OK lets see where the membership lies on the issue....

Nice Francis, thats what we need right derr...SHOVEL!

Just to clarify that no slight was intended against the fairer gender... even girls can dig like REAL men!

Nice pics Doc...

shovel's easier and faster for me. less strain on the back, too.

Custom made guns ... wanna call me a sissy, then let's see ya break my personal record of a 60 clam limit in a hair over 7 mins with one

I use a shovel in AK as I get 2+ clams per hole. In WA there just arent enough to make me grovel

Shame, shame, shame on you Doc for the description of the categories. Now I won't be able to sleep tonite knowing that my custom made, stainless tube should only be used by a "girly man". The damage you've done to my psyche is not calculable. Now when I kiss my wife I taste saltwater! Wanna arm wrestle an old guide?

Took 15 great big clams at Roosevelt Beach last night without missing one! For an old guy, tubes are the only way to go. You young guys just keep using the shovels (we used to call them clam guns). Some day you'll switch, too. Fun stuff to banter about.

Do you "young guns" eat a few of the clam muscles raw when you clean them?

99.95% of the time I'm a shovel man but Francis, you know what I did a few digs ago! In that nightime, crappy, rainy, windy weather I gotta say it was kinda nice staying warm and dry, letting the tube do all the dirty work......ain't making any habit of it, that's for sure but it's a nice wild card when conditions go south.

And on the topic of back strain.....I think a clam gun is worse than a shovel.

my

Sometimes I like to cut off a foot and eat it, but I always clean it. I've never really been sure how safe it is though, any thoughts?

Well, if you aren't squirting out worms in the next month, I'd say your good to go!

Exactly the opposite of what I was taught this weekend from an "older" dude that I now consider to be my clammin' mentor or as we called him our "razor reverend"! Thanks for the good times guys!

Personally, I find the shovel way quicker and easier. Gets 'em quick and shallow if ya do it right. Very little effort if ya pick the right angle.

So who's an "older" dude? Someone in his 40's? I'm in my 60's, and still clamming every chance I get. Been doin' it for almost 60 years. The problem I have with shovels now is getting down on my knees (painful to me) and getting back up again.

One obvious advantage to shovels is the much better ability to tamp the sand with the end of the handle. I still use my tube to pound on the sand, but it doesn't work as well as a shovel.

One of my biggest problems now is pacing myself. It seems the older I get the more I like just being on the beach hunting the clams. Too often I get done too quickly and then wonder why the heck I dug so fast.

A few times I've been able to "borrow" a child from a group that obviously is "under gunned" (now that's an appropriate expression), and has too few tools for their group. It's really fun to show a novice how to dig, and what to look for.

Ya Im a shovel guy... I dont seem to have the MOJO workin when I tried the gun's... But as my good friend josh knows the gun can be alot safer... two febuary's ago first clam of the day he sliced his finger through the nail... We didnt' even realize it until we found a blood trail leading to him... it was ugly...

Shovel all the way, tubes are for tourists.

when guns are outlawed, only clams will have guns

last night was wild...took a freind who has only dug a couple times (he used a tube) i gave him crap about it the whole time...clams were everywhere real easy digging..


8.8 earthquke off chile this morning there telling people on the radio not to go digging this evening.. tsunammi comming..lol


oh yea i use a shovel since age 3

Shovel. Never got the hang of the tube gun. But in the interest of higher and purer sport, I intend to give dry flies in the surf a try next really good tide.

Sg

Shovel all the way; mine is stainless steel so I polished it to look like chrome. Named it "Clambo". When it's sunny I use the glare off the blade to blind the clams so I can sneak up on 'em. Works like a charm.

Gonna miss 'em today, the wife says I'm too old to out run a tsunami... she's probably right.

FYI... Old guys with shovels rule.