Clamming in winter

[Raptor_1]

So I was extremely bored and work and got thinking about trying to dig some clams. Wondering if it is even worth trying this time of year. I am going stir crazy waiting for the weather to warm up and thought this might help. Thoughts?

[OATS]

Clams will be there.....it will be cold is all.

[akspecialus]

yes I have done it and yes clams are there. Would I do it again, no hands freeze, a clam gun may be better on fingers

[Raptor_1]

Right on, I might have to do some more research and get some equipment to give it a try.

[tdelarm]

Been wanting to do this also...I remember doing it once as a kid during the cold and it was rough. Clam gun with a warm place to stay would make it ok. Keep us posted.

[Raptor_1]

Rog, never been clamming before so I'm not even sure where to start but I learn very quickly and willing to give it a try

[Gooch]

went Out today

Got a bunch of clams in 20 minutes or so. I am on POW so the weather is a bit nicer although cold since it has been clear for over a week. Go get 'em!

[tdelarm]

Razors? Yummy!

[Gooch]

Nope

Cockels (sp?) and steamers. Good eating though!

[Warhorse]

Winter Clammin

Some friends and I went down to Clam Gulch a few years ago around this time of year. Clam guns are the only way to go when it's cold. Did ok and had a good time. But the way the clam beds down there are being depleted it's not worth my time winter or summer for the few you get and the size. Small Razors, nothing of any size, they need to shut it down for a few years and get the population of clams back up.

[tdelarm]

Couldn’t agree more – I’ve enjoyed clam digging for years from Washington State up to Alaksa. Washington State does a pretty good job of regulating their resource. 15 is the limit and the dig season is short and not often but the sizes are much nicer than you typical 4 to 5 inch razor found between Kasilof and Anchor River area.

Maybe dropping the limits down from 60 in the slower areas would help. I haven’t researched their efforts so I don’t know what their program is but the enclosed link reports that clams grow slower on the northern beaches compared to the south beaches possible due to milder winters and clearer waters which results in more plankton, their primary food source.

I want to fly over to the west side and try there and also south of Cordova. Used a clam gun once and I wasn't very good with it as I sliced clams in half...but as we get up in age I may be revisting that method again.

Cook Inlet Razor Clams
http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/region2/pdfpubs/clams.pdf

Washington State Razor Clams
http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/razorclm/season.htm

[sayak]

Clam Gulch, maybe...

Some friends and I went down to Clam Gulch a few years ago around this time of year. Clam guns are the only way to go when it's cold. Did ok and had a good time. But the way the clam beds down there are being depleted it's not worth my time winter or summer for the few you get and the size. Small Razors, nothing of any size, they need to shut it down for a few years and get the population of clams back up.

... I've picked up some decent ones at Ninilchik. But you're right; they're getting more scarce by the year.

A few years ago they had the limit down to 45, which was still a goodly amount of clams if a couple worked together. I pretty much avoid the summer clamming now, as I feel like I somehow landed in Korea or maybe the Philipines :eek:

[Fishkill]

Ninilchik is the place to go, at least it worked well for me last year. I dug maybe a hundred yards down the beach (toward Homer) from the campground. I was told by a local to go up the beach about a quarter to half mile (across the river and away from Homer) there I'd find bigger and more clams as no one wanted to walk or ride that far. Good luck

[OATS]

You just have to move around to find beds of bigger clams. I've been digging down there regularly since the '60s and seen many up and down cycles of different beaches. There are always areas down there where the clam size is down and others where they are jumbos, it is constantly cycling. Like any kind of "fishing" here, the farther you get from the easy access spots the more and larger of a species is found. There is no need to close beaches or limit numbers down there.

[ocnfish]

West Side & Polly Creek

Been flying in to Polly Creek for the last 20 years and it is usually the first big minus tide in March. For reasons of saftey I land up high on the beach and walk to the clams. On that beach I am sure the walk is close to a full mile, therefore I will only dig 1/2 of a 5 gallon bucket full. Great fun on a sunny day, the real work is cleaning them once we get home. Two trips like that each year keeps us in choder for the rest of the year.