Scalloping is a well-loved summer season custom in Florida, relying on the harvest area the season runs wherever from July 1st to September twenty fourth. Scalloping itself is paying homage to an underwater Easter egg hunt. The exercise is likely one of the best and most enjoyable issues to do inshore through the late summer season. The goal species of this egg hunt is a smaller bay scallop species, the Florida Bay Scallop (Argopecten irradians), a bivalve that grows within the seagrass alongside the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. They filter out algae and natural matter from the water column and have 30 little blue eyes which are gentle delicate and used to detect the shadows of potential predators to allow them to shut their shells. They develop to a max measurement of three.5″ in diameter and dwell usually just one yr and spawn solely as soon as within the fall. They’re additionally fairly scrumptious and nicely wanted for that candy meat. So with no plans for Labor Day Weekend, I steered to my spouse we go right down to Port St. Joe for a quiet seaside weekend and a few kayak scalloping. She stated it gave the impression of a great time, so I bought about getting every thing prepared final minute. Loading up all of the gear and Hobie on the truck so we might go away Friday proper after work.
After an extended drive down and checking in on the Port Inn late that evening, we lastly bought out on the bay late the following morning. Whereas I introduced down my very own Hobie PA 14 to take out on the bay, my spouse wanted to get a rental kayak for this journey. So we went over to Presnell’s Bayside Marina and bought a rental kayak for her, solely $40 for the total day. After that I bought to unloading my kayak and ensuring we had every thing we would have liked to be on the market. Snorkeling gear for each of us, water, and a dive flag. It’s important to have a dive flag on the market, it’s the regulation and it’s to maintain you protected. There are lots of boaters on the market and also you wish to have a protected and enjoyable time.
From the marina launch, we paddled our approach down the shore in the direction of Conch Island. We had been given some recommendations on the place to go and what to search for by Capt. Logan of Top to Bottom Fishing Company. Alongside the best way, we did make a few stops to see if the underside was what we have been searching for however solely discovered tremendous thick and wholesome seagrass on silt backside. Whereas nice fishing backside, we didn’t discover any scallops within the stuff. Although I did see a number of authorized flounder, and now won’t ever return on the market and not using a pole spear. Within the distance, we might see a number of boats with their dive flags out, and after seeing them there our entire paddle down, we knew there needed to be higher backside that approach. As we bought nearer and noticed the underside change to sandier and thinner sea grass, identical to what Logan had instructed us to search for. So we set anchor, put up the dive flag within the rod holder, and tied the kayaks up, we have been in most likely 3 to 4 toes of water.
We instantly discovered loads of outdated scallop indicators at this spot, discovering a ton of outdated scallop shells. So we knew have been gonna discover a dwell one quickly, and as we snorkeled round we did lastly discover our first scallop. Not a large, however after the primary couple of spots being a bust we have been excited to lastly be on the scallops after that lengthy paddle right here.
After discovering that first one it was easy crusing from there. We spent the remainder of the afternoon simply slowly going throughout the seagrass and sand rigorously searching for the scallops. Some have been extra silted in than others. Some scallops would react to our shadows and shut their shells, giving freely their location. Often you’d discover a purple herring of a useless scallop shell, the place as a substitute of a scallop a little bit crab made their dwelling in an empty shell and gave you a pinch whenever you picked them up.
As we have been scalloping and clearing I made certain to drag alongside the kayaks and reposition the anchor to verify we have been nonetheless shut by to the dive flag for security. Normally, once I went again to do that I might additionally discover some extra scallops proper below the kayaks. There all the time appear to be some that you just missed proper below the boat on the subject of scalloping. I even chased down a few blue crabs whereas I had the fins on to take dwelling as an additional bonus catch whereas transferring the kayaks.
Whereas we have been having a good time of doing this, after 4 hours on the market we had a couple of gallon of entire scallops and he or she was getting a bit drained and hungry so it was time to name it a day. So we loaded again into the kayaks and paddled again to the marina with our catch. A a lot tougher paddle again I’ve to say than the one we took out. Being drained and hungry from snorkeling all day together with the seagrass being proper to the floor with low tide make for a sluggish paddle again. In accordance with the spouse, we’re not coming again out right here and not using a boat, and he or she doesn’t like kayaks.
As soon as we lastly made it again to the marina, I returned her kayak and loaded mine again onto the truck, about keeled over from attempting to load it on uneven terrain. I’ll discuss extra about that once I end the assessment on the kayak rack although. It was time to shuck and clear the entire scallops. Whereas the authorized restrict of entire scallops per individual is 2 gallons, we solely bought one gallon in complete. Whereas horrible in comparison with the final time I did this a decade in the past, apparently the bay has had a tricky go of it since Hurricane Michael and we did higher than most scalloping.
Cleansing them is fairly easy, get a knife and lower the kidnapped muscle off the flatter prime shell of the scallop, then pull off all the center, and take away the remaining abductor muscle from the underside shell. Be certain to maintain all of them chilly, scallops can go dangerous rapidly within the warmth. I actually suggest you strive your hand at scalloping should you occur to be within the space, simply be certain that to have your fishing license and dive flag should you exit. Additionally, sunblock is a should, simply since you’re within the water doesn’t imply you gained’t roast on the market.
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