It’s not much to go on, but I’m hoping someone either remembers or has better Google-fu than I do.
Some time in the late 80s or early 90s I read a YA book about a teen-ish girl in the Aluetian Islands. My most vivid memory is of her description of crabs, calling some “Jimmies,” and going into extraordinary detail about the fishing process. I have the shadow of a memory that she was the first girl/woman to embark on fishing.
That’s all I have to go on. Ring any bells?
I Am the Ice Worm by Maryann Easley?
This is a possibility, although the descriptions I can find are pretty limited. One mentions that the protagonist is a mall-rat. Any guess on when the book is set?
Edit: This was written in 96, which would have been too late. Thanks for the suggestion, though!