# Who Clams out here?



## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

did alot in N.C. years back....I have to look up the regs about this. I know their is no market for them here.How many bags can U harvest...250 to a bag...legal size? We used 1" grates. Small ones fall thru and are illegal.just throw them back...The big ones we called CannonBalls. They are only fit for chowder and are cheapest to buy. (in N.C.) that is.. dredging is a different story...so many bags per boat!! Gotta look into all this....$$$$ to be made here!! What U want to eat are the "Cherries", thats a certain nice size clam fit for all types of cooking..


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## Figfarmer (Nov 25, 2007)

What part of Texas are you looking to clam??? I'm a clammer from way back.


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

From the "open zones " near Galveston and TC....NO Bull rakes...no clam rakes...just by hand...I am pro too... vb


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## Won Mo Kasst (Mar 27, 2008)

sounds a little too dam northern for me...


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

Fla. ain't North by no means......plenty there too...


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## seabo (Jun 29, 2006)

found some as a kid in fla for bait and stuff ,sandbars were we found em, feeling with your toes. have found a few shells on the beach here but have not seen a live one,in the surf or matagorda bay ,. are they everywhere or just in certain spots ?and about how deep of water do you find them in V Bottom ?


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## nextcast (Aug 11, 2006)

This is all new to me after 50 years on the coast. I assumed we didn't have edible clams here. How do you guys do it and do you have any pictures of the raw harvest?


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## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

used to do it as a kid west side of galveston

pretty much forgot about it, would deff go before the water warms back up

yep, find em with your feet in the sandy parts of the bay about knee deep as i reacall

they are regulated by the state, so read up first.


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## Figfarmer (Nov 25, 2007)

Pulled a few thousand cherrystones and little necks out of Sebastian Inlet, Fl. back in the 70's. Dug for steamers (P__s clams) at Plum Beach, NY back in the 50's. Sat at the counter at Lundy's in Sheepshead Bay, NY ( my home town) back in the 60's and ate many a dozen at 65 cents a dozen. Ah! The good 'ol days. Have dug many (by hand, always) along the Texas coast. There are alot of them in south Texas. Problem is, all the areas that hold them are in restricted waters due to polution by boats. Everywhere between Rockport and Ingleside is off limits.


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## LanceR (May 21, 2004)

*Harvesting clams in Texas - a word of caution*

There is no commercial fishery for clams in Texas though we have a couple of edible species. As has already been mentioned, the only legal gear that can be used for harvesting clams are your hands. Additionally, they can only be harvested from Approved waters, as classified by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Maps showing Approved, Restricted, and Prohibited waters of each bay system along the Texas coast can be found on their web site (http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/seafood/).

The open season for clams runs concurrently with the oyster season, November 1 - April 30. The daily bag limit is 25 pounds of live clams per person, per day and you must have a saltwater fishing license. You should also check with DSHS (800-685-0361; 24/7) before going clamming (or oystering) as areas may close quickly during harmful algal bloom events.

Lance Robinson
TPWD Coastal Fisheris
Dickinson Marine Laboratory


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## SpeckReds (Sep 10, 2005)

There are a couple of areas in the Galveston Bay Complex where you can find Very large clams. Softball size and larger. I step on them wading sometimes. 

I called tp&w years ago and they said they were legal to keep and eat. They called them Qual Hogg (sp)clams if I remember correctly. They even sent me some info. on them.
I collected a few. They were very real tuff, so I never kept any again. But I still find them and pick them up from time to time just to look at them.


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## Figfarmer (Nov 25, 2007)

Always good to remind folks of the shellfishing rules. I had shellfish poisoning, years ago, and it is no picnic getting through it. Technical name for them (texas clams) is "Quahog"


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## seabo (Jun 29, 2006)

prolly wont be clamming any time soon but i wondered about the clams here and was even talkin about it last weekend for some strange reason, and then this thread. thanks for all the info fellas! FF ,sebastion inlet was a good spot to be , have a few memories from there myself.


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## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

where the hail can I go around Houston to get a good plate of fried clams?


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## seabo (Jun 29, 2006)

InfamousJ said:


> where the hail can I go around Houston to get a good plate of fried clams?


read your thread too,heck if i know, but it is hard for me to beleive as big and on the coast there arent a bunch of places for clams and oysters.


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## Figfarmer (Nov 25, 2007)

Just find some islands or grassy spots in the bay and start stepping and shuffling slowly.When you feel a hard spot under your shoe, there she be. Look for clam shells . If you find empties on the beach, that is a good sign that you are in the zone. As far as oysters, They are everywhere. Just check the maps that have been posted (a few posts back) to make sure you are in a safe zone. FF


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## Upchurch85 (Dec 12, 2006)

*clams*

Im with SeriousJ on the Clam dinners. Long John Silvers has them but they usally stink. They don't even put them on the menu. TGI Fridays use to have a fried clam dinner but not anymore. Ideas?


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## great white fisherman (Jun 24, 2008)

I am just going to clam up. LOL


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

Lance R, howdy fella...Going to look it up again ,but in NC we didn't have a season on them...its all yr. IF U can stand the cold water...summer is a blast w/ ur hands IF U know how to bo it....look it up again on these dates in Tx U spoke of. I didn't see any dates when reading. Just open/closed, definitions etc, how to harvest ...ed

Sounds like to me, IF tx has no market for them, U can get all ya want..by hand..If U get a "K" per day u'd be lucky and ON THE BALL..a few measley lbs. ain't right...Help us out here..


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

The soft ball size are ONLY fit for chowder. They are tough (meat)....."cherrys are what u want to use at home. fried, and fried clam fritters etc.


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## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

V-Bottom said:


> The soft ball size are ONLY fit for chowder. They are tough (meat)....."cherrys are what u want to use at home. fried, and fried clam fritters etc.


You got that right. But the real big & tough quahogs make excellent bait. If the fish ain't hitting Corkies and arties, and shrimp is in short supply, clams are excellent ... especially for large flounder. Shhh ... it's our little secret.


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## WilliamH (May 21, 2004)

InfamousJ said:


> where the hail can I go around Houston to get a good plate of fried clams?


I gave you a link for mail order in your other thread.


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## Figfarmer (Nov 25, 2007)

"No more than 25 lbs of whole mussels and clams, or 12 lbs of mussel and clam shells may be taken per day for personal use." Per 2010-2011 TPW regs.


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

I want to U guys a little insight about the above for bait......"cannonballs" for bait!! Since these are tough anyway, we got a few of these for flounder bait (in NC). I am going to tell ya one of my secrets, since we are on this clam kick. Get urself some food coloring,..i.e. red, yellow, white (they make white)? anyway. dye the tough meat and put in a ziplock bag and salt them down, will make them even tougher. Single rig or tandem...flounder are SIGHT FEEDERS...they like flashy stuff. Great to do when finger mullet are gone.....shrimp too.........try it..its fun!! ed........vb


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

U right FF.not much considering, their is NO market for them....here


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