Scollops
Capt. Frank Bourgeois
June 22, 2017
Hernando Beach - Saltwater Fishing Report
check FWC website for dates and changes ... Please be safe out there. I truly recommend flippers for swimming in tides.
Equipment Needed
Be sure to bring a mask and snorkel when searching for scallops. UF/IFAS Photo by Tyler Jones.
Be sure to bring a mask and snorkel when searching for scallops. UF/IFAS Photo by Tyler Jones.
Swim mask
Snorkel
Small mesh bag
Divers-down flag (required by law)
Displayed on vessel, must be at least 20 inches by 24 inches with a stiffener to keep the flag unfurled. Should only be displayed while snorkelers are in the water; display above the vessel's highest point.
Tethered to diver, must be at least 12 inches by 12 inches; mandatory when using a mask and snorkel from the beach unless it is a marked swimming area.
You must make reasonable efforts to stay within 300 feet of a divers-down flag on open waters and within 100 feet of a flag within rivers, inlets, or navigation channels.
Boat
Usually required to get to the best scalloping areas. In shallow water, it is possible to wade for scallops in the seagrass, or to collect them from a shallow-draft boat using a dip net or landing net, but these methods are not very productive. Most scallopers go by boat into water 4 to 10 feet deep where they anchor, put up their dive flag, and snorkel over the beds, collecting the scallops by hand