Northwest Fishing Reports

After reading the local newspaper article about the lowest tides since the early 1900s I decided to go get some clams and oysters.Here is the link for those interested.http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/jun/ ... -seashore/
Today where I am going on the Hood Canal it's actualy a DNR beach the low tide is a whopping -4.5.Cant wait for clam chowder.

It was on friday I figured you would be at work but I did get my limits on oysters and clams get ahold of me if you wanna get some,sorry about the punctuation my laptop has a couple broken buttons

Toni wrote:If I wanted to do this do I need a special license? How do I do it? I have the 1st through the 4th off. Can I do it on any beach?
The last time I got butter clams it was 30 years ago on Redondo Beach by Federal way. I was clam digging at Coplais beach at the ocean when Mt St Helen erupted. Different types of clams and a lot of years ago.

Toni,

1. Yes, you need a shellfish license, can't remember what the price is, usually like 8-10 bucks.
2. Can you do it on any beach.... Definetly Nope.
3. You went to Redondo 30 years ago.... nearly all of puget sound has closed beaches for shellfish harvesting. This is due to pollution within puget sound. Also, since those 30 years have gone by,, look at the beaches within most of puget sound and you will notice that you see very little signs off shellfish or beach life in general, (crabs under rocks, clam holes, etc.)
To me it always is a strangley sterile enviroment on puget sound beaches.

4. But not to bum you out. There is still great clamming at the ocean beaches, like Copalis where you said you had been before. But clamming now is VERY regulated, and for the good, this is for sure. There are just too many people who seek the clams. Start with the regs. book, but clamming regs. change during the year as to when certain beaches are open and closed. There is a shellfish hotline in the regs. book that should tell you of recent changes and what is suddenly open.

Good luck

On hot days like what were having I buy a air stone pump that plugs in the cig lighter.It keeps oxygen in the water .I also put some corn meal in those buckets too.They (clams)will digest the corn meal and spit the sand out.Id rather get a mouth full of corn then sand.Its important to keep the water cold and aerated with oxygen.I use old 1-2 liter bottles with frozen water in them.That keeps the salt water cold and the fresh water wont spill into the salt water.Any clams that die on me I save for bait in the future.
One of my Favorite digging areas is the west side of Possession on Whidbey Island.

Toni wrote:If I wanted to do this do I need a special license? How do I do it? I have the 1st through the 4th off. Can I do it on any beach?
The last time I got butter clams it was 30 years ago on Redondo Beach by Federal way. I was clam digging at Coplais beach at the ocean when Mt St Helen erupted. Different types of clams and a lot of years ago.

License is $7.50 for a day or $16 for the year. And it is a shellfish licence so it includes crab.
Here is the WDFW page that I use to check beaches for digging. http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/beachreg/
Take a shovel and rake. Bucket, gloves and boots. For butters you can just rake the surface and find them.
1 1/2 inch min. for the butters an 2 1/2 inch width for the oysters. Good luck out there.

Here are pix from today. I took a half day off and took the fam out for a dig. We got there at 10am and left at Noon.
Even with the little one messing around we ended up with 80 butters and 36 oysters. Ya buddy! Its gonna be a good bbq and fireworks show over Poulsbo tomorrow.
















fishnislife

Looks tasty yes indeed.