I love clamming! I usually clam in Delaware...there are not many places in MD to rec clam. I have the best time at Holts Landing...it's near Millsboro, DE...lots of muck and seaweed, but the clams are there. It's 100 clams free for DE residents...50 clams free for out of state. It's fun!
I also clam at Cape Henlopen park in Lewes..one of my favorite places in the world...but they don't have that many clams there anymore. Just get any metal rake...make sure to wear sneakers...and you're set to go. The last time I was there...I didn't realize it, but the water was up to my chest..and everyone else had left..that's how much into it I was and how many clams I was raking up. I got there late. And you really, really HURT for the next two days!Janice
http://www.bluecrab.info/forum/index.php/topic,14362.msg147204.html#msg147204
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Clamming - Cape Henlopen State Park
Hen Pot & Kristie, here's what you want to do.Tools (cheap): 1. Go the the hardware store and get a pointed garden hoe or one with 4-5 teeth .Might cost you $5.00 for either one. These won't last more than several trips, as they'll rust quickly, even if you rinse them off with fresh water after every trip.2. Go to a Dollar Store and get a small, kiddie pool with inflatable sides, maybe 3' across.
Load the family in the car and head for Cape Henlopen State Park near Lewes, Delaware. The entire area to the right of the fishing pier is prime clamming territory at low tide. It is all sandy bottom. You can wade out at least 200-300 yards at low tide. This place has "monster" clams, some that measure 6" across. These clams, all the same species, come in three sizes:quahog - 5-6" acrosscherrystone - 2-3" acrosslittleneck 2" acrossThe quahogs are too tough to eat steamed from the shell. They are usually chopped up or ground up for chowder. The cherrystones littlenecks are steaming clams.All you do is wade out into the water and rake in front of you. My wife has a technique where she keeps the wooden handle close to her ear. She can "hear" when she rakes a clam. Just reach down into the water, pick it up and put it into the floating kiddie pool. This place also has large conchs. These are steamed,afterwhich the "foot" is removed and chopped or ground up for conch chowder. If you start clamming an hour or so before low tide, you'll have a full 4-5 hours before the water gets too high. Now, Tools (expensive):There are a number of shops in the area of Cape Henlopen that sell clamming gear. A stainess steel clamming rake will cost around $15.00 and one with a basket on the back end of the rake will cost around $25.00. As far as a float to carry the crabs, a truck tire inner tube with a bushel basket works great, but costs more than the kiddie pool. The wife and I tried something new last year and it works great. We each got a pair of the aerator sandles that are supposed to be worn when you cut your lawn. These sandles have long, hard aluminum spikes on the bottom that are supposed to aerate the lawn as you walk behind the mower. Well, they work great for finding clams also!Transporting the clams home. We use a couple 60qt coolers with a rack on the bottom. Half a small bag of ice on top. Rack on the bottom keeps the clams/conchs out of the water (otherwise they'll die/spoil). A bowl of clam or conch chowder as an appetizer before a couple dozen steamed crabs = heaven, absolute heaven!
Crabpop
Load the family in the car and head for Cape Henlopen State Park near Lewes, Delaware. The entire area to the right of the fishing pier is prime clamming territory at low tide. It is all sandy bottom. You can wade out at least 200-300 yards at low tide. This place has "monster" clams, some that measure 6" across. These clams, all the same species, come in three sizes:quahog - 5-6" acrosscherrystone - 2-3" acrosslittleneck 2" acrossThe quahogs are too tough to eat steamed from the shell. They are usually chopped up or ground up for chowder. The cherrystones littlenecks are steaming clams.All you do is wade out into the water and rake in front of you. My wife has a technique where she keeps the wooden handle close to her ear. She can "hear" when she rakes a clam. Just reach down into the water, pick it up and put it into the floating kiddie pool. This place also has large conchs. These are steamed,afterwhich the "foot" is removed and chopped or ground up for conch chowder. If you start clamming an hour or so before low tide, you'll have a full 4-5 hours before the water gets too high. Now, Tools (expensive):There are a number of shops in the area of Cape Henlopen that sell clamming gear. A stainess steel clamming rake will cost around $15.00 and one with a basket on the back end of the rake will cost around $25.00. As far as a float to carry the crabs, a truck tire inner tube with a bushel basket works great, but costs more than the kiddie pool. The wife and I tried something new last year and it works great. We each got a pair of the aerator sandles that are supposed to be worn when you cut your lawn. These sandles have long, hard aluminum spikes on the bottom that are supposed to aerate the lawn as you walk behind the mower. Well, they work great for finding clams also!Transporting the clams home. We use a couple 60qt coolers with a rack on the bottom. Half a small bag of ice on top. Rack on the bottom keeps the clams/conchs out of the water (otherwise they'll die/spoil). A bowl of clam or conch chowder as an appetizer before a couple dozen steamed crabs = heaven, absolute heaven!
Crabpop
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