Are you looking for a fun and adventurous activity for the family or you and a few friends this summer? Head down the Gulf Coast of Florida to Homosassa and Crystal River to try your hands at the unique experience of scalloping for Bay Scallops. This activity is easy to do and loads of fun. Homosassa and Crystal River are two of the hottest spots to go scalloping because of the great abundance in their waters. You do not need any experience and hardly any gear, so what are you waiting for!
What Are Bay Scallops
When they think of scallops, most people think of the big, sweet round delicious Sea Scallop in the iconic fluted scalloped shell. What people are not as familiar with is the Bay Scallop. These are smaller, but they are sweeter, more tender, and just as delicious because of their smaller size. Homosassa and Crystal River are two of the best places in Florida to find them. The Bay Scallops in Homosassa and Crystal River live in the shallow water of the seagrass beds. The water is usually only 4 to 10 feet deep, and most of the time, you will be scalloping in 3 ft to 6 ft of water. Because it is so shallow, the whole family can take part in picking these delicious treats.
What Are Bay Scallops
- First is the iconic shape of the scallops, fluted scallop-shaped shells.
- Second is the size. Bay scallops are much smaller than Sea Scallops. They tend to be close to a third the size of sea scallops, with an average of about ½ inch in diameter. There are 50 to 100 of these small bivalves per pound.
- Third, a Bay Scallop has thirty eyes that glow bright blue. On clear days, you can see them shining from the bottom, which makes scalloping much easier.
License And Bag Limits
You can scallop in Homosassa and Crystal river from July 1 through Sept. 24, 2022, so you could plan a trip down the coast for the Fourth of July or Labor Day. If you are going it alone, you MUST have a saltwater fishing license. If you decide to make it easier on yourself, go with a professional Bay Scallop charter service. In that case, the license will be included in your charter fees.
For both cities, there are bag limits that MUST be followed. Each person can harvest up to 2 gallons or a ½ gallon of sweet tender meat if shucked. This is individual, and the maximum limit for a charter boat is 10 gallons, so if you have six on a charter, you will not be able to max out one each of your limits.
How To Harvest Bay Scallops
So how do you get the scallops? It is actually an easy process. You first need to get to the scallop grounds and then get in the water.
Gear
Once in the water, you will need:
- 1. Mask and snorkel, especially if you are diving down under
- 2. Fins, again, for diving down underwater
- 3. Mesh bag for placing your bounty in
- 4. Dive Flag for safety
