A Crab Story
As a young boy Captain Wiso was intrigued by the adventure and mystery of catching crabs. It was for him a new frontier. He grew up in Downtown Delaware City in the building which is now “Crabby Dick’s”. At the age of 12 he started his crabbing adventures from the local public dock across the street from his home. With a few hand lines, some chicken necks and determination he started his life’s journey.
The anticipation while pulling in the hand lines was so exciting waiting to see what would be on the end of the line. Each summer he gradually expanded to more hand lines and eventully a few crab pots. He sold his crabs to local friends and neighbors for about $1.00 a dozen. By the time he reached high school he was using his dad’s small 16 foot aluminum boat to tend about 25-50 crab pots.
In 1970, upon graduation from high school, Wiso’s Crabs & Seafood was launched. Through his college years he expanded to a 19 foot heavier wooden boat. All the pots were pulled in by hand then not by hydraulics like today. During his senior year in college he had a custom crab boat built in Rock Hall, MD named the WISO II. By the time he finished college, graduating from the University of Delaware with a business degree, his business had grown to about 150 crab pots! In 1975, he earned his Captain’s license using the experience as a mate on his father’s boat shuttle to Fort Delaware where as he grew up he earned $5.00 a day! The Wiso II served for 20 years and when she retired she was on display in the business parking lot for about 10 years before time took it’s final toll. The remains of her bones are still on display.
The Wiso III was built in 1995 in Bellvue, NJ. She is all fiberglass and equipped with state of the art equipment. She served Captain Wiso for over 15 years and is currently dry docked at Wiso’s Crabs & Seafood here in Delaware City. Sadly, Captain Wiso has had to retire from the water due to an ear injury he suffered 25 years ago. Although he has retired from the water, he has crabbers in 5 states bringing him fresh crabs daily and he tries to do his best everyday to supply a good product at a fair price to all. His customers have become his personal friends and a part of his extended family and he hopes to continue with that tradition for years to come!