NJ Clamming Help

[NJClamMan]

Hey Everyone,

I recently got into clamming for the first time and it's been real tough without anyone to learn from.  I've hit two places now.  One being Scull Bay on the Linwood side as well as the Grassy Sound out of West Wildwood.  I use a clam rake that I got from Ribb Rakes in Mass.  Both spots turned up clams, ~36 and 41 each respectively over a few hours, but they are 90% cherrystone and chowder with the stomachs too full of old digested material to be pleasantly edible.  I've still been able to eat them by cutting the foot off the stomach and chopping up the foot, skirt, and necks to use in chowder and stuffed clams.  It's just a shame to throw out half the clam because I can't get them cleaned right.

Does anyone have tips on finding more little necks when out clamming in the bays?  I figure if there are big clams, there should be small clams too, but I'm coming up short.  Also, does anyone have tips on cleaning out the stomachs of the larger clams better so I can get more yield per clam?  I've tried purging them in room temperature water, in the fridge, for an hour or so, and overnight, yet the clams still have a ton of gunk in the stomachs.  

[nickmarch]

Fresh water kills clams.  It makes them taste bad too!

[nickmarch]

Bring some of the salt water home with you or make salt water with sea salt and stick them in that water for a while to purge. 

[NJClamMan]

Hey Nick,

Sorry I missed that.  I always make sure the water that I use is as salty as the sea.  I even had one of of the clams last night sticking it's foot out at me trying to poke around!

[nickmarch]

The link below shows where the clams are located and where you are allowed to clam.  Make sure you have your license!

https://www.nj.gov/dep/landuse/shellfish.html

[nickmarch]

That's an old map.  This is the. Current locations.  NJ makes everything difficult! 

https://www.state.nj.us/dep/bmw/nssphome.html

Click the tabs on the page. Harvesting charts is probably what you want.

Chart 17 Cape May Point looks good to me.  It should be sand there instead of black muck.

 

Edited June 13, 2020 by nickmarch

[NJClamMan]

I use those maps already to find the locations for safe clamming.  I have my license and follow all regulations (even the no clamming on Sundays rule!)

Do you suggest clamming in the surf rather than the bays?  I always thought that there were more dense clam beds in the bays.

[buckhound]

you trying to get rid of mud???

[nickmarch]

I would try the surf at low tide.  I haven't seen anyone clamming the surf at cape may point. That could be because there aren't many clams or because clammers don't like the surf or some other reason.  I do know that the clam boats go to the ocean.  That black smelly muck has to affect the taste of the clams.  The State usually does density tests but who knows if they did them with budgets the way they are?

[NJClamMan]

17 minutes ago, buckhound said:

you trying to get rid of mud???

Yeah, I'm trying to get rid of the stuff in their stomach.  I can get the stuff off the shell fine with a brush, but they have a bunch of white and green gunk in them even after purging.

[buckhound]

if you are trying to get the mud out put them in cold ice water for a day any mud will come out but it sounds like you are talking about the stomach of the clam thats all edible in hard clams...