They gave me a bunk in the pilothouse which had a foam pad but was always lit and occupied. It didn't matter much since we worked all night anyway and catnapped during the day. From Manila we chugged south reaching the area between Batangas and Mindoro by nightfall. That first night, the sonar equipment was tested and one haul of the net was made. When the boat is in the fishing mode it cruises around and crewmen keep a close eye on the sonar screen.
Schools of fish show up a blotches on the screen.
When a school is spotted, a small skiff tows a huge net out the back of the boat and completely encircling the school. The net is then winched back to the boat and the catch is sorted and stored. Besides the target fish like mackerel, nearly every other type of sea creature is hauled in.