Scalloping questions?

[augk]

Hi I was thinking some you folks out their know a thing or two about these little critters that are so tasty. So I'm having lunch with the missus linguine with clams with scallops on the side oh so so good but expensive when you have to buy them.
So I'm wondering when diving what kind of scallops are available for harvesting while on SCUBA are they bay or ocean scallops?
Also what areas are they found in, topology wise or is it bottomology sandy vs rocky? Are they visible on the sea floor or do you still rake for them even while diving?

I found this info but would like to hear from those of you who have actually done this type of fishing.
http://www.nefmc.org/habitat/original_omnibus/scallops.PDF
Scallop - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[b1draper]

Well finding scallops is pretty easy. Cleaning them however takes a little bit more work and is not quite as fun. The scallops in my area are typically found in 6-10+/- feet of water in the flats (a shallow, grassy area near shore). These are considered bay scallops (the small ones).

When you're looking for scallops you're usually snorkling since the water is so shallow and looking for a line of bright blue dots (eyes). Then you try to grab them before they scoot away. Our season is in the summer so the water is pretty warm (in the upper 70s to upper 80s).

 

[SteveAD]

Most of what we find here in ma are sea scallops (~5"diameter shell). They are usually to be found in 40-70 feet on flat gravel bottoms in areas of significant current. They simply sit on the bottom waiting to be picked up by hand and put in the bag.

 

[mark_the_singer]

Up here in Maine is similar to SteveAD's description of Mass scallop diving. You hit the bottom around 50 feet or so, swim along and pick them up. I highly recommend trying it. I might do it this year but the recreational license went from 10 bucks a few years ago to 50 bucks this year. I don't have enough time to make it worth 50 bucks this year.

 

[poe67]

While Mark is right with the price, I believe it is still worth it. Last year a pound of scallops was $14.99... this year it is $18. If you get 3lbs of scallops for the season, you will have paid for the license.

They also changed the Maine season which used to run from Dec 1 - April 15th. The new season was divided into to time frames. They are Dec 1 - January 4 and then again from Feb 24 - March 31. As a recreational diver we also need to log our catches for the state as well. But SteveAD's info is correct for where to find those tasty little treats.

 

[F106A]

The magic number in NJ seems to be 130'. They can be sitting on the sand, perched on low wreck structure and under the sand. After doing a sweep, turn around and recover the same area. Frequently you'll find a few more volunteers have uncovered themselves.

 

[Mr.X]

Here's some information about diving for scallops in NE. There's a short video at the end of this page regarding Nantucket scallops.

Nantucket's Wild Bay Scallops - Nantucket Plum

When I've gone diving for scallops I've gone for the big guys who seem to sit deep in the NY/NJ area. The measure easily 8" across, whereas the little guys you might find on Nantucket measure less than that.

X

 

[poe67]

These our the bad boys we go after in Maine! Diver Ed shucking his haul for the day!

 

[MSilvia]

Here's a link to an article I wrote about scallop diving in Massachusetts. Hopefully you'll find it useful.

Also, for you Mainers, there is no recreational scallop license in MA, so you might consider diving for them down here if you can live with a shucked 4 quart limit...

 

[augk]

Thanks for all the great info guys. all very helpful.