Somerset Charters: Fun, authentic experience crabbing and shrimping

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The Miss Somerset II features a shallow draft and plenty of room for charter guests.

Somerset Charters:

Fun, authentic experience crabbing and shrimping

A youthful couple with deep family roots in Dare County has launched a charter operation that puts a new spin on traditional types of soundside fishing.

Capt. John Silver of Wanchese plans to take family groups of up to six people out on daily crabbing and shrimping runs on his classic Chesapeake-style vessel, the Miss Somerset II. He’s partnered with fiancée Ella Catoe in the venture.

Each appears super excited about the coming season and they’ve already booked nearly 20 charters. The vessel, a 1986 36-footlong Evans Dead Rise Somerset, features a shallow draft, diesel engine and plenty of deck room for the customers.

Silver’s dad “Possum” and uncle “Winkie” helped him acquire and refit the boat from stem to stern years ago. John, age 31, has been commercial crabbing and shrimping from the Somerset for the past seven seasons and working on boats since age 15.

Catoe, a graduate of East Carolina University, has worked in publishing and digital advertising for several years. Silver said she has been extremely helpful with advertising the new venture and developing his marketing materials including website somersetcharters.com.

The pair of Manteo High graduates, who plan to get married in late September, are ready to take on the busy tourism season.

“We’re really excited about it,” Silver said. “She created the website, and ads . . . she’s been a huge help behind the scenes pulling it together.”

At present, Cateo plans the keep her day job but also seems thrilled about opening Somerset Charters and communicating with the customers.

“I am beyond excited about the launch of Somerset Charters,” she said. “John has had this dream for quite some time now and I’m so proud of him for bringing it to life.

“He has had the vision, the passion and the drive to take it to completion,” Catoe said. “That’s what a successful business needs, right?

“We are looking forward to giving our guests a fun, authentic Outer Banks experience,” she continued.

The couple plans to offer three time slots a day – two, three or four hours. The captain

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Capt. John Silver and his two dogs Rudy and Emmett are ready for the summer season running charters.

can tailor what they do while fishing to match what the customer wants.

So, on two hour runs, for example, he said customers can choose either crabbing or shrimping. If they want to take home both types of catch, they need to opt for the three- or four-hour charters.

“My pots are just for charters,” Silver said. “How long we’re out there helps determine how many we can fish, so I can play it by ear.

“For someone with kids, it’s a learning thing – let the kids have fun!” the captain said.

A large culling table provides a place to dump the shrimp from the net or blue crabs from inside the wire mesh pots or traps. That’s when children can see the crabs or shrimp up close, measure the throwback crabs and perhaps see other interesting bycatch critters such as fish.

Conversely, for a bunch of hungry folks he’ll aim to catch as many shrimp and crabs as possible. There’s a limit of 50 blue crabs a day per person but he doesn’t see doing large numbers like that.

Instead, he views the entire venture as a neat way to get people out on the water and let them enjoy some of the bounty of the sea without having to spend all day and thousands on an offshore fishing trip.

“It’s great,” the captain said. “A lot of people come down and don’t want to go offshore all day.

“Two or three hours is a small chunk of the day,” said Silver. “It’s a more affordable, fun option to do while here.”

On their website, there are photos of Catoe aboard Miss Somerset II with her friends living the dream during summer fun runs.

“They love it – I take her and all her friends,” he said. In addition, Silver said Catoe’s first cousin Burtch Harrison will serve as the first mate

Crabbing season begins in June and shrimping begins in July, the captain noted. Customers need to bring a cooler so they can take home their catch. The fishing grounds are adjacent to John’s residence on the west side of Wanchese on the Croatan Sound.

A true waterman, John first commercial

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Ella Catoe shows o their catch of shrimp.

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Catch and keep your own basket of blue crabs and fresh shrimp while on a trip with Somerset Charters.

fished on long-line boat, the Sarah Brent. It’s the type of fishing featured on the film “A Perfect Storm,” he noted.

Over the years he’s tried a number of different types of fishing and boats including ones that stay at sea for weeks at a time. Along the way, Capt. Silver realized something important.

“I did not like being away from home,” he said. “I just wanted to be home at night, that’s how I got into crabbing and shrimping.”

Silver and Catoe along with yellow labs Rudy and Emmett invite you to give them a try this summer aboard the Miss Somerset II. 