Maddie and Mike O'Laire fish in Bristol Bay. The rest of the year, they call Homer, Alaska home.
Mike grew up in Bellingham, Washington dreaming of adventures in Alaska. While some children's libraries are full of Curious George and Magic Tree House books, Mike's collection included titles such as "Wilderness Survival," "Wildlife Identification Pocket Guide," and "The Call of the Wild." Mike is an avid adventurer and outdoorsman who is passionate about doing what he can to ensure the vast Alaska wilderness will be around for generations to come. When he’s not commercial fishing, Mike works as a carpenter. He enjoys hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and dreaming up the next big project.
Mike has been commercial fishing for over 15 years. He fishes on the F/V Dr. Jack, a 32-foot gillnetter in Bristol Bay. Each June, Mike heads to Bristol Bay, the world's largest salmon fishery. You won't find a tougher crew in Bristol Bay than the Dr. Jack crew. Often times, the crew is up for over 24 hours, hauling in in tens of thousands of pounds of fish. Life on the boat certainly isn’t easy and fishing is a gamble, but it’s definitely an adventure, and Mike’s always up for an adventure!
Maddie grew up in Dallas, Texas- a far cry from the Alaska wilderness. She graduated from Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland in 2009 with a B.A. in Communications and a minor in Business. Two weeks after graduation, Maddie moved to Thailand to teach English and travel around Southeast Asia. While trekking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal, she met an enthusiastic father/son duo named Sean and Ben Martin. The two claimed they lived in the most beautiful place in the entire world- Homer, Alaska. After wrapping up her teaching program in 2010 and moving back to Dallas for a couple of months, she decided to take the Martins up on their invitation to visit. She booked a one-way ticket to Homer and was sold on settling there immediately. Maddie and Mike met in 2011 and the rest is history. Maddie manages all the operations of Smart Source Seafood. She enjoys hiking, yoga, running, cross country-skiing, cooking, and teaching people about the importance of a healthy diet and knowing the source of your food.
We are excited to send you a little taste of Alaska, and hope you love our salmon as much as we do.