Henry Tindell is a native of Alabama. As a teenager, he went to Eastpoint to visit an aunt and, inspired by his time there, he devised a plan for what to do when he finished high school. But Henry was too eager to get on the water, so in 1963 he moved to Eastpoint and finished his senior year up the road in Carrabelle. Soon after, he began harvesting oysters and crabs and has been working on the bay ever since. In the 1980s, as imports began replacing the local hard crab business, soft-shell crabs became popular, so Henry began cultivating them. It takes a special person to work with soft-shells, though. For three months out of the year, those crabs are doted on night and day. They have to be constantly monitored to catch their molt because only a freshly molted crab can be sold as a live soft-shell. But the long nights are worth it to Henry. He figured the soft-shell business was the only area left to make a decent living off of the bay, and he welcomes the opportunity to pass on his knowledge. To Henry, the glory days of crabbing are gone, and there aren't many folks left who want to give their nights and days cultivating soft-shells. Henry may be one of the last of his kind.

Scope and Content Note
Henry Tindell, a crabber from Eastpoint, Florida, discusses his experience in the seafood industry, specifically focusing on soft-shell crabbing. He explains the process of identifying crabs that are about to molt and separating them based on their molting stages. Tindell emphasizes the importance of timing and regularly checking the crabs to ensure they shed properly. He mentions the challenges faced by crabbers in the area and the changing nature of the seafood industry. Tindell shares his journey into crabbing, starting with oystering and then transitioning to crabbing. He learned the trade from a friend and built his own traps. He discusses the decline of the crabbing industry due to factors such as imports and changing regulations. Tindell highlights the labor-intensive nature of soft-shell crabbing and expresses concern for the future of the industry, especially for young people trying to make a living in the field. The interview touches on the pricing and market conditions for soft-shell crabs, as well as the impact of regulations and fines on crabbers. Tindell mentions the costs associated with licenses, tags, and fees for operating his crabbing business. He also discusses challenges related to shrimp boats and trap losses. Tindell explains his process for sorting and handling crabs, including identifying shedded crabs and separating them. He relies on cracked shells and physical sensations to assess the crabs' molting stages. The interview concludes with Tindell discussing the marking of crab traps with buoys to identify ownership. He mentions the color and number system used and the recognition among fellow crabbers in the area. Throughout the interview, Tindell mentions problems with vandalism and theft of his crab traps, speculating that local fishermen, possibly from Georgia, might be responsible. He shares the stages of the crab molting process, using terms like "jimmies" for male crabs and "rank crab" for crabs close to shedding. Tindell also reflects on the history of soft-shell crabbing in the area, the changes he has witnessed over the years, and his personal preferences regarding soft-shell crab consumption.