Catch Your Own Crabs, by Laurie Coyle

Catch Your Own Crabs

Story by Laurie Coyle
Photography by John Kite

"It's something every Marylander should do," said Eric Sese of Bowie, referring to the thrilling experience of netting a crab off a trotline. "It's a neat little slice of Maryland."

Sese went trotline crabbing for the first time last summer with Russell Sylvester, owner of Russell's Crabbing Charters in Marbury, and said he can't believe more people don't offer crabbing charters in this area.

"I was quite amazed at the speed the crabs came in," Sese said. "It's really spoiled me."

But for Sylvester, who has been crabbing since he was a child, starting the charter business last summer wasn't easy. The business was a lifelong dream come true for him and his late grandfather, who had always encouraged the idea.

Sylvester was so passionate about starting the business that he gave up a career as a sous chef, working just under the head chef at the Capitol Hill Hyatt in Washington, D.C., and pursued a new career as a building engineer, in order to have his weekends free for crabbing. He still cooks for family events, but says his main hobby now is crabbing.

"He really knows what he's doing," said Todd Mitchell of St. Leonard who went on a crabbing charter with Sylvester last year. "We call him Captain Crab."

Sylvester has in fact earned the title of captain after completing the Coast Guard's rigorous 15-day course to earn his captain's license. At 29 years old, the Charles County resident said he was the youngest in the class and obtaining the license wasn't easy. But now, with years of experience on the water, the proper licenses, and the right boat and equipment, Sylvester's business is taking off.

He said most of his customers come from areas north of Southern Maryland where there aren't as many opportunities to crab. Customers have held office parties and family birthday parties aboard his boat. In general, he said his customers are people who "buy crabs all the time but want to see how you catch them."

Since his customers are sometimes a few hours away, Sylvester said he likes to keep his boat mobile so he can go to them. His boat holds six passengers and can be easily transported to several locations on the Patuxent, Potomac and Wye rivers.

"What I really want to focus on in this business is coming close to you," he said.

The customers get to keep what they catch and Sylvester offers a $25/per person refund if no crabs are caught, which he says doesn't happen often. He also recently lowered his prices to $90 for each adult, $55 for children under 12 years old, and $350 for parties of five. And for $15 extra, he will steam the crabs for you, putting his culinary skills to work.

"He can really cook those crabs up good," Sese said.

Sylvester hopes to expand his business this year by purchasing a second boat that his father and partner, William Sylvester, can run. He said after that, the sky's the limit. He'd eventually like to have five to six boats.

Mitchell was so impressed with the trotline crabbing experience that he is looking to get his own boat. "I had a blast," Mitchell said. "I had never caught that many." When Mitchell went out with Sylvester, they caught two bushels of large crabs in two hours and that was after throwing back any non-regulation size crabs and all females.

Sese said, "He wants the crab population to survive. That's why he throws the females back." Sese, who enjoyed the fast-paced nature of trotline crabbing, said everyone should try it at least once.

"It's neat 'cause you each get your turn at dipping the net," Sese said. "And when you eat them right after catching them, it's a much more enjoyable experience."

To take your turn on the trotline, log on to www.crabcharters.com, call (301) 743-6884 or e-mail Russell@CrabCharters.com.