Clam Boat Captain Discusses History & Biology Within Fishing Community On Florida Gulf Coast
Instinct always changes yet remains the same. Bobby Witt has been a fisherman all his life. Cedar Key is now his home, a haven of beauty on Florida's Northwest Gulf Coast is known at times more for its seafood than anything else. Witt farms clams and oysters on his own parcel lease right off shore. What is equally interesting is the tours he gives to the knowing public through his Cedar Key Clams Aquaculture Farm Tours to give an insight into the old school skill. In this 2nd Part Of a 2-Part Interview, Captain Witt & MRV: The Buzz Editor In Chief Tim Wassberg discuss the lore of the area and behavior of the creatures he grows.
The Buzz: The thing that is special is that you take people out. They have to call you and do that. But what you're doing is very educational, because it allows people to see how this trade works. Could you talk about why you decided to do that?
BW: I started out doing it for University of Florida and I did it with Leslie Stermer, who's the biologist here. She's actually the mom of this whole industry. Her and I have worked together a lot. We would take out a lot of politicians…
The Buzz: Who didn't understand, per se?
BW: Well, I'd teach them to understand. Also [I would take out] industry leaders from some of the other states as well…and just different people from the commercial fishing industry. I did it enough with the University that I thought well, why not try it a little bit with the general public?
The Buzz: And what have you found out what their misconceptions are?
BW: Many, many misconceptions. There’s so many things. It's a pretty complex industry. One thing that right off everybody says, "Oh well, this water's not clear and pretty like South Florida." And we have to tell them we want the water green and cloudy. We don't want clear water. Our clams don't like it when the water’s clear.
The Buzz: That’s because the algae is moving and that’s what makes that so cloudy and important, correct?
BW: Right…very important…very important. People say, "Oh well it's muddy water." Well, it's not mud… it's algae. It's what our animals eat.
The Buzz: There was another beautiful thing is that you allow-- you brought the oyster out and you just shucked them right there -- so somebody could taste. There’s such a difference in taste when they're fresh right there. It’s an unbelievable thing. And it really connects you to the ocean in that way. Could you talk about that?
BW: It's like you say. It's just an incredibly fresh product like that. And our farmed oysters are grown on the top of the water column so that's a different thing too. When they're on the top of the water column like that there’s no grit whatsoever.
The Buzz: When you do the clams is it a bit different?
BW: It's a bit different. When we harvest clams on a very windy, rough, stormy day, they'll have a little brittle but the rest of the time, they don't have of that.
The Buzz: What have you been most surprised about in the evolution of this industry here that you've appreciated. You guys have also weathered a couple storms, so basically you've had to keep that in mind and keep moving forward. Can you talk about that journey?
BW: Well, for the commercial fisherman, you're used to struggling against the elements (laughing). I mean, it's just always a struggle and I believe for the land farmers, it's the same thing. They struggle very much against the elements. So you've just got to take the bad with the good. That’s part of it.
The Buzz: There’s so much history that flows around this place in Cedar Key. I mean, we were talking about Blackbeard…we were talking about different other things. There’s the railroad right over here, and then we went over to the island and just saw the cemetery. Could you talk a little bit about the history around here.
BW: Well, the history of Cedar Key is commercial fishing. This has always been a commercial fishing town…and it's always been very productive, and I'd like to think it is somewhat because of the algae and the same reasons it's productive now in the shellfish business. But all the history of Cedar Key has always been commercial fishing...primarily mullet fishing. Cedar Key has also always been know for good fresh seafood. That just goes back generations and generations here. But Asiniote [Island] (right across the water) is the original Cedar Key. That's where the town [originally] was...out there on the island. But once the railroad came in, then more of the town started being built on this side to accommodate the railroad.
The Buzz: Did the railroad go across there?
BW: It went right around Dock Street. If you went around Dock Street, that was the railroad. It did not go across.
The Buzz: But the city was over there.
BW: The city was over there. But the railroad was over here. But it went like in the circle...the spur right there at Dock Street...it spurred around. But the primary thing was hauling fish and oysters out of here. The place has always been so productive and so abundant. And then they also hauled freight that would come here. They would haul it across the state. Rather than the sailing vessels having to sail all the way around the Keys and struggle against the pirates down there, the sailing vessels coming from Texas, Mexico, wherever--
The Buzz: What time frame would this have been in?
BW: This was in the early 1800s. Cedar Key was a major seaport back then. And, like I say, the main reason was the railroad that went from here to Fernandina Beach on the other coast. So it saved so much time and effort of sailing the boats around the treacherous reefs of the Keys, since they didn't have the National Weather Service to help them out. It made it much safer to transport cargo across the state. And then they'd load it back on ships again and go to wherever from Fernandina.
The Buzz: What do you really love about this place? I mean, it's a lifestyle. What you do is a lifestyle. And it takes a certain kind of person to do it.
BW: Well, once again, in my case, the commercial fishing background of being a fisherman for 20 years.
The Buzz: But that's the skills. What needs to be inside?
BW: The heartfelt. That's a tough one. I don't know. I think it's something God puts in you. He makes some people to be watermen and some people to be land farmers or whatever. I think it's a skill. But also, the love for the environment comes after years of being a part of it. And to be a fisherman you have to harmonize with the environment. If you were going to be a successful fisherman, you have to figure the tides and the moons and where the fish might be moving next. And you had to kind of outsmart them.
The Buzz: And it becomes an instinct thing.
BW: And it becomes an instinct thing. And a lot of those days, too, we were out fishing in the fog and the rain and whatnot. And we didn't have the electronics back then. A lot of that navigating in the fog just comes by instinct. If you do it long enough, you can navigate in the fog. And a lot of people don't realize that. You just have to become part of the environment to function more effectively in it.
Tim Wassberg
A graduate of New York University's Tisch School Of The Arts with degrees in Film/TV Production & Film Criticism, Tim has written for magazines such as Moviemaker, Moving Pictures, Conde Nast Traveler UK and Casino Player. He enjoys traveling and distinct craft beers among other things.
Make Sure To Stay At:
Cedar Key RV Resort, which is located less than 10 minutes from historic Cedar Key, Florida has large, heavily wooded lots, averaging 45x80 ft in size or larger. The park has great features including a beautiful heated pool, very clean bathhouses, wireless internet and full hookups with 30-50 amps.