Matthew Barr interviewed Kern Everett for the Wild Caught Oral History Project. Kern Everett is an educator, real estate developer, and lifelong resident of Sneads Ferry, North Carolina. Born in 1944, Everett traces his family’s roots in the area back to the early 18th century, highlighting their involvement in farming and commercial fishing. He describes the evolution of Sneads Ferry from a small community with a robust commercial fishing industry in the 1950s to its current state, where the industry has significantly declined. Everett provides a detailed account of the local fishing practices, including the development of the shrimping industry, which began in earnest in the 1950s. He explains how shrimp, once considered junk seafood, became a lucrative catch and how the introduction of nylon and monofilament nets in the 1960s revolutionized the industry. He also touches on the environmental changes brought about by the construction of the inland waterway in the 1920s, which significantly increased the area’s marshlands. Everett discusses the socioeconomic impacts of the Marine Corps Base established near Sneads Ferry in the 1940s, noting how it provided jobs and preserved local waterways from industrial pollution. He also reflects on the challenges facing the current fishing industry, including regulatory pressures and the decline of the commercial fishing workforce. Throughout the interview, Everett emphasizes the intelligence and resourcefulness required of fishermen, particularly those of earlier generations who relied on instinct and experience rather than modern technology.