Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann – November 17, 2016

Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann – November 17, 2016
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From 1896 to 1933, the pound fishing industry was second only to tourism in Ocean City’s economy. The fishing season ran from the end of March to mid-November. Women ran the hotels and boarding houses and their husbands fished.

The fish pounds were huge traps made of nets located half of a mile offshore. They featured a funnel-shaped opening through which fish could enter but have difficulty escaping from. The nets were pulled aboard the boats by hand. There was no machinery in a pound boat to do the lifting. Fish were often dumped in the boats under the feet of the fishermen and not sorted out until they returned to shore.

Boats were launched through the surf from the beach on wooden rollers and retrieved with the help of a draft horse and block and tackle. There was no Inlet prior to Aug. 23, 1933. .It was hard and dangerous work.

Photo courtesy of Cliff Dyspky