the latest debate in clamming.....

http://www.abervegas.com/Point_Counterpoint.htm

Only women and kids use clam guns! They break too many clams, are back breaking work and just aint part of the mystique of razor clamming.

Besides which, a good person with a shovel can dig them faster. You never see commercial clam diggers using a clam gun.

surecatch is right, you know. Guns are for rookies.

Plus when you shoot the clams it makes a mess

I'll go with Hawking.

Besides, when you start swinging the shovel in huge 360 arcs over your head, and screaming at no one in particular, you'll get the entire clam bed to yourself!

Pointing a clam gun at someone just dosn't have the same effect.



OBFunnStory - When I was a student in the School of Fisheries, we would visit the razor clam beds of OceanShores with the WDFW. When we showed up in a Game Dept Vehicle, people would flee like there was no tomorrow. We would end up with miles of beach by ourselves!

ObNotSoFunny - The warden at the time said razor clamming was their worse assigned job. Apparently more people poach, or risk poaching for those stupid clams than most fisheries combined. That was a few years back, and so I have no idea what is like today.

When you can go to AK and get 45 7-9" razors in 10 minutes, all else seems silly.

I just wade around in the surf, reach down, grab them by the neck and lift them out. The gun or shovel just gets in the way! I usually get in a little body surfing at the same time... great fun!

Y'all are wrong on your terminology. Oldtimers know that the clam gun is actually the shovel, modified from an old garden shovel back in the '30s. The clam tube, now popularly referred to as the clam gun, was invented in the '50s by a guy from Shelton and originally called the Sandpiper. So whichever you use (I prefer the shovel, or the original gun), at least use the proper term.

thx salmonbelly - when ever I correct someone on the proper vernacular on what it's called...I get that look like I'm the stupid one...it never fails.

"DUDE...it looks like a shovel, it's called a shovel, d'uh"

Clam tubes are back breaking? Not in my book. Last year I made my own tubes from PVC pipe and they are WAY faster and easier then the shovel I use to use. I had five clams at once on the sand on one hot spot I hit. BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM, less then 30 seconds. I could not do that with any shovel. I cracked a few at first, but got the knack very fast. As for the back breaking part, SHOVEL: Stomp, Stomp, (show) OH BOY!, Dig, dig, drop to knee, reach in hole, feel around, DANG, dig, dig, reach in hole, CRAP, cut in half. TUBE: Stomp, Stomp, (show) OH BOY!, center tube, push, pull, bend over, toss in bag, YUM. Or maybe insert a WHOOPS, cracked that one. Oh well, I don't eat the shells! What relly sucks is no season until the fall now. Which means hunting or clamming. At least the clams will be everywhere and BIG.

Have you guys SEEN Big Jim? What he isn't telling you is that his clam tube is 4 FEET in diameter. Small children could get lost in the holes he leaves behind, so watch out!

salmonbelly:

You are 100% right on. In the old days the clam shovel was indeed called clam gun. And no self respecting old timer would be caught dead using one of those tubes.

Gee Dan, give away my tricks. It says right in the game regs, no larger opening then 4". That means feet right? Did you make a turkey trip this year? Email me if you did. I know how stubborn those old timers are. I have three I dig for because using those "guns" all those years crippled them up. Do you know how tired your are after digging for four people? But they have admitted I can pop the little buggers out good and fast. My disabled buddies just walk along behind me and pick up the clams. I look like a kite tail with all the disabled shellfish tags fling from my jacket.

Gun ... all the way!!

Call me a rookie whatever, but go to the Alaska videos section to see 'em it action!

We have custom guns, all aluminum, 5" tubes that we use here ... no breakage problems, easy 'cuz most clams are shallow, and suction forces other clams to show around you.

I'll go head-to-head with any shovel digger around ...

It's in the genes Bobolink!!!!!

Am all for guns!!!!

Yep, I like the tube or "GUN" if thats what you want to call them. I like being called a rookie when I only have a little over 60 years of digging them. Yep, 5 inch tubes give you a cracked shell in one in fifty but thats because you were looking at all those girls on the clam beds. Pay attention to what your suppose to and there won't be any cracked shells. Most who dig 60 in 30 min are using these "GUNS".
But then down here in the lower states you get 15 which makes the real "rookies" look as good as the rest of us.

Must be location. My Granddad had beachfront property on Copalis since the 30's and they never called them a gun. They called them shovels, and never heard any of the old timers call them guns. But, they did call the others tubes. But of all the old guys I knew called them shovels.

I was trained on the shovel in the early 70's. I can usually outdig a tube/piper easily. Plus, alot less broken shells/disected clams. I surf dig, and usually have my clams either scooped out with my initial dig or have clam completely exposed for an easy grab.