[cheerful music] Today we're headed dockside to meet Tia Clark, a lifelong Charlestonian with Gullah Geechee roots who grew up near the water, but didn't embrace these cultural riches until after a career refresh.

These days, Tia joyfully shares her passion for crabbing and environmental sustainability with all sorts of visitors, including first timers like me.

- Hey, Sheri.

- I made it.

I appreciate you setting up the world's best weather.

That's a nice touch.

- You know, I've got Mother Nature on speed dial so I hit her up and dialed it up for you.

- [Sheri] So whatcha doing?

- Well, I'm getting our last line set out right now and in a few minutes we're gonna do some necking.

But, Sheri, don't look at me like that.

Not like that, okay, I'm a married woman.

No necking out here on this dock.

- Let me make a guess, is it 'cause people used to use chicken necks as bait?

- That's absolutely right.

- I like it.

I like it.

- That is absolutely why.

- I'm gonna learn the lingo.

I'm so excited, I've never done this in my life.

I'm from the opposite end of the state, and the water is a mystery to me so I'm so excited about this.

- Oh, I'm so excited to share this with you today.

Cool.

You ready?

- I'm ready.

- All right, let's do it.

- All right.

- Crabs like a nice, cool, moist environment.

So I've got two burlaps, one for them to sit on and the other one that's gonna cover them up.

You wanna go first?

- No, I want you to go first.

[laughs] - You got it, all right.

See if we got one in here.

So I'm gonna grab this line and then just start pulling, hand over hand, just pull up as steady as you can.

Hey!

- Oh, look at that!

You got one.

You got one.

- Look at that.

That is a beautiful blue crab.

- Oh my god.

- Look at that.

- They don't call him blue for nothing, that color is amazing.

- Isn't it?

It is stunning.

- And he's gonna go in your burlap nest here.

- Well, first off, we're gonna have to measure it.

because you can't keep every crab that you catch.

- What are the limits?

- Five inches from point to point, the width of the carapace.

So we're gonna have to measure this crab.

I don't actually have a ruler right here, but what I have is, this is a five inch regulation blue crab.

I had tattooed on my leg, so I got the ruler right here for us.

- That is great art and that is dedication to your craft, man.

I love that.

- I don't play around.

All right, so the first thing I'm gonna do is get this crab out of the basket.

Lemme cut back over this side.

I'm gonna help it out.

They have two claws, but they can't just reach behind them.

- Oh, okay, that's good intel.

Cannot reach behind them.

- And there are the eyes, so don't come from the front, don't come from the top.

So I'm gonna get behind this crab, get my dominant hand, and I'm kind of sneaking up.

Like normally, you see those claws come up?

- Yeah, boy.

- Yeah, so you can't just take your hand and go straight down, you want get right to that middle and push that crab flat.

They have two claws, you're gonna need two hands.

So both thumbs are here, index fingers are going wide.

So at the same time, I'm gonna pull these claws in back towards me.

I'm gonna bring in my middle finger and add it next to my index on that claw.

Pull that claw all the way out, get those fingers on the top and the bottom, and then you can pick your crab up just like that.

- I believe everything you said, and I think it's easier to fold a fitted sheet, I swear, that is not, wow.

- [Tia] First thing we need to do is make sure that this thing makes the cut.

That's the legal point.

So I think we got about a six inch crab here.

- Amazing.

- I know.

So when we do that, we're just gonna lift the top burlap.

rest it on the bottom, put another one on top.

That's gonna keep her nice and cool.

- And that crabs wonderin', "What in the world?"

- Well, she's like, "I'm headed to the pot," and she's not happy about it.

You know, we just broke up a family, probably a family reunion down there, Sheri.

But guess what?

I just did it, it's your turn now.

- All right, okay.

[whimsical music] - Hit it.

- Okay.

- Yep, just like that, keep going, keep going, keep.

Oh, that's another big one there, come on.

Oh, is it coming?

Is it coming?

- Yeah.

Look at that!

- You know, when it came out of the water, I thought I'd lost it, it just shaked.

Ooh, it is a big ol' big one.

- That is a big 'un, look at that chicken thigh.

- Yeah, he's been nibbling some skin.

- So I'm gonna let it out and then I'm gonna get, oh boy.

I'm gonna get behind her.

Back it up, little girl, okay.

Ho ho, was that a good clap?

- [Sheri] Yeah, that was a clap.

- [Tia] They did all right.

So we got this.

- Okay.

- [Tia] You're doing it, a little bit closer.

And go.

Push forward.

Good job.

Good job.

- Good lord, that's.

And where are we going with this?

- We're gonna measure it, right there.

Yeah, We gotta go measure it, see if it's legal.

They can't scratch their backs.

They can't reach behind them with those claws.

I got you, I got you.

Good job.

Good job.

Look at you, you're like a pro?

Wait, you wanna take our rap album cover first?

- Yeah.

- Put your right- - Gonna need a lesson on that too.

Okay.

[chuckles] - Just like that.

- Okay.

- All right, now you gonna make like a serious face.

All right, there we go.

- So tell me how you got into crabbing.

- This saved my life.

I worked in food and beverage for 20 years and I lived a very unhealthy life.

And I told one of my cousins what was going on and he said, "You should come crabbing with me," as a way to get active.

And I was still not sure, like I'd never been crabbing, so I didn't know what was to come.

That was the first day that I ever caught and cooked my food ever in my life.

- I had the time of my life, you know, I've not been on the water a lot, but I can tell you absolutely it's the best day on the water I've ever had.

- Oh man, I love to hear that.

- Cannot thank you enough.

Learned so much, got a new buddy out of the deal.

- I know, Virgo sisters.

- That's right, now you're stuck with me.

Now I know where you are, I can come find you again.

- Well, listen, I don't mind being friends with people that can cook, I just don't come to your house.

You can catch me up in the mountains, I'll come see you.

- That sounds good.

All right, you wanna walk me in?

- Let's do it, come on.

- All right.

- [Tia] Let's head on out.

[upbeat music]