Winter Ops Part II With Northfork Oysterman Matt Ketcham

1/19/2025 Well I was lucky enough to get out with Matt Ketcham of Peconic Gold Oysters a second time. In doing so, I learned a little bit more about Matt, and what a well-rounded commercial fisherman he is. From his early start mating for Captain Mike on the Orient Point chartboat “Prime Time,” to working aboard draggers, crabbers, lobster boats and eventually how he got started in his own business, Peconic Gold Oysters. Matt had two long line strings of cages that needed to be sunk, to protect them from freezing and today was his last day to do so before the freezing temperatures from up north rolled south. I’m writing this short excerpt on January 20, the following day, and have to take my hat off to Matt on making a good call. His decision to sink his cages will be monumental in whether he’s in business and operational for the 2025 season or not. While sinking the cages we had calm winds and near 40° temperatures. Sunday evening a front came through and temperatures plummeted. The video ends in Wickham Creek the following morning. Next time you order oysters at a restaurant, give a thought to all the work local commercial oystermen like Matt Ketcham put in from starting with seedlings and eventually bring the product to your table. Trust me, there’s a lot to it. Oh, and let’s not forget Matt’s Oyster Chowder Recipe, you won’t be disappointed! Thanks for viewing, and I hope you enjoyed the video