George Rigby, Jr. is a descendant of baymen who settled on Long Island in the early 1900s. His father George Rigby, Sr. worked on the bay, harvesting many local species such as eels, crabs, scallops, and various types of finfish. Like many baymen, George learned these skills from his father and other baymen. Like his father, George is well known in the region as a master fisherman, duck hunter, and decoy carver. George Sr. used many methods to harvest shellfish and finfish, ranging from eel spears, pound trap, and eel traps. In winter, he speared eels by carving a hole in the ice, like other baymen and recreational fishermen, often braving below-freezing temperatures. Both father and son worked on the bay full-time, until George Rigby’s Sr. “retirement.” George has harvested clams, scallops, blue claw crabs, eels, and other local finfish and shellfish species. In addition, George is an active duck hunter and decoy carver. His father worked at Wildfowler Decoys, based on Long Island, and was one of the first members of the Long Island Decoy Collectors Association. As a young boy George Rigby, Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps, continuing many of the traditions established in earlier generations. However, like many baymen, he was not able to support himself working on the bay full-time. As a result, since 1991, he has worked on the bay part-time on the south shore and the east end. He is active in the South Shore Waterfowlers Association along with the LI Decoy Collectors Association.