Antje Nieuwenhuizen is a Dutch immigrant who settled in West Sayville, United States, in 1980. She came to the United States from Ijmuiden, Holland, in 1926. Antje's husband, Adrian, had already established himself in West Sayville before she made the decision to join him. They had three children before moving to West Sayville and later had a fourth child.

On July 16, 2000 Steve Warrick interviewed Robert Lowell Slager for the Long Island Traditions oral history project. Bob followed in the footsteps of his father, and started dredging clams at the age of 16. Bob provides details about his life as a clam dredger and the changing nature of the bay, including the sharp drop in clam populations due, in part, to pollution, as well as the shift from primarily seeing commercial boats to pleasure boats.

Carl Chichester, a seasoned mariner and fisherman, spent his entire life in and around the bay, developing a connection with its waters and its rich maritime heritage. He began his career as a commercial fisherman, casting his nets and traps to secure a variety of catches from the bay's abundant waters. Chichester also worked as a guide for market hunters, guiding them to prime hunting spots and sharing his knowledge of the bay's natural rhythms.

Edward (Ed) Ockers, known as 'Melon Belly' among his community, was born and raised in the picturesque town of West Sayville. Throughout his entire life, he remained deeply connected to his hometown. Ed earned his living as a commercial fisherman, embracing the traditions of his Dutch heritage, just like many other residents in the area. The Ockers family had a long history in West Sayville, and he had an appreciation for the local fishing industry, which had been the lifeblood of the community for generations. Ed established the South Bay Fish Company.

On July 6, 2000, Steve Warrick interviewed Edward Lowell Ockers, or Lowell, as part of the Long Island Traditions Oral History project. Ockers was born in West Sayville in 1933 and has remained a lifelong resident of the area. After serving in the Navy, he began to work on the bay, catching eels using traps purchased from his father–who had also made a living as a local bayman. Ockers discusses various fishing techniques and materials, providing an in-depth description of pound traps and gillnets.

On February 3, 2004, Nancy Solomon interviewed Edward Lowell Ockers, or Lowell, as part of the Long Island Traditions Oral History Project. Ockers was born in West Sayville in 1933 and has remained a lifelong resident of the area. After serving in the Navy, he began to work on the bay, catching eels using traps purchased from his father–who had also made a living as a local bayman. During the conversation with Solomon, Ockers shares his family’s history with the local maritime industry, recalling his summers spent assisting his father with pound trap fishing.

On July 10, 2000, Nancy Solomon interviewed Jerry Collins as part of the Long Island Traditions oral history project. Jerry, a lifelong resident of the Sayville area in Bay Shore, often accompanied his father into the bay, beginning his full-time involvement in clamming in 1946, primarily as a tonger. He discusses the significance of facing the elements and perseverance in this line of work and the importance of having a good boat and engine. He explains the methods of tonging and describes the types and sizes of tongs used.

The Tucker family, like so many of the West Sayville residents of Dutch heritage, earned their living on the Great South Bay or in the associated industries. John Tucker is a resident of West Table, New York, born on August 5, 1898. He grew up in a household with his six sisters, including his sister Mildred Tucker. With the exception of an older sister, born in 1896, none of the children married. All the boys in the family went on to become baymen. They all lived together in their family home.

Walter Budd was a prominent figure among the men who worked the Great South Bay during the early-to-mid 20th century. Born in 1909, Budd started his career in West Sayville, Long Island, at the age of fifteen. Initially engaged in farming oysters, he, like his counterparts, had to adapt to the declining fertility of the bay's oyster beds by exploring alternative livelihoods or supplemental jobs.