On April 5, 1988, Nancy Solomon interviewed Brad Keene as part of the Long Island Traditions oral history project. Brad is a seasoned boatman with a deep-rooted connection to his family's maritime legacy. The Keene family has a rich history in Freeport, as Brad's grandfather, Henry Uktch, founded the Freeport Boatman's Association. Brad traces his family lineage back to his great-grandfather, Van Schaaner, who had a fish market in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

On May 7, 1987, Nancy Solomon interviewed Carmine Marinaccio, a passionate fisherman and charter boatman. Carmen discusses his early years, detailing his family's move from the Bronx to Long Beach, and his experiences growing up near the water, where he developed a love for fishing and boating. The interview covers his career transition from a charter boatman during the Great Depression to making fishing lures. Carmen shares his perspectives on the challenges small-scale fishermen face, including economic hardships and the impacts of regulatory changes.

On December 8, 1989, Nancy Solomon interviewed Charles Brower, a former cod fisherman from Baldwin. Brower, who began fishing at fifteen, comes from a lineage of fishermen, with his father and uncles also deeply involved in the trade. The interview delves into the evolution of fishing techniques and equipment, particularly the use of gillnets and the transition from cotton to nylon lines. Brower describes the process of gillnetting and cod fishing, highlighting the seasonal nature of these activities and the physical demands involved.

The traditional baymen’s position on the island has been death by a thousand paper cuts, just one law after another law after another law, until, eventually, it’s not that there’s no money to be made out there.  It’s that it’s so much stuff you have to put up with, with all the boat traffic and all the laws and the licenses you have to deal with and law enforcement agencies.  You just don’t see young people getting into it anymore.

On May 27, 1987, Nancy Solomon interviewed Cory Weyant as part of the Long Island Traditions Oral History Collection. Cory is a full-time commercial fisher from Freeport, New York, who traps eels, killies, crabs, and other finfish. His family lived in the area for over 60 years, and he remembers family boat trips and time spent sailing with his father. Cory discusses the decreased fish population and ties it to the pollution from speedboats and yachts.

On December 8, 2003, Nancy Solomon interviewed Cory Weyant, a bayman and dragger fisherman from Freeport, New York.  Cory discusses the significant changes he has witnessed in his fishing career over the past fifteen years, reflecting on the decline of fish populations and the impact of overfishing. He describes the transition from small trawlers and local fish markets to the current state where strict regulations and reduced fish populations have drastically altered the fishing industry.

On June 3, 1987, Nancy Solomon interviewed Danny Koch as part of the Long Island Traditions Oral History Collection. Danny is a lifelong bayman who has been working the bay area for his entire life, just like his father, uncle, and grandfathers before him. Danny explains the process of setting traps and the varying number of killey he catches each day, depending on the tides and other factors.  He emphasizes that the bay he fishes in is not a particularly productive fishing area, as indicated by the sounds of gulls.

This oral history interview, conducted on July 1, 2000, by Steve Warwick for Long Island Traditions, features Donald Allen Bevelander, a long-time bayman from Sayville, New York. Born on June 17, 1912, in West Sayville, Bevelander provides a detailed account of his life and experiences working on the Great South Bay. He discusses his early life, including moving to Sayville in 1940 and his service during World War II. Bevelander recalls his involvement in community activities, such as organizing the Sayville Little League and serving in the Sayville Fire Department for several decades.

On May 10, 1987, Nancy Solomon interviewed Don Kearsley as part of the Long Island Traditions oral history project. Don did not come from a family of fisherman, but was interested in learning because he lived close to the water near Atlantic City. He developed his fishing under the mentorship an experienced fisherman. The interview covers the traditional methods of clamming and offshore fishing, the evolution of fishing equipment, and the transition from using cotton and linen nets to nylon and poly nets.

Doug Rogers Sr. and Jean Rogers are a couple residing in Brooklyn, New York. Doug was born in Brooklyn, but his father and grandfather hailed from East Marion. During the Great Depression, Doug's family moved to Brooklyn but returned to East Marion when he was born. Doug's father worked as a house painter, and his grandfather was a gentleman farmer. Doug spent 35 years working on the bay, learning the trade from a seasoned fisherman named Raymond Rackett, who was a third-generation fisherman.