Spring fishing quarters were occupied by families who dispersed from the major farming villages during the period of food scarcity to live off of the bounty of the tidal rivers. Oysters of the lower Nanticoke were a dependable source of food during these times of stress before the summer crops ripened and after last years stored foods had been depleted. Fish weirs constructed off the shore of such small fishing camps would have also provided a daily source of fish migrating along the Nanticoke tidal marsh shoreline.

Strachey observed that “In March and April they live much upon their weirs and feed on fish, turkeys, and squirrels, and then, as also sometimes in May, they plant their fields and set their corn, and live after those months most off acorns, walnuts, chestnuts, chechinquamins, and fish. But to mend their diet, some disperse themselves in small companies and live upon such beast as they can kill with their bow and arrows, (and) upon crabs, oysters, land tortoises, strawbeeries, mulberries and such like.” The two to three houses at Nause noted by Smith in June of 1608 would represent the dispersed small companies of Nanticoke living upon crabs, oysters and newly ripened wild plant foods found on the hammocks nestled as islands in a sea of tidal salt marsh. As the summer advanced and the insects thrived, they would return to their farming villages in the upper Nanticoke to tend, harvest and enjoy the new crops.