Our Story
The Oki Oki
The Oki Oki is a 42’ deadrise workboat hand-built here in the Chesapeake Bay. Originally designed for Watermen to harvest fish and crab comfortably aboard a stable and powerful watercraft, we retrofitted this boat in 2020 to become the first charter fishing boat in the U.S. customized for a true ike jime fishing experience.
The Oki Oki features a full bathroom, a full-size, heated cabin, a stereo and dinette seating to stay comfortable when weather conditions are tough, and a large fishing deck custom-outfitted with state-of-the-art ike jime equipment and accessories.
What is ike jime?
Ike jime is a traditional Japanese fish handling skill that has been scientifically proven to produce the highest quality seafood in the world. This process is the key to sushi and sushi-grade fish, and its recent introduction to the American seafood economy has caused a groundswell of interest and provoked serious questions about conventional fish harvesting methods.
But ike jime is more than its association with sushi — the principles of ike jime have deep implications for the future of American fishing communities, and they are too important to leave to conjecture. We therefore insist that any fish harvested aboard the Oki Oki will be treated humanely and under the exacting standards of the ike jime approach. Our clients deserve the best quality seafood possible, and we believe the Chesapeake Bay fishery deserves our best efforts as well.
For anglers interested in mastering the practice of ike jime and beyond, we offer hands-on ike jime instruction and training on the use of specialized equipment. Our crew is registered and certified by the Ike Jime Federation, LLC. Please contact us for more details.