Herb & Bobby Byrum
3rd GENERATION FISHERMEN
LANDS AT Rocky Hock, NC
CATCHES Blue catfish
Brothers Herb & Bobby Byrum have been fishing the Albemarle Sound for nearly 60 years. They are the third generation in their family to fish these tea-colored waters. Early each morning, the brothers head out to the sound to check their pound nets for blue catfish. Blue catfish is an invasive species in North Carolina, threatening native species of plants and fish.
Pound netting has been used for centuries in North Carolina waters, but the Byrums are among the last guys in the area practicing it today. Pound nets produce the best quality fish since the fish remain alive and in the water until they are harvested. The blue catfish they catch is delicious with mild flavor and firm white flakes.
Herb is jovial, always armed with a story or joke. Bobby, on the other hand, is quiet and reserved. Both are kind and ready to impart knowledge about their years of experience in this business.