Chad Dahlberg couldn’t help but become a fisherman – his entire life, he was surrounded by them. Chad’s father, Cliff Dahlberg, and his grandfather, Henry Carlson, had fished commercially and ran party boats since before he was born.
By the time he was in high school, young Chad was a fixture around the Sausalito waterfront, working with his grandpa Henry and on whatever boat might need him. He tried college for awhile, but before long he realized his heart was in the boats and that fishing was the only career for him.
In 2002, Captain Dahlberg bought a 38-foot fiberglass fishing boat and renamed it the Reelization. On it, he harvests salmon (when permitted), albacore, black cod (sablefish), nearshore and deeper nearshore rockfish, lingcod and Dungeness crab. In 2010, Captain Dahlberg was also having another boat built which he intended to use strictly for trapping Dungeness crab, leaving the Reelization rigged for the other fisheries.
Captain Dahlberg is married to Betty and has one daughter, Camila. He enjoys spending his free time with his family. His favorite thing about being a commercial fisherman is being his own boss and making his own choices.
Captain Dahlberg markets his catch directly to the public, both through his website, Reelization Fishing Company, and on weekends fresh off the boat at Pillar Point Harbor – look for Captain Dahlberg and the Reelization on “E” Dock.
Many thanks to Lori French, the original founder of Faces, for her previous work and continued efforts.
Funds for The Faces of California Fishing were provided by a grant from
Central California Joint Cable/Fisheries Liaison Committee.
Content copyright 2012. Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries. All rights reserved.
