Harvey Brown grabs each mesh pot as the winch pulls it out of the water, and methodically packs in more bait, shakes out the crabs into a box on deck, sorts the males from the females, tosses those too small to keep back into the bay and then drops the pot for its journey back to the bottom.

CNN: King: Waterman finds Chesapeake Bay 'dying daily'

Swish the clams gently in the water and let soak for a few minutes, then lift them out with a wire-mesh skimmer and place them in the other pot of cold water.

NPR: Recipes: 'The Summer Shack Cookbook'

For equipment, you will need a large steamer pot or a large pot with a steamer rack and a tight-fitting lid and a Chinese wire-mesh skimmer.

NPR: Recipes: 'The Summer Shack Cookbook'