Peyton Mason, 23 years old at the time of his interivew, is an oyster and crab fisherman in Deep Creek, VA. Peyton didn't grow up fishing, but fell in love with it in 8th grade after watching other fishermen come in with their catch. It was not long before he obtained a waterman license, began harvesting oysters and crabs, and eventually built his way up to owning the F/V Emilie Virginia, a Chesapeake deadrise. But his ambitions don't stop there; Peyton has done stints on shrimping and scalloping boats to get exposure to fisheries in other areas, too.

Scope and Content Note

In this interview, Peyton Mason discusses various aspects of his experience as a young fisherman in Virginia. Peyton talks about his educational background, including studying business management at Virginia Commonwealth University while continuing his fishing career. He also shares his aspirations to expand into other fisheries and potentially own larger boats for groundfishing or shrimping. Peyton discusses the age demographics in the fishing community and the knowledge transfer from older, experienced fishermen to younger generations. Peyton also mentions his pursuit of a business management degree to add credibility and improve his ability to conduct business in the fishing industry. He shares insights into the challenges of adapting to market changes and the importance of having backup plans in the fishing business. 

Although he is self-taught, Peyton gives thanks for what he's learned from other fishermen: “I’ve really enjoyed the knowledge that the older folks are willing to pass on... It’s amazing how much you learn just sitting around the dock and talking. Fishing can never be just a nine to five job, when you leave the dock you just go home, or when you get on the boat and get off the boat. There’s so much networking. There’s so much that you learn about what the tide’s doing. The guys that are older than me, they’ve got forty years of experience, plus they’ve got the forty years of experience of people who taught them, so they know so much. You don’t learn it all overnight, but I think that’s what makes our fishery special is you have to be passionate about it. You have to spend your weekends learning and talking about it. That’s what makes you successful. You don’t just pick it up and put it down. It kind of runs through you.”