Ina Nektar Fly Fishing

Guide Wading Boot

How To Harvest Quahog Clams

Harvesting wild quahogs along the Mid-Atlantic coast is a time honored way to harvest seafood while enjoying a family day on the water. The activity takes very little skill and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. A few simple items are all that are needed to enjoy a day clamming.

The quahog, also known as hard clam, round clam, or hard-shell clam, is found all along the North American Atlantic Coast, being most abundant from New England to Virginia.

Before a clamming trip, enthusiasts will need to do a little planning and go over their checklist. Critical to success is a check of tides. To dig clams effectively, harvesters need access to large areas of exposed sand or shallow water. The best times to harvest quahogs is usually around low tides, which only occur at certain times of the day.

Checking the weather forecast before beginning a clamming trip is important. Depending on the season, conditions at clamming areas may be much cooler than inland areas. It is also important to be aware of any impending weather, especially if boating is involved. Another pre-trip task is to check online for local regulations. Most states allow recreational clamming without a license, although some areas may have seasonal or full time restrictions or closures.

After reviewing tides, weather and local regulations, a good idea is to pack a few essentials. Depending on the season and weather, these may include only light clothing or a few layers of warm apparel. For cool weather, clammers may choose to bring waterproof gloves or cotton work gloves. Boots are also important for cool weather clamming as well as in areas where sharp objects are common. A hat, sunglasses, sunblock, drinks and snacks are good items to bring along.

Equipment is simple and inexpensive. The bare essentials for finding quahogs via the "signing" method are a bucket or mesh bag and a gardener's hand rake. Serious clammers may choose to purchase more specialized clamming tools, but the simple hand rake will do for beginners. Advanced tools include a New England style hand rake which is longer. A common garden potato rake also works well when signing clams.

Many clamming areas are accessible by foot, while others require a boat to reach. A good way to find clamming areas is to visit tackle shops, hardware stores or talk to local fishermen and boaters. Most productive clam beds are found in areas of flat or gently sloping sand or mud. Many local charter boats and fishing guides offer clamming trips for enthusiasts that are unfamilar with an area or lack a boat to go clamming.

When scouting potential clamming areas, it is good to work in a group, covering a large area. Experienced clammers scan the flats while walking, looking for the telltale "keyhole" that indicates a buried clam. During high tides, clams move vertically in the substrate to feed. As the tides recede, they bury deeper, eventually settling down about an inch beneath the sand. To breathe, they expel water which makes a small hole in the sand or mud. On sandy bottoms, the hole may not form the distinctive keyhole shape that is seen in muddy areas.

On a falling tide, these holes may sometimes be found in areas that are still covered by water. Other holes may be in areas that are totally above the waterline. Besides the shape of the hole, a clam may be indicated by a squirt of water, or by seeing the mud or silt expelled while exploring the shallows and tide pools. Not all holes belong to hard clams, as a variety of sea creatures also bury in the bottom to feed. Experience helps and once clams are found, enthusiasts quickly to learn to recognize the clam "signs" and to tell which holes to pass up.

Once a clam breathing hole is found, a few scrapes with a tool is usually all that is needed. The metal tine makes a distinctive ring when it contacts a clam. Harvesters then dig and lift the prize from the bottom, rinse it off and store it before moving on. As a clammer or small group begins to find clams, it is usually worthwhile to note where the clams are found in relation to the shoreline. In some cases, most clams will be caught right near the water's edge. Other times, clams will sign better farther up the towards the high tide mark.

Another technique for harvesting quahogs is raking. With this technique, special clam rakes which are used to rake areas of submerged bottom where clams are common. This technique is hard work, but can be very productive in areas where quahog clams exist in large quantities. When raking or wading clams, some people rig a basket inside a tire inner tube, which is then tied to the clammer's waist.

A third technique is perhaps the most fun. Clammers simply wade in productive areas, feeling clams beneath their feet. When a quahog is located, the harvester reaches down, sometimes under water and removes the clam. Skilled waders sometimes use their foot to dig out the clam and lift it to the surface. Both raking and wading for quahogs can be done almost anywhere that sandbars or other shallow areas are found.

It is a good idea to pay attention to time while clamming, especially when boating. More than one happy clammer has lost track of time and looked back to find their boat unable to move until the next tide returns. Another reason to pause is to re-apply sunblock, catch one's breath and get a drink of water.

After gathering clams, they should be rinsed well and stored out of the sun. In cool weather, clams are tolerant of being out of the ocean, but as temperatures go up, clammers need to be more aware of handling procedures. Clams should always be kept moist and cool. During hot weather, it may be necessary to bring a cooler with a small closed container of ice. The idea is to chill the clams without shocking them or allowing them to submerge in ice water, which could kill them.

The following list includes quahog clam sizes:

Littleneck: 10-13 per pound, approximately 1" in diameter
Middleneck: 7-9 per pound, approximately 1.25 " in diameter
Topneck: 5-7 per pound, approximately 1.5" in diameter
Cherrystone: 3-4 per pound, approximately 2" in diameter
Chowder: greater than 2" in diameter

About the Author

The author is an outdoor enthusiast and writes for outdoor websites including Chincoteague Island Virginia, Chesapeake Bay and Fresh Seafood.

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