Break-Even Catch Calculator
How many pounds do you need to land to cover your trip costs? Enter your total trip expenses and the dock price per pound you expect to receive.
What this calculator determines
It calculates the pounds of catch needed to cover entered total trip costs at the dock price per pound you enter.
Related calculators
Break-Even Fish Price Calculator
Minimum dock price per pound needed to cover trip costs
Catch Value Calculator
Pounds landed × dock price = gross catch value
Commercial Fishing Trip Profit Calculator
Gross catch revenue minus trip expenses and crew share = net trip proceeds
Catch Rate Calculator
Pounds landed ÷ fishing hours = pounds per hour catch rate
Examples
Halibut trip at $4.50/lb
Total costs $8,500; dock price $4.50/lb
Calculation
- $8,500 ÷ $4.50 = 1,889 lb
Need at least 1,889 lb to break even
Salmon at $1.85/lb
Total costs $12,000; dock price $1.85/lb
Calculation
- $12,000 ÷ $1.85 = 6,486.5 lb → round up to 6,487 lb
Need at least 6,487 lb to break even
Assumptions & Conventions
- Round-up rule
- Result is rounded up to the next whole pound because a partial pound still must be landed to break even.
- Cost basis
- The break-even catch depends on which costs you include in Total trip costs. Utility Bull does not automatically add, itemize, or validate trip expenses.
- Crew share
- Percentage-based crew share is not automatically included in this calculator. Crew-share arrangements may depend on gross revenue or net proceeds and can therefore change with the dock price and catch. Use the Commercial Fishing Crew Share Calculator or Commercial Fishing Trip Profit Calculator for crew-share calculations.