The oldest type of net used by the Chesapeake Bay watermen is called a pound net. Wooden stakes are pushed into the bottom of the Bay, spaced apart in a line that runs across the tide. Nets are strung between the stakes and along the bottom of the river, making a fish trap. In late February the pound netter starts to put in the stakes. By the middle of March he will set his nets and start fishing. Each day the waterman goes out to the pound net and scoops the fish out with a hand net. He will not remove the pound net, except for many repairs, until November.

Pound net

The oldest type of net used by the Chesapeake Bay watermen is called a pound net. Wooden stakes are pushed into the bottom of the Bay, spaced apart in a line that runs across the tide. Nets are strung between the stakes and along the bottom of the river, making a fish trap. In late February the pound netter starts to put in the stakes. By the middle of March he will set his nets and start fishing. Each day the waterman goes out to the pound net and scoops the fish out with a hand net. He will not remove the pound net, except for many repairs, until November.

fishing occupation livelihood Talbot County Maryland

Author(s)Jane Hawkey
Author CompanyIntegration and Application Network
Date Created2014-07-15
AlbumEcosystems > Coastal/Marine
TypePhoto
Dimensions3072 x 2158
Filesize4.8 MB
Number of Downloads207
Filetype(s) JPG
LicenseAttribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Required AttributionJane Hawkey, Integration and Application Network (ian.umces.edu/media-library)