About Lou
Lou began fishing as a child and bought a small boat when he was in high school. He fished out of San Francisco Bay for Leopard sharks and sold them for 5 cents a pound. In 1958, when he was 19 years old, he purchased his first boat, a 28ft trolling boat that he used to fish for salmon. He trolled for salmon throughout his 20’s, until he met an old Sicilian fisherman who took him under his wing. This man taught Lou how to long-line for rock cod. In 1977, Lou purchased a larger charter boat, which he named FV Denise (“fishing vessel” Denise) after his daughter, Denise Ferrari. He spent a whole year converting the charter boat into a long-liner boat and then began fishing Black cod, or “sablefish” in 1978. Lou fished out of San Francisco Bay (and docked at Fisherman’s Wharf) for over 40 years but eventually moved his business up the coast to Fort Bragg, CA. Lou is now 84 years old but is still the captain of FV Florida and has no intention of retiring any time soon.
“This whole venture would not be possible without Lou Ferrari, Anthony’s father...”
Raised on the Boat
Anthony is the youngest of Lou’s 4 children. He went fishing in the ocean with Lou for the first time at age 9 and was instantly hooked despite being seasick and vomiting for the majority of the trip. Anthony loved to fish, no matter if it was with Lou out on the ocean or off random docks or boat launches. He often caught more fish off the dock than many of the local fishermen would catch off their boats out in the open bay. In 1992, Lou bought Anthony his first boat, a 1976 Boston whaler from a junkyard for $500. At the time, Anthony was only 13 years old. Lou, a shipwright, used the knowledge he gathered from his career and turned the $500 wreck into a beautiful personal fishing boat that Anthony still owns to this day. Anthony also gained significant knowledge from his father’s former deckhand and hired skipper, Bob Francesconi, who is also the godfather of Anthonys’ brother, Lou Jr . Bob made sure Anthony knew how to navigate with a compass and taught him to be knowledgeable about his surroundings in the ocean.
“ “Anthony often caught more fish off the dock than many of the local fishermen would catch off their boats out in the open bay.””
The Fishing Vessels
FV China Doll
Anthony’s first boat.
FV Spellbound
The second boat that Anthony would eventually captain, was purchased in Hoonah, Alaska.
FV Florinda
The boat that Anthony worked at after retiring from baseball in 2008 and the boat that Lou still runs today.
“Baseball took Anthony around the world, and at the end of his career, he lived and played in Italy. Anthony would return home to Northern California and would fish with his father to make extra money.”
THE EARLY YEARS OF FERRARI FISHERIES
It seemed as though Anthony would follow in Lou’s footsteps and become a commercial fisherman despite Lou’s wishes, but another venture took him away from the waters. Anthony became a professional baseball player when he signed with the Montreal Expos in 2000. Anthony retired from baseball in 2008 and started working for his father Lou on the FV Florinda full time.
He spent many years as Lou’s deck-hand, baiting long-lines and pinning gear. Eventually, Lou felt that Anthony was capable of running the boat on his own and purchased the FV China Doll, which would be Anthony’s first official boat that he captained. Anthony started running the China Doll shortly thereafter. In 2012 the Spellbound, the second boat that Anthony would captain, was purchased in Hoonah, Alaska.
