DATE: Sunday, July 20, 1997                 TAG: 9707200099

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 
SOURCE: JENNIFER LANGSTON, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: COLINGTON                         LENGTH:  109 lines

THE CRABBING ADVENTURE CATCHING A FEAST TOGETHER

In this popular crabbing spot, Lamont Jolley was catching crustaceans under the bridge for a seafood gumbo Friday.

With a dozen relatives helping out, the family tree resembled a tangled mangrove swamp. There were aunts, brothers-in-law, wives, husbands, kids and cousins.

Recreational crabbing on the Outer Banks is more social event than serious sport. Families catch their dinner, strangers pulling in lines bang against each other, and almost everyone seems to have a good time.

``We come down here every time we're down. This is one of the hot spots, I'm told,'' said Jolley, 38, who works as a food service consultant to the school system in Fairfax County, Va.

Susan Brockman, 48, from St. Louis, said having the chance to spend time with family was her favorite part of the crabbing adventure.

``It's the togetherness. It's something fun that we can all do,'' she said.

The dependable crab harvest is not the only thing that draws them to this spot. Tourists not yet jaded by the sight of crabs and sand sharks skimming under the water gather to watch. They swap stories and helpful hints.

``The camaraderie is worth mentioning. You get people of all backgrounds here,'' Jolley said.

Bob Smith, 39, a shipfitter from Chesapeake, Va., helped a first-timer grab a crab that was pawing a chicken gizzard. Smith's net, attached to a bamboo stick with borrowed tape, was the perfect tool for the job.

He scooped up the crab and deposited it in a nearby cooler.

``I don't know that man from Adam, but I don't mind helping him,'' he said. ``I met a whole bunch of guys today. They were just doing it for the fun of it, so they gave their crabs to me.''

With about 20 in his bucket, he was already imagining the feast he would prepare for his friends who were working.

``We like to buy tuna and dolphin at a seafood market, catch a few crabs, cook it all up, have fun and tell lies,'' he said.

Smith has been on the Outer Banks for the past month, but crabbing has been a hobby for years. He bought his first car as a teen-ager with money he made selling bushels to seafood markets.

This trip, he brought his daughters Abbra, 13, and Hannah, 9, crabbing for the first time.

``I think it's the kids that get the biggest kick out of it,'' he said. ``It gets them in touch with wildlife.''

Ryan Brockman, 12, was netting his first crabs Friday. He said it wasn't that different from catching crawfish in St. Louis. ``It's basically the same thing, except you catch them with bacon,'' he said.

Sharing strategies and swapping stories probably used more time than actually catching crabs Friday, since there's usually a wait between bites.

Jolley advised some novice crabbers to put their catch not in water, but in a cool, dry bucket. They'll live for several hours without the water.

``That's the kind of thing we had to learn the hard way,'' he said. ``Whenever we see other people doing it, we kind of share the information.''

COLINGTON - In this popular crabbing spot, Lamont Jolley was catching crustaceans under the bridge for a seafood gumbo Friday.

With a dozen relatives helping out, the family tree resembled a tangled mangrove swamp. There were aunts, brothers-in-law, wives, husbands, kids and cousins.

Recreational crabbing on the Outer Banks is more social event than serious sport. Families catch their dinner, strangers pulling in lines bang against each other, and almost everyone seems to have a good time.

``We come down here every time we're down. This is one of the hot spots, I'm told,'' said Jolley, 38, who works as a food service consultant to the school system in Fairfax County, Va.

Susan Brockman, 48, from St. Louis, said having the chance to spend time with family was her favorite part of the crabbing adventure.

``It's the togetherness. It's something fun that we can all do,'' she said.

The dependable crab harvest is not the only thing that draws them to this spot. Tourists not yet jaded by the sight of crabs and sand sharks skimming under the water gather to watch. They swap stories and helpful hints.

``The camaraderie is worth mentioning. You get people of all backgrounds here,'' Jolley said.

Bob Smith, 39, a shipfitter from Chesapeake, Va., helped a first-timer grab a crab that was pawing a chicken gizzard. Smith's net, attached to a bamboo stick with borrowed tape, was the perfect tool for the job.

He scooped up the crab and deposited it in a nearby cooler.

``I don't know that man from Adam, but I don't mind helping him,'' he said. ``I met a whole bunch of guys today. They were just doing it for the fun of it, so they gave their crabs to me.''

With about 20 in his bucket, he was already imagining the feast he would prepare for his friends who were working.

``We like to buy tuna and dolphin at a seafood market, catch a few crabs, cook it all up, have fun and tell lies,'' he said.

Smith has been on the Outer Banks for the past month, but crabbing has been a hobby for years. He boughthis first car as a teen-ager with money he made selling bushels to seafood markets.

This trip, he brought his daughters Abbra, 13, and Hannah, 9, crabbing for the first time.

``I think it's the kids that get the biggest kick out of it,'' he said. ``It gets them in touch with wildlife.''

Ryan Brockman, 12, was netting his first crabs Friday. He said it wasn't that different from catching crawfish in St. Louis. ``It's basically the same thing, except you catch them with bacon,'' he said.

Sharing strategies and swapping stories probably used more time than actually catching crabs Friday, since there's usually a wait between bites.

Jolley advised some novice crabbers to put their catch not in water, but in a cool, dry bucket. They'll live for several hours without the water.

``That's the kind of thing we had to learn the hard way,'' he said. ``Whenever we see other people doing it, we kind of share the information.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

DREW C. WILSON/The Virginian-Pilot

Rick Lowrey, perched on the end of a seawall in Colington, shows his

family the correct technique for pulling in a crab line. Folks who

fish for the tasty crustaceans say it's a fun family activity that

might just pay off in a seafood feast.

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