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ORAL HISTORY

Charles and Rex Pennycuff

Fisherman's Choice

Originally from Tennessee, Charles Pennycuff’s parents moved their family to Eastpoint in 1971. Since Charles first saw the bay at the age of seventeen, he has made his living from it. Over the years, Charles has done it all. He has shrimped, oystered, crabbed, and even grunted for worms. His son, Rex, worked the bay, too. Like a lot of folks, though, they wanted something more reliable. In 1993 Charles opened Fisherman’s Choice Bait & Tackle in Eastpoint. He has no employees, only his family. From this modest storefront, every fisherman, hunter, and seafood worker can get what he or she needs. From crickets to rubber boots, fishing poles to dog food, they’ve got it. And the nature of this kind of business is that it’s the center of all things bay-related. Locals stop in for bait, friends stop in to chat, and strangers get tips on good fishing holes. Even though the Pennycuffs don’t get on a boat to go to work anymore, they are still very much connected to the bay.