hit the docks hard....
Right on Josh! Being reliable and being able to do hard work for little gain in the monetary department is key! Being CPR/FA certified is a huge bonus, and as Josh said, BEING DRUG FREE AND IN AN APPROVED RANDOM DRUG TESTING PROGRAM IS A MUST. No boat will hire a liability.I would suggest you start sending resumes to boats of interest. head boats are a good starting point, as well as the bigger inshore charters, it would benifit you to start inshore, learning how to interact with customers, tie basic rigs, and maintain equipment and move on and up from there. When you mate offshore you need to be prepared to work ridiculous hours, back to back, to back to back. You need to be familiar with alot more than fishing, you need to be able to maintain the boat and familiarize yourself with all its equipment, you need to learn anchoring techniques, etc. etc. most importantly you need things done efficiently and safely. Get certified in CPR and First Aid, and enroll yourself in a drug testing programing.
If your in it for the money your better off getting a job at Hoys 5&10 because the amount of hours you put in do not reflect in the pay. You need to truely love what your doing to be a successful mate. Good luck, if you need some help with contacts in the capemay area feel free to email me.
Josh