Lawson's clamming

So you think on party boats, each customer should pull up their own 10 crab? Seems dangerous and pointless to make each customer work a winch.

Not sure where you got the idea that I think that.

I do wish that you would have to actively dig up your own clam as it is common to see groups keep 10 clams per small child, which seems excessive, but is legal.

That is absolutely not legal.

I'm not sure that's true.  Kids can hold the bag/bucket and count the clams.  Kids on a boat going out for crabs aren't expected to haul the traps to be able to keep a limit. 

The latter would fall under boat limits. Similarly you could catch a limit of rockfish for your kids on a boat whereas you couldn't fishing from shore. When abs were open was it legal to grab a limit of abs for someone on the surface who was otherwise unable to dive down and pop them?

The answer to the ab harvest question is obviously "NO", but there is very specific language pertaining to harvesting abs.  The letter and spirit of the rules were meant to restrict the take of the abs. 

My friend took his very young granddaughter crabbing off his boat.  At the dock the warden asked the child if she helped crab and she said she held the bag and counted.  The warden congratulated her on the catch.  If my friend and his granddaughter were crabbing off the jetty, I doubt the warden would ticket them if they got more than one person's limit. 

I was at the dock at Nick's cove when a warden asked a little kid on a boat of 12 people if he went clamming and the kid (unfortunately for his dad) answered honestly and said "no".   I think that warden would understand a child isn't going to dig down 3+ feet into wet sand 10 times to get his own gaper clams.  If he participated in the effort of harvesting the clams by finding and marking holes, carrying buckets and mesh bags, digging and throwing sand, counting...etc then he or she should be able to say "I helped get clams" and keep a limit of his own. 

Ultimately it's not how each of us interprets the rules, but how the warden views it. 

Boat limits only apply to finfish. Crab and clams should be treated the same.

Good catch. I guess the party boats probably operate under a commercial license when running crab trips.

The answer to the ab harvest question is obviously "NO", but there is very specific language pertaining to harvesting abs.  The letter and spirit of the rules were meant to restrict the take of the abs. 

My friend took his very young granddaughter crabbing off his boat.  At the dock the warden asked the child if she helped crab and she said she held the bag and counted.  The warden congratulated her on the catch.  If my friend and his granddaughter were crabbing off the jetty, I doubt the warden would ticket them if they got more than one person's limit. 

I was at the dock at Nick's cove when a warden asked a little kid on a boat of 12 people if he went clamming and the kid (unfortunately for his dad) answered honestly and said "no".   I think that warden would understand a child isn't going to dig down 3+ feet into wet sand 10 times to get his own gaper clams.  If he participated in the effort of harvesting the clams by finding and marking holes, carrying buckets and mesh bags, digging and throwing sand, counting...etc then he or she should be able to say "I helped get clams" and keep a limit of his own. 

Ultimately it's not how each of us interprets the rules, but how the warden views it. 

I agree with you there and on the spirit of it. I just interpret it as unlawful and wouldn't be surprised to hear of wardens writing citations for that.

So you think on party boats, each customer should pull up their own 10 crab? Seems dangerous and pointless to make each customer work a winch.

Not sure where you got the idea that I think that.

You said each person - including kids - should be capable of digging their own limit of clams.
Then you said crabs and clams should be treated the same.
So I came to the conclusion that you think each individual - including kids - should have to pull their own limit of crabs...maybe I missed something.

Definitely winter now☺️

So you think on party boats, each customer should pull up their own 10 crab? Seems dangerous and pointless to make each customer work a winch.

Not sure where you got the idea that I think that.

You said each person - including kids - should be capable of digging their own limit of clams.
Then you said crabs and clams should be treated the same.
So I came to the conclusion that you think each individual - including kids - should have to pull their own limit of crabs...maybe I missed something.

I said they should be capable of it, not that they should do it.  That was in reference to whether you would run afoul of the law or not.  You switched it from a discussion of what i thought would keep you square with the game warden to what I think personally.   

I personally think that if the kids are with you and able to measure or sort by sex that’s good enough, we want to encourage the next generation not give them negative encounters with law enforcement.  I think that you should also be able to dig a limit of clams or take a limit of crabs for a disabled person who is sitting on the beach waiting for you under a disabled shellfish license like in Oregon.

As far as staying square with the game warden, if a warden allows a kids presence in the boat as good enough to get his own limit of crab but requires something more effort from a kid out clamming with his family, that’s not supported by the regs because all shellfish are treated exactly he same in the regs except abalone.

I hear the clam pumps are controversial because they work so quickly and can be used to take clams even when the beds are underwater. Basically a hand operated version of what the commercial divers use to take geoducks in the Pacific Northwest. Definitely an efficient way to do it.

