Those willing to line up early can catch a deal on the fresh, local haul from Earl’s Girl.
Every week on Facebook, shrimp lovers in Pamlico County closely watch for posts by Edie Ireland, 64. The first mate of Earl’s Girl provides a steady stream of updates, including the most important: The date and time of her and Captain Robert Spencer’s return with the shrimp they’ve caught for the week.
The trusty vessel, bought by Spencer, 66, in 1994 began as a yacht hull that he transformed into the boat seen today, doing his own woodwork and electrical work among other things. “Earl’s Girl” came from Spencer’s nickname, Earl.
Today, the couple venture out on the Neuse River and Pamlico Sound every Sunday, returning when their cooler is full, and selling the fresh catch for prices that residents from the county and beyond can afford.
Spencer, a man of few words who appreciates a direct conversation and hard work, helms the boat and sells the shrimp by the pound, fishing it out of the large chest and making change. A lifelong resident of the county, he grew up across the way from where Earl’s Girl docks in Bayboro.
He began commercial fishing when he was 16, traveling around the area and as far up the coast as New York and New Jersey.
Spencer started the Earl’s Girl business full time about 15 years ago, and said his favorite part of the business is leaving the dock.
“I used to hate to be out on Sunday,” Spencer said. When asked why that changed, he offered one word: “age.”
Ireland, who frequently counters Spencer’s scowl with a smile, brings a chipper attitude to the endeavor. The two met in high school, and Ireland began growing her own sea legs by joining Spencer throughout the years when she was in between jobs, but didn’t commit to full time shrimping until May, when she retired from a cleaning job.
“I would get up and get (my kids) off to school,” she said. “Robert had his boat in Oriental at that time and I would drive down to Oriental. And then I would come back every night. We didn't stay out at night because my kids were at home.”
The seasoned couple work together to sell the week’s catch until it is gone. That work begins early, even for the customers. With an unscheduled return time, the business works on a first-come, first-serve basis, and this week Earl’s Girl was full Wednesday evening. Ireland posted that night about the next day’s sale, proudly showing off a photo from her brother of trucks parked at 5 a.m. the next morning waiting for the shrimp boat to start selling at 8 a.m.
By 7:40 a.m., there was a lengthy line of regulars resting on their coolers and waiting in the hot sun.
Renee Beavers, 64, of Oriental, arrived at 6:30 a.m, and received her shrimp at 8 a.m. “You gotta get here early if you want to get in,” she said. Similar sentiments were shared by other customers, with many waiting an hour or more.
No customers appeared dissatisfied with the wait. Angela, 62, of Grantsboro, and Nancy, 66, of Stonewall, agreed that Earl’s Girl is special.
“The price and the shrimp,” Angela said. “The prettiness of the shrimp; they're fresh.”
Nancy jumped in, “You can't get them fresh if they’re not off the boat.”
“And they're county people,” Angela said of Ireland and Spencer.
The brown shrimp, currently in season compared to the white shrimp or greentails that Earl’s Girl catches in fall, are sold for $3.50 a pound. The price point can fluctuate, but Spencer and Ireland want to keep it low enough to attract a variety of customers. Customers range from resellers purchasing hundreds of pounds to locals picking up a bagful.
The reach of Earl’s Girl extends beyond the county, with multiple customers driving over from New Bern, including Kenneth Eborn, 52, and Paw Phaung, 15, who came with her dad, Kyawshar, 43.
“Everybody's open and friendly to everybody,” Eborn said. “It's a good community, you know. It seems like everybody builds relationships as they stand around and wait in line and stuff. So, yeah, I think it's a good community thing.”
After about two hours, the line disappeared, although there was still a steady flow of customers pulling in and out of the dock.
Discussing the day’s sales, Ireland began to tell Spencer that the shrimp cooler was half full, to which he countered that it was half empty, before they realized they were saying the same thing.
Ultimately, the shrimp sold out in about 3½ hours.
“I think the community really appreciates it,” Ireland said. “Shrimp is one of the cheapest meats you can buy right now. And it has been for a long time. Plus, they're good. There's nothing like fresh shrimp.”
