Our Story

Our Story

Slack Tide Fisheries was built from long nights on the water and a belief that local fishermen should be directly connected to the people they feed.

The original vision began in 2018 aboard the (fishing vessel) F/V Mateo named after co-founder Jace’s grandfather. Jace Rinker spent countless August nights chasing Chinook salmon and dreaming of a better way to bring wild seafood to the local community. Like many commercial fishermen, after those long nights the catch was simply dropped at the processor dock — never truly knowing where the fish ended up or who would eventually enjoy it.

Slack Tide was created to fix that broken connection between the deck of a fishing boat and the fish on your table.

Jace along with his wife Elisa navigated the challenges of permits, direct marketing, and building relationships with processors willing to work with smaller harvests. As a two-person team doing everything themselves, they helped pioneer a modern fisherman-direct seafood company focused on traceability, sustainability, and quality over quantity.

Their philosophy was simple: catch fewer, higher-quality fish, care for them properly, and build a shorter supply chain that benefits local fishermen, local communities, and the waters that sustain us all.

Life on the water also gave them a front-row seat to the changing health of our oceans. From pulling garbage out of crab pots to watching whale migration patterns shift and storms grow more extreme, the effects of climate change became impossible to ignore. Slack Tide was founded on the belief that a “less is more” approach — smaller harvests, responsible fishing practices, and direct relationships with customers — is critical to preserving the future of West Coast fishing families.

This is the tale of a modern commercial fishing family.

In 2026, Austin Behnke stepped in to continue and expand that vision.

Austin originally founded Bink’s Seafood in 2023 alongside his father, Michael Behnke. Together they started commercial fishing aboard their first vessel, the F/V Chaos. What began as time spent fishing together quickly grew into a deeper passion for the fishing industry, fisherman-direct seafood sales, and building a family business rooted in the Pacific Northwest.

After two seasons on the water together, Michael unexpectedly passed away.

Today, Austin continues that legacy, carrying forward the values, work ethic, and passion that started with family, fishing, and a dream to build something meaningful.

When the opportunity came to take over Slack Tide Fisheries, it felt like a natural fit. Jace and Elisa had already built an incredible foundation centered around sustainability, quality seafood, and community trust. Austin and his family are honored to continue building on that reputation while combining the growth of Bink’s Seafood and Slack Tide Fisheries into one unified vision.

Today, Slack Tide Fisheries continues to grow through dockside sales, local markets, online seafood sales, and a new storefront experience focused on bringing people closer to where their seafood comes from. Our mission remains the same: provide high-quality wild Pacific Northwest seafood directly from the fishermen who harvest it while preserving the traditions and future of West Coast fishing families.

This is more than seafood to us.

It’s family.

It’s heritage.

It’s the Pacific Northwest way of life.

Our days are guided by the ebb and flow of the tide. our year flows by salmon runs and crab seasons. Our success is measured in pounds hauled aboard, smiles from fish buyers and finishing our days safely tied to the dock or with our anchor securely set.

Meet the crew

It truly takes a village to harvest fish all year. Our village is our crew and we couldn’t be more grateful for their hard work and dedication to this wild work we share together.


  • FISHERMAN & CO-FOUNDER

    Jace, aka Cap', is a full-time fisherman born and raised in Bellingham. He grew up casting lines for ling cod, pulling crab pots, harvesting spot prawns, and watching the fishermen in his family journey North to Alaska each summer for the Bristol Bay sockeye run.

    At the age of 15, he was invited to join his family and spent his first summer aboard the F/V Master Phillip. It has been his childhood dream to continue his family’s legacy and today he’s running boats in Washington, California, and Alaska. The summer of 2023 marks his tenth year as a commercial fisherman.

    When he’s off the water, you’ll find him mountain biking, skiing pow, or planning the future of Slack Tide.

AUSTIN BEHNKE

Austin Behnke is a lifelong Whatcom County native born and raised in Ferndale, Washington, where his connection to the water and the Pacific Northwest fishing community started at an early age. What began as a fun way to spend time with his dad quickly turned into a lifelong passion for commercial fishing, working on boats, and living the fisherman lifestyle that has shaped generations along the Salish Sea.

Over the years, Austin evolved from simply fishing to building relationships throughout the seafood industry as both a commercial fisherman and fisherman-direct seafood buyer and seller. His hands-on experience on the water, combined with his understanding of quality seafood and direct community connections, helped shape the vision behind Slack Tide Fisheries.

Today, Austin continues to carry forward the values that make Pacific Northwest commercial fishing unique — hard work, sustainability, transparency, and connecting people directly to the source of their food. Through Slack Tide Fisheries, he works closely with local fishermen and tribal harvesters to provide fresh, traceable wild seafood directly to families, restaurants, and communities throughout Washington.

Beyond the fishing industry, Austin and his family have built Slack Tide into more than just a seafood company. From fisherman-direct salmon sales to lodging, events, and authentic Pacific Northwest experiences, the goal is to give people a real connection to the lifestyle, traditions, and waters that make the region special.

Whether delivering fresh salmon by boat to island harbors, working on gear in the off-season, or welcoming guests to the property, Austin remains committed to preserving the heritage of commercial fishing while building a modern, community-focused Pacific Northwest brand.


  • FISHERWOMAN & CO-FOUNDER

    Elisa was raised on the rivers and mountains of Bavaria, British Columbia, and Bellingham. She was introduced to commercial fishing when she met Jace and after many summers fishing together, she started crewing in Bristol Bay.

    She is extremely passionate about connecting customers with wild fish and advocating for the longevity, sustainability, and quality of our local fisheries. Summer of 2023 will be her third year as a full-time fisherwoman.

    ​When she's not on deck, she's biking, skiing, or running the bones of the business. The words she lives by are "support your local fishermen"

Interested in being on deck? Our motto is work hard, play hard. If that’s you’re vibe, we’ll keep you on the list if a crew spot opens up. Greenhorns or a seasoned salty dogs alike.