Tom Manos
With over 40 years of fishing in Alaska, I am the experienced old man of the show. My priorities haven’t changed Safe, Profitable, and Fun in that order. Now I fish the Scotch Cap for summer salmon seining. With Andrew, Ben, Julian and now Keith, my goal going into the future as I step back from operations is to help create a safe, sustainable and healthy business that will provide opportunity for the next generation of Alaskan Fishers.
Ben Ley
I started fishing in 2004 where I first seined for salmon in Puget Sound. After getting “the bug” I landed a job fishing for Tom on the Alaskan Lady in Southeast Alaska and then traveled with the boat to Western Alaska for the fall and winter seasons. With a BS in Electronics Engineering Technology I have been able to apply my desire to fish and increase my involvement in the fishing business. In 2010 I partnered with Tom and Pete in the Alaskan Lady and moved into the skipper position. I then, in 2013, partnered with Tom and Andrew in the Cape St Elias making it a trawl vessel by adding cod and pollock to its production. I believe with an excellent work ethic, and willingness to do the work, the sky is the limit in this industry. Based on that mentality, I have helped build this business and look forward to the future.
Andrew Manos
I started fishing in 1999 at the age of 14 in Southeast Alaska. In 2008 I purchased the Cape St. Elias with my Dad and started seining for salmon on the Alaska Peninsula. I fell in love with the area after my first season – the weather, the wind and the remoteness. It is a challenging yet rewarding area of the world to work in, where fishing is the way of life and the elements are always helping to make your decisions!
Since then I have participated in multiple fisheries in the waters of the AK Peninsula, including trawling for cod and pollock, running pots for crab and cod, and continuing to seine for salmon. I was told early on in my career that diversity in our industry was the key to success, and I have tried to remain open and flexible to new opportunities in our ever-evolving industry. I enjoy the challenges that come with adapting to the changes in fish stocks, gear and areas.
Julian Manos
I grew up in a fishing family and remember spending summer vacation with my dad in Southeast Alaska. Although fishing was a constant theme in my life I never thought I would end up making it a career. However, after high school, I fished for salmon for fun while studying biology and chemistry at the University of San Diego. Fishing eventually went from being a fun summer job that paid the bills to transitioning into a full-time career. In 2012, at 22-years-old, Tom and I purchased a shallow draft 53’ seiner that had gone on the beach and spent 8 months rebuilding it in Kodiak and preparing it for the 2012 salmon season in Area M. Though the first summer owning and running a boat proved to be more difficult than I imagined, it helped build the foundation to my fishing career and was an important catalyst for a career in fishing. Since then I have gone on to run several of our different boats for a variety of fisheries including, pot cod fishing, trawling, and most recently long lining pots for black cod. Developing a viable commercial fishing company with Lady Elias LLC has proven far more rewarding than imagined. I look forward to further expanding our business in the ever-adapting Alaska seafood industry.
Keith Williams
I started my fishing career working for Julian Manos on the Alaskan Lady. I fished summers with Julian for the next three years to help pay my way through college. After graduating college in the spring of 2016, I decided to continue and expand my fishing career by fishing the next fall and winter pollock and cod seasons for Julian and Andrew. After working hard and demonstrating my abilities on the boat, I was hired to skipper the Alaskan Lady for 2017 fall pollock. I love the excitement of fishing and look forward to a bright future in the industry.
Eric Carpenter
What does “Carp” do better than riding a bike? Killing fish. That is why he is on the team. Carp has been fishing on the Cape St Elias and Alaskan lady since 2008. He has filled many different roles over the years and has always stepped up when asked, even if it is last minute. When the Scotch Cap had an opening for skipper in the winter of 2018 Carp was at the top of the list. Over the years he has built to his knowledge of boats and their systems making this transition an easy decision. During the summer he operates his own boat in Prince William Sound fishing for salmon.