear that California King salmon should be valued as a premium seasonal product, particularly in years when the season is limited. “It’s not something meant to be just an everyday deal,” he says. “It’s a special thing.”
That limited availability is part of what makes fresh California King salmon worth seeking out when it reaches the market.
A Fish Worth Valuing
Tim Obert’s story reflects the passion, pride, sacrifice, and purpose behind California King salmon fishing.
His life on the water started as a child fishing with his father in Santa Cruz. Over the years, that early connection grew into a career built around commercial fishing, family, hard work, and deep respect for one of California’s most remarkable wild foods.
For Tim, salmon is more than a catch. It represents his livelihood, provides food for his family, and connects him to California’s coastal communities. Above all, he believes salmon is a resource worth protecting, managing carefully, and celebrating.
When people sit down to enjoy fresh California King salmon, he hopes they recognize everything represented by the fish on their plate.
“Value the health of it, value the actual product, and value its life,” Tim says, “because it’s pretty amazing if you really think about it.”
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