Diggin' it

The upcoming dig is approved on the following beaches, dates and morning low tides:

April 19, Thursday, 9:46 a.m.; -0.9 feet; Mocrocks
April 20, Friday, 10:37 a.m.; -0.7 feet; Mocrocks
April 21, Saturday, 11:34 a.m.; -0.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks, Copalis (digging hours will be extended to 1 p.m.)
April 22, Sunday, 12:38 p.m.; -0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks (digging hours will be extended to 2 p.m.)

fp

Gonna be leading an "extra large" Team eyeFISH to the beach on Sat and Sun, so y'all stay off MY patch of sand!

You ain't gotta a chance, I'm leaving now.

fp

From what I hear, this will be the last dig.....pretty good source. Go get them.

Keep em in the water for pictures.

If ya didn't go we got ya covered.

fp

Duh me!!!!!!

Never thought about picture.....went way North to get our limits......I'm here to tell you, nobody works!!!!! There were people to the North and people to the South.......so we just picked a spot and went, NO SHOW for about 20', then EVERYWHERE you looked...show, show, show.

Funny story, some on here know that I haven't clam dug for over 40 years...so I get ready to go, my clam "bag" is a 50 years over commercial digger long tube type...must be 3 or 4 long.....so we put boots on, get clam tube and walk toward the water...clams aren't showing, so I'm walking around looking......I see an husband and wife, she is watching me, so I hear her ask her husband, what that long net looking thing? Husband tells her, that's a "old commercial net" probably 50-60 years old.......Wife says, well let's watch him...HE MUST KNOW WHAT HE'S DOING.......I then told them that I haven't dug in 40+ years......we all got a good laugh!!!!

I'll be there tomorrow!!!!!! What a beautiful day to be on the beach.

Got our limits, took longer....more people, tougher surf.....yesterday never got wet, today filled my hip boots.....I was not alone, many people got the Pacific Ocean bath time water.

Because I've not dug in 40+ years, I find it is really unbelievable how thousands of people descend on Grays Harbor to go clam digging. WDFW does a good job on providing, testing, clams for all to enjoy, while the seasons are a LOT SHORTER, never the less.....seasons are there.

2 more days, then break time until fall, I'm going Saturday and Sunday just to see the crowds...........

More rigs than I've ever seen up at Mocrocks today. Pretty challenging digging and had to pound for an hour + just to get our 2 limits. Heard from several folks that they were showing much better on Thursday.....of course!

DrifterWA,
We call it Black Creek now.


fp

Very impressive. 8-1/2 diggers and only one exposed weapon. I never thought about concealed carry for clam digging!

Saturday April 21, 2018

1. Holy bat xhit, Friday clam digging population was NOTHING.

2. 8:15 a m . Knew my day wasn't going be good when I got to the Hwy. and traffic was stopped,,,,,about Lake Aberdeen turn off. Made the call, continue or go home work in the yard........continue won out.

3. Go 50', stop and wait....go 50 ', stop and wait......could tell at that point East Wishkah lights were doing their thing.

4. Could have turned around at Junction City but duh me, was committed.

5. Got phone call when I was at buff, people on the South beaches, were done....with BIG clams.

6. Got to East Wishkah Mall......clear to the steel bridge...bumper to bumper.

7. Finally got past steel bridge....both thru lanes were full as far as I could see......BUT far left lane was empty, so decided South beach, here I come.

8. I've never dug South beaches but today was a "learning day"...finally got to beach around 10:40, put boots on and got to digging area about 11:00.......people were leaving, 1 or 2 clams....mmmmm, didn't like that but I'll try.....2 big clams right away, then no one was getting....low water came and went....got small one then 2 more big one.....then was trying to get another.....big wave, knocked me down......filled boots, a guy helped me up.......xucking Ocean water is cold.....end of digging.....until in the morning.......Old man learned, leave way early....better to wait at beach, than in traffic.....

Grayland Beach. 1 mile south of Cranberry Rd. Saturday. Group of 12 of us, including 8 first-timers from Spokane. Hit our normal spot at 0930. Knew it was going to be a rough day when it took over a half-hour for me to get my first. Figured I was just a bit too early, so kept trying. Pounded and pounded. Its hard to teach people what to look for when there are NO shows. I've been digging for over 40 years and have seen all types of shows. All types of clam behavior, the quick little "winks", the subtle depressions...etc etc. Nothing like this. Quickly went from recreational fun to more of a chore.
Tried dry digging, wet digging, and everything in between. Stayed 90 minutes past tide change, Nada.

Poor success for most around us as well. Lots of skunks on that beach.
Total for our group Saturday was 7 between us.

1.5 miles south of Cranberry on Sunday. Began even earlier, stayed even later. Same result.

But my real complaint is why State Parks think its okay to have 2/3 of Twin Harbors campground closed off during the most popular clamming weekend of the spring!

HOLY KRAP, Moe... almost hit that same patch of sand on Sunday. Good thing fp steered me elsewhere. It was tough, but my crew of four secured hard-won limits.

Saturday was our glory day. Up and coming old duffers (me and Achewter) led this team of youngunners to nice limits at Dogfish's super secret spot....





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Til next October...

Let's talk about the strategy of moving...do y'all up and move if you're not having success in the first half-hour?

I think I will make that my next protocol. If its taking me a half-hour to get the first, I'm gonna move.

Generally, I do NOT move. Have never had much reason to; there have always been plenty of clams at Grayland, and limits have more often than not been the rule for me and mine.

How evenly distributed are the clams out there anyways? I know there are some beds "thicker" than others, but are we experiencing shrinkage of the beds, with greater gaps between the beds? From my experience this last weekend, that appears to be the case.

Before last season, I thought clamming was a can't miss limit every time. Boy, was that wrong....

I've only dug at Grayland once (last season), and it was tough sledding. I think the problem was the heavy surf more than anything. Shows were almost non-existent, and by the time I found one, the next wave was on me. I've had that experience elsewhere, too, usually when the surf is really pounding.

It also bears mention that when I go with people who are "good," I always get a limit, even when it's tough going for most others. A lot to be said for a keen eye and an effective digging tool in those tough conditions.

Exactly what I did on Saturday at Roosevelt Beach. Moved 1/2 mile and it paid off with limits, but the digging was far from easy.

Nice looking family Drifter.

Not a part of my clan......