Explore Tilghman Watermen’s Museum Tilghman Watermen’s Museum celebrates, preserves and shares the rich history of watermen and the heritage of Tilghman Island. Plan a visit and learn more! TTING POUND NE Robbie Wilson poles driven deep on a series of The fish a which hangs deeper waters. requires a net, the fish towards Pound netting They circle ag the leader guides distinctive shape. bay floor. First, named for its they are trap small “heart”, pound, where end up in the guided into the out. Pound ne They eventually by dipping them the second heart. are removed catching mark and then fish crab bait, also The net is raised menhaden for croaker and flounder. catching mostly fish, Atlantic a bait fishery, perch, spot, blue from his like striped bass, who learned generation waterman Robbie clamm (above) is a 3rd “Big Daddy.” he wor also known as Robbie Wilson Clifford Lee Wilson, potted. But, like most watermen, grandfather, crab young and then when he was a bit of everything. ways and did water in many SKIPJACK, OYSTER HARVESTING Wade Murphy, Jr. & Wade Murphy, III The Skipjack is an iconic oyster boat of the Chesapeake Bay. As the last commercial sailing fleets left in the United States, Skipjacks harvest oysters from Maryland oyster bars pulling dredges. Currently, Skipjacks can harvest by power using a small push boat two days per week. The remainder of the week they can sail pulling two dredges. They are allowed to catch 100 bushel per day and usually carry a four to six man crew. Wade Murphy, Jr. (above) is a retired 5th generation waterman and Tilghman native. He worked the “Rebecca T. Ruark” dredging for oysters and also won many skipjack races with her. He has a good sense of humor is known as a teller of tall tales, and most of them are true. Wade Murphy, III. Capt. Wade Murphy, III is a 6th generation waterman and runs charters in addition to working as a watermen. He purchased the “Rebecca T. Ruark” from his father and continues to operate her as a working skipjack. HAND TONGING OYSTERS Amanda Haddaway Hand tonging is a traditional, 17th-century, manual, and sustainable method of harvesting oysters using long-handled, rake-like tools called hand tongs. A harvester stands on the washboards to use the tongs in a scissoring motion to scrape up oysters from the bottom. They are raised and dumped on a culling board where they are culled through. A legal oyster must be three inches or larger. All others are returned to the oyster bar. Hand tong lengths can vary from 10 foot to 30 foot shafts. Amanda Haddaway (above) wields the culling hammer to measure the oysters her husband “T” tongs up from the bottom. Married couples working on the water together are not uncommon. GILL NETTING & PERCH FISHING erry Janda , Rockfish Kent Sadler , Perch gill netting, fishermen can use up to seven-inch stretched mesh gill nests to ch rockfish as the 10-foot-deep net drifts with the tide. Laid in straight lines to aximize drifting, it can only be done in December, January and February. Quotas established by the DNR and every fish caught must be tagged and recorded. l net perch fishing can be done year round, but is most effective in the spring d fall. In the fall nets are set in shallow water and fish are scared out of the shoals o the nets. In the winter, Gill nets are set in deeper water, sometimes circling ools in channels and channel edges. ry Janda (above right) began his career at 18 with an 18’ skiff and 400 crab pots. now works 1200 pots. In addition to gill netting, Jerry has run trot lines and shedded shell crabs. He has even dived for oysters. He is a first generation waterman. nt Sadler (right) is experienced at perch fishing and also clams most of the year. Photos by Jay Fleming y Fleming Photos by Jay Fleming Photos by Jay Fleming Step into Tilghman Watermen at Work to learn about the local watermen currently working the Chesapeake Bay. Discover the unique methods Tilghman watermen use to make their living on the water through a stunning collection of photographs by Jay Fleming. Come explore their stories today! Saturday, October 16, 2027 • 10 am -7 pm Museum is open May – October, 10 AM-3 PM Saturday and Sunday • Free ADMISSION 6031 Tilghman Island Road, Tilghman, Maryland 410-886-1025 • www.tilghmanmuseum.org Don’t miss Tilghman Island Day ! Where the Water Meets the Sky EASTON • OXFORD • ST. MICHAELS • TILGHMAN ISLAND • TRAPPE Visitors Guide 410-770-8000 | TourTalbot.org VISITMARYLAND.ORG 65
Maryland Official Visitors Guide 2026: Page 65
