Razor Clams

	Digging Clams in Oregon
	*Presents*
*Clam Clinic* *2009*

		*Nearly early two limits of mixed species of bay clam dug for display at ClamClinic2006 by William Lackner and clam digger Walt Summerton.*
The author, William Lackner, is a recognized authority on digging the clams common to Oregon's Coastal Waters. You may have seen him digging bay clams on the Oregon Coast Show or in one of Oregon's Newspapers. Join William next May for Clam Clinic 2009. Learn to dig Oregon's Clams by attending any of our 2009 Clam Clinic events - they are absolutely FREE, or get a head start developing your clam digging skills with the books, Oregon's Razor Clams or Oregon's Clams. Always remember good clam digging ethics will assure the future of digging Oregon's Clams. CLAM CLINIC 2009 Clam Clinic Siletz Bay was a success. Twenty plus participants met on Tuesday evening 05-12 at 18:00 p.m. for the lecture at the Lincoln City Community Center. We met the following morning at the gravel turnout located immediately just north of the Bay House restaurant to dig for purple varnish clams on Wednesday 05-13 at10:34 a.m. during a -0.37 foot low tide. Kudos to Association members Dave and Sandi Randleman who were on hand to instruct participants on the methods used to dig purple varnish clams. The 40 plus clam diggers went home with limits of purple varnish clams. Clam Clinic Yaquina Bay met at the Central Lincoln PUD's meeting room on Sunday evening 05/24 at18:00 p.m. for the lecture We met the following morning at the South Beach Marina Boat Launch at 06:00 a.m. to transport diggers to the clam digging area at the Sea Wall. Kudos to association members David Leer and Alan Kaylor who volunteered their time, energy and boats to ferry the clam diggers to the Sea Wall . More Kudos to Association members Dave and Sandi Randleman who were on hand to instruct participants on the methods used to dig gaper clams. All of the 40 plus diggers went home with limits of gaper clams. We recommend staying at Sawyers Landing and RV Park to those diggers with RVs. Include a visit to the Hatfield Marine Science Center. The displays of marine life and interactive tide pools will thrill young and old alike and it is free. Clam Clinic Garibaldi participants met for the lecture at the Tillamook County Library located at 1716 3rd St. on Tuesday evening 05-26. The lecture will began at 18:00 and ended at 20:00. A clam dig for gaper clams was held the following morning at the Garibaldi Tidal Flat at the Pier's End fishing pier. Once again Kudos to Association members Dave and Sandi Randleman who were on hand to instruct participants on the methods used to dig gaper clams. Nearly all of the 25 plus diggers went home with limits of gaper clams. Oregon Chris used a clam pump shrimp gun to pump his limit of 12 gaper clams - Chris's first limit of gaper clams. Clam Clinic Seaside Clam Clinic Seaside 2009 was went better than expected for an inugural event. On 06/23 approximately 40 participants attended the lecture series portion of Clam Clinic Seaside 2009. On the following morning we met at the public parking lot located at the ocean end of 12 Ave. Clam digger and association member Steve and I were the first diggers on the beach at 05:30 and we were greeted by several razor clams donutting in the wet sand. I'll just bet if we were on the beach at daybreak we would have found razor clams showing. The clams were deep and I managed to dig only 1 of the first 3 that showed. Steve struck out managing to dig only 1 razor clam for all the effort he put into it. I returned to the parking lot to greet the other diggers and my physician Dr Alison Ma and her husband Mike both of whom are new to digging clams. We departed the parking lot sharply at 06:15. and the diggers dispersed evenly along the beach. Fifty percent of the diggers dug limits of razor clams while the remainder managed to dig between zero and two to four plus clams. I dug a half of dozen clams in the surf using the method recommended by ODFW's Matt Hunter. I have experienced the disappointment of the diggers who did not do well and well as the satisifation of those that did well. One couple dug a combined total of twenty razor clams mostly from the wet sand. I cannot understate the importance to those new to digging razor clams of being on the beach 2 plus hours before low tide and digging though to the change in tide. MORE CLINICS TO COME Clam Clinic Coos Bay will meet on Wednesday 07-22 at18:00 p.m. for a lecture at the RV Park at the Charleston Marina Complex. The lecture will be followed by a dig for gaper clams on the large tidal flat located between Cape Arago Hwy across the street from Davy Jones mini mart and the public easement at the end of S. Roosevelt ST. We will meet at the public easement at end of S. Roosevelt ST. at 06:30 a.m. to dig for gaper clams on the tidal flat. A minus -1.99 low tide occurs on Thursday 07-23 at 09:02 a.m. Last year's presentation by Scott Groth the south coast shellfish biologist for ODFW was terrific and a high point of the lecture. Scott showed series of slides he had taken of the clams common to Coos Bay. We have invited Scott back for an encore presentation. We recommend staying at the RV Park at the Charleston Marina Complex located at 63402 Kingfisher Rd-541-888-9512-rvpark@charlestonmarina.com. The RV Park is accessed by turning northwest onto Boat Basin Rd. from Randolph ST. (Cape Arago Hwy) and then right onto Kingfisher Rd. Park Host Susan Smith will do everything possible to make you stay a pleasant one. The razor clams dug from area beaches are an added bonus for those of you seeking additional recreational clam digging opportunities. According to ODFW the razor