Wye River and Miles River

Woke up in Lloyd’s Creek with watermen working their trotlines.  Rather than setting out crab pots as is common in other parts of the Bay where the water is deeper and more open, here the watermen work trotlines.

Basically, they lay a baited line off a buoy maker for the crabs to feed on.  The crabs grab the bait with their claws and hold on to the bait.  The watermen motor to the buoy, snag the trotline and as it rises to the surface they capture the crabs who refuse to let go of the bait.

By early morning the Wye River was full of professional watermen and non-professional crabbers working the trotlines.  We did not see anyone fishing in the morning, everyone was crabbing.  The Wye River is noted for having the biggest and best crabs on the Bay.

The Wye River is less heavily developed than the Miles River.  The Wye is for watermen, crabbers and fishermen.  The following YouTube link gives you a sample of trot line crabbing.



The Miles River is for boaters and tourists.  St. Michael’s on the Miles River is a big tourist center and destination for boaters.  The only sailboats you see on the Wye River are either locals or those wishing to find a restful anchorage away from the hectic boating activity around St. Michaels.  If you want to see mega-yachts and party hardy, go to the Miles River.  The Wye is bucolic.

We were well rewarded for our trip up the Miles River as the St. Michael’s Maritime Museum had several of its antique boats out on the river.  We came along side Salina II, a gaff-rigged cat boat and the old Bay tourist boat, Patriot, painted in red, white and blue.  We also saw one of the skipjacks under sail the day before as we entered the harbor to refuel.  Overall, it was a great day on the water.