The equipment of these early fishermen was similar to that of many fishermen today.
Men like Peter and his brother Andrew, as well as some of the other disciples sailed these sometimes turbulent waters of the sea of Galilee in small but seaworthy wooden craft.
These fishing vessels were about 8.27 meter (78 feet) long and 2.3 meters( 7.5 feet) across;. Many had a mast and small cabin under the stern deck.
Type in: "Galileen Fishing boats'' and you'll come up with a number of excellent pictures of this type of vessel.
This size of boat could hold up to 15 persons but a typical fishing crew would be composed of up to 6 men with one steering the boat with the oar at the stern and managing the large rectangular on the center mast, while the other were kept busy either rowing when the wind had died down or working the fishing nets. These nets could be up to 30 meters (100 feet) long by 2.44 meters (8 feet deep with floats on the top and anchors strung along the bottom edges.
Out in deep water the fishermen would the ends to two boats. With the nets between the crews would then row in opposite directions in a circular pattern. When they met again they had created a huge circle with the nets, capturing shoals of fish.
In shallow water fishermen used a different techniques. In some cases one fishermen would stay near shore holding one end of the net while others in a boat with the dragnet attached to the stern would row out into the water and then circle and row back to shore
trapping fish in the net just as they had with two boats in deep water. Other fishermen might use a line with weighted hooks which he would cast into the water and still others used a small one-man net with weighted edges which he threw out over the water in front of him. The idea was to catch fish in the net as it sank to the bottom of the water like a webbed dome.
Among the fish caught by these first century fishermen caught was the talapia, a popular fish which formed a regular part of their diet in both fresh and dried and salted dishes.
