Billy Baird Oral History Interview

Terry Howard interviews longtime Florida fisherman Billy Baird. Born in Kentucky, Baird moved to Florida in the fall of 1961 to work in a produce packing plant and began commercially fishing in the 1970s with his four brothers. At the time of interviewing, Baird continues to fish commercially, primarily in bodies of water close to his home of Fort Pierce, Florida. Baird describes in detail how commercial fishing practices, equipment, zones and techniques have changed over the course of his long fishing career. He also discusses the various species of fish he has encountered in Florida, how their populations have changed since the 1970s, and the government regulations that have been enacted for their protection. In closing the interview, Baird shares some of his most memorable moments out on the water