They are still legal currently because they are hand operated, but if you used a powered pump it would definitely be illegal.

Is it true that each clam needs to be dig up by one person only without assistance, otherwise, that clam must count towards to both people's limit? I have never done clamming, so hoping to get some clarification. This pump definitely could save backs, but if this question is true, the pump might not be as attractive.

That’s not how it’s enforced here but you might call the local office and ask them. It’s also a good question for Carrie Wilson.  It’s possible a similar question has been asked of her already, might be worth a search.

Up here as long as the clammed is actively participating it doesn’t matter whose limit the clam ends up in. A parent child team working one of these could take 100 clams.

Always appreciate your input, Crash! What is the number to call Carrie Wilson?

What is the number to call Carrie Wilson?

mailto:[email protected]

I don’t know of a phone number. I emailed her a question a few years back about using a wireman’s gaff attached to a buoy for taking pacific halibut and she answered my question in the column.

So you think on party boats, each customer should pull up their own 10 crab? Seems dangerous and pointless to make each customer work a winch.

Not sure where you got the idea that I think that.

You said each person - including kids - should be capable of digging their own limit of clams.
Then you said crabs and clams should be treated the same.
So I came to the conclusion that you think each individual - including kids - should have to pull their own limit of crabs...maybe I missed something.

Boat limit means if there are 9 kids and one adult. The one adult can pull up 100 rockfish and everyone gets 10 limits. The kids can just go in the galley and paint. For crabs the crew does all the work and everyone gets a limit of 10 crabs. They won't allow anyone to touch the pulley gear. I agree with crash on the clams but everyone is on land so I guess we all have to do the work.

Good catch. I guess the party boats probably operate under a commercial license when running crab trips.

Party boats are inspected as Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessels, but do not operate under commercial fisheries permits/licensing.  The idea is that they're a passenger vessel that mainly serve the recreational fishing industry.  Think about it... the party boats are out in force right now with crab combos while commercial season is still closed.

I don't think harvesting boat limits and shore limits are the same thing.

I was always under the impression that limit sharing is fine for anything you catch from a boat (ie. fish + crabs), and never fine from shore.

I also remember hearing that kids need to physically dig their own clams, just handing them off doesn't count...although I'm sure it's impossible to enforce 100% and seems to be left to warden discretion. 

*Personally, I think using commercial equipment like a 2-man clam pump, and bringing a bunch of kids who are too young to participate just so you can gather a bigger limit is a shitty workaround to the spirit of the law.

I don't think harvesting boat limits and shore limits are the same thing.

I was always under the impression that limit sharing is fine for anything you catch from a boat (ie. fish + crabs), and never fine from shore.

I also remember hearing that kids need to physically dig their own clams, just handing them off doesn't count...although I'm sure it's impossible to enforce 100% and seems to be left to warden discretion. 

*Personally, I think using commercial equipment like a 2-man clam pump, and bringing a bunch of kids who are too young to participate just so you can gather a bigger limit is a shitty workaround to the spirit of the law.

Review §27.60(c).

Boat limits are specific to finfish.

I routinely dig clams with a group and make it a group effort, usually but not always with children. Honestly it’s part of the fun and motivation for going clamming, it’s a great social activity. I’ve never got any grief from a game warden for doing so and I’ve had numerous encounters.

I understand other areas of the state, including specifically Tomales Bay, have different enforcement philosophies.

 
Just to add to this ridiculous line of reasoning....
So I can bring a bus load of kids down to the sand and I dig 10 clams for each kid and that would be ok... come on folks, what are we saying here... think ethics... what would that be teaching our kids?... you could also give them some of the participant soccer trophies that are in the landfill now.  

Just to add to this ridiculous line of reasoning....
So I can bring a bus load of kids down to the sand and I dig 10 clams for each kid and that would be ok... come on folks, what are we saying here... think ethics... what would that be teaching our kids?... you could also give them some of the participant soccer trophies that are in the landfill now.  

You’re going to dig 300 clams?  By yourself?  Exactly how long does the tide stay out in Tomales Bay, that’s pretty darn impressive!

Just to add to this ridiculous line of reasoning....
So I can bring a bus load of kids down to the sand and I dig 10 clams for each kid and that would be ok... come on folks, what are we saying here... think ethics... what would that be teaching our kids?... you could also give them some of the participant soccer trophies that are in the landfill now.  

You’re going to dig 300 clams?  By yourself?  Exactly how long does the tide stay out in Tomales Bay, that’s pretty darn impressive!

Probably not, but I bet I can find that many partipant soccer trophies 
Right or wrong... our kids learn by our example... just saying follow the regs... there is more to it than a few clams. Think about it.