How Much Digging Is Too Much?

May 9, 2019

Question: We are heading to the North Coast soon and are planning to camp out and go clamming. How much help can I give my 5-year-old son who will be digging for clams with us for his first time? I want to be able to help him as much as he needs but don’t want the clams he digs up to count against my individual bag limit? Can I use the shovel and dig the hole for him while he uses his hands to dig around further and retrieve the clam? I will just be helping him to access the clam, but he will be retrieving it himself. (Harvey T., Stockton)

My 6 month old .......  Salmon, lings anything really... If it is human and alive (born) should be able to count as a limit possessor? thus doubling your daily and possession limit , right?

What no official answer??

What no official answer??

Howard must of forgot to cut and paste that part. Getting old sucks 

What no official answer??

Howard must of forgot to cut and paste that part. Getting old sucks 

Yes, getting old sucks big time!  Below is the the answer to his question above:

Answer: I would generally suggest that if you feel you are “doing it for him” that you are helping him too much. He must essentially dig for the clams himself. You can teach him how but cannot dig his limit of clams for him. It would be up to any warden on the scene to determine whether, in his or her estimation, the clams count towards your bag limit. Part of taking the clam is digging for it, so your son would need to do the digging. According to California Department Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Captain Riske, people have been cited for taking an overlimit of clams by doing exactly what you describe above. It may be that if he is too young to dig for clams himself, he will need to wait until he is old enough to do so. Otherwise, you two can dig for clams together but they will all become part of your limit.