This Is Where Your Seafood Came From
Captain Joe Nelson, FV Miss Murphy, and the Southern Maryland fleet bring fresh local seafood from the working waters of the St. Mary’s River with true provenance.
You Followed the Seafood Story
If a QR code on a menu, seafood counter, package, table card, or recent purchase brought you here, you are now looking at the captain, vessel, crew, and working waters that may have helped bring that seafood to you. The exact source depends on the species, harvest, season, and trip—but Nelson Seafood is part of the real St. Mary’s River story behind local seafood.
Storied Seafood with true provenance from St. Mary’s River, St. George Island, Maryland.
Working Waterman Story
When you purchase seafood harvested by Nelson Seafood, you are supporting more than a catch. You are supporting a working waterman, his crew, his family, and a fourth-generation Southern Maryland fishing legacy.
Captain Joe Nelson represents the fourth generation of Nelson watermen, carrying forward a family tradition rooted in the working waters of Southern Maryland. With 38 years on the water, Captain Joe harvests native seasonal seafood from the St. Mary’s River, including Rockfish/Striped Bass, Perch, Blue Catfish, and bait fish.
The work of Capt. Joe Nelson, Nelson Seafood, and the crew reflects the pride, skill, and stewardship that define the Southern Maryland fleet — a commitment to fresh local seafood, responsible harvest, and preserving the waterways that have sustained generations of watermen before him.
Waterman, Gear & Harvest Details
The people, vessel, species, and working-water experience behind the Nelson Seafood harvest.
Generation: 4
Years Fishing: 38
Target Species: Rockfish/Striped Bass, Perch, Blue Catfish, Bait Fish
Vessel Build: Traditional SOMD deadrise
Length: 36 ft
Power: Cummins Diesel
Home Port: St. George Island
Primary: St. Mary’s River
Location: St. George Island, Maryland
Harvest Method: Pound net set
Senior Crew: Jerry Lukefahr and Johnny Cakes
Work: Gear handling, harvest support, sorting, and working deck duties
Support This Waterman
Show your support by wearing Nelson Seafood branded merchandise. Every shirt, hoodie, and piece of gear helps share the story behind the seafood and keeps working watermen visible, valued, and connected to the communities they serve.
2026 Waterman Designs ›Fish Alert carries the story forward
Fish Alert gives buyers a way to follow incoming local harvests while preserving the person, region, and working-water knowledge behind the seafood.
When a buyer purchases seafood through a Fish Alert, that seafood purchase can be accompanied by free customer-facing QR and story material that helps promote the waterman, region, and harvest source.