clam digging at Whiskey Run Creek has been mixed. ODFW has unconfirmed reports that razor clams are showing at Bastendorff Beach . ODFW also reports that razor clam digging has been good on the sand spit on the seaward approach to the Charleston Boat Basin . To get there take the Cape Arago Hwy to Boat Basin RD. Turn right and drive to the Alaskan Packers RD. Park and walk over the dune to the sandy beach. To access Bastendorff Beach take the Cape Arago Hwy to Bastendorff Beach Road ODFW reports that digging razor clams on the sandy portion of the north spit inside the bay has been very productive. To get there turn west from Hwy 101 onto the Trans Pacific Hwy otherwise known as the Menasha Dike. Veer to the right at the Jordan Cove Rd. and to the left at the Horsfall Beach Rd. Follow the Trans Pacific Parkway Rd. until the pavement ends, then continue until you get to the north jetty. People visiting the north jetty also get there by following the Trans Pacific Parking to the Horsfall cutoff to Horsfall Beach . Then take the Beach Rd. south to the north jetty. I spoke to the clerk at the Bites On tackle shop in Empire and he said he prefers the beach road to get to the north jetty. Digging for clams during the outgoing tide on the North Spit offers the opportunity to fish for redtail surf perch on the incoming tide. Currently the fishing for redtail perch on North Beach has been good. The Bite's On Tackle Shop at 750 Newmark Ave in the community of Empire is located just up the street from the Empire Boat Launch can supply all of your fishing tackle, crabbing and clam digging equipment needs. Englund Marine located just around the corner on the Cape Arago Hwy can outfit you with all of the equipment to meet your clam digging and fishing tackle needs. The MILL CASINO located on HWY 101 in Coos Bay offers excitement and entertainment for those of you who are young at heart. You will not want to miss any of our Clam Clinic events. Remember everyone is welcome. You can attend any of our clam clinic events without charge - they are absolutely FREE. Clam Clinic 2008 Clam Clinic 2008 was a tremendous success. Nearly everyone who attended the Clam Clinic Lecture at the Driftwood Library participated in the clam dig the following morning. Everyone went home with limits of purple varnish clams dug from Siletz Bay Clam Clinic 2008. Clam Clinic 2008 Yaquina Bay was a spetacular opportunity to dig gaper clams on an isolated tidal flat surrounded on all sides by water located in the middle of Yaquina Bay. Future Yaquina Bay clam clinics will be two day events. We have presenting a lecture complete with slides the evening prior to the dig. Clam Clinic 2008 Coos Bay was a tremendous success sponsored by the Charleston Marina Complex and Englund Marine. Clam Clinic 2008 Coos Bay began with a 2 hour lecture with an accompanying slide presentation describing how to dig razor and bay clams. The lecture and slide presentation were held at the RV Park Recreation Hall on Wednesday June, 04 at 6:00 pm. The gaper clam dig occurred the following morning, Thursday June, 05 on the tidal flats located on Clam Island. Everyone went home happy as a clam with limits of clams. Click HERE to see a video of the gaper clam dig. Click the back button to return to here. My fellow clam diggers, Clam Clinic 2008 was an overwhelming success. The success of our Clam Clinics belongs to those who participated. Thank You. PHOTO GALLERY OF EVENTS Click HERE to view photo gallery of clam digging activities. Participate! Share your clam digging adventures and recipes with us. Post your photographs and clam recipes by emailing them to us at clamdigginginfo@netscape.net CLAM DIGGERS ASSOCIATION OF OREGON It is my pleasure to announce that the ODFW Commission approved the Association's request to open Oregon's Coastal Rivers along the North Coast to the retention of cutthroat trout for the 2009 - 2011 seasons. The importance of commenting on the recreational issues that come before the ODFW and other of Oregon’s Commissions cannot be understated. Recreational resources are finite. The Association will do the very best to represent our recreational interest now and into the future. Our Mission: "To Promote Recreational Clam Digging in Oregon's Coastal Waters". Our agenda has been developed through research and discussion among the membership of the association, and is a dynamic and living document. Membership in the Clam Diggers Association is FREE! No Dues! Your opinion counts! Share your views on digging Oregon's Clams with us to have your voice heard. Clam digging ethics are one of the corner stones of our Association. Membership is FREE to all and everyone who purchases Oregon's Razor Clams or Oregon's Clams, but you do not have to purchase a book to become a member. If you do not have a computer, send your name and contact information to the Clam Diggers Association, P.O. Box 746 Newport, OR 97365, or enroll by emailing you name, address and telephone number to clamdigginginfo@netscape.net. Get a head start on your clam digging skills by purchasing Oregon's Razor Clams for $7.90 or Oregon's Clams for $13.20. Send a check or money order to Digging Clams in Oregon, P.O. BOX 746, Newport, OR 97365. Or click HERE to purchase with a credit or debit card using PayPal the most widely accepted way to pay for purchases on the Internet. RELATED LINKS OF INTEREST FOR CLAM DIGGERS Related links of interest to the Tide Tables for you area, ODFW Shellfish Regulations, Shellfish Closures, a Summary of bay clam Availability by area and regulations for ATV enthusiast. Click HERE to return to Oregon's Razor Clams or Click HERE to return to Oregon's Clams or HERE to return to www.crabbing.info.