The Maryland Watermen's Association is dedicated to the interests of all who derive beauty & benefit from Maryland's Chesapeake Bay Waters

Hand Tongers make up the largest part of the oyster fleet, their season starts October 1st. and goes to April 15, five days a week, Monday through Friday, sun up till 3 p.m.  Hand Tonging is a back breaking way to harvest oysters that man has ever devised.  The daily limit is 15 bushels a day per man, thirty bushels per boat. Hand tongs are two rakes with wire baskets attached to twenty foot long wooden shafts with a pin about one third of the way up from the rakes which makes them act like scissors.

The oysterman stands up on the washboards (sides of boat) and works the shafts - opening and closing until the basket is full, then hand over hand brings the tongs to the top and while balancing himself, dumps the oysters and shells on the cull board. The culler (another waterman) sorts out the oysters and puts the legal size oysters in the boat.  He then scrapes the shells and little oysters over the side to settle back down on the oyster bed.  Most hand tonging is done in the rivers that are reserved for them to work without having to compete with more efficient gear, such as Patent Tong Rigs.

Oyster Hand Tongers of the Chesapeake Bay

Hand Tonger's work boat at the ready

Waterman culls his catch aboard the "Annie" out of Stevensville, Maryland .

Watermen aboard the "Miss Eleanor" work the bottom in Kent Narrows in the Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay Oysters for the table

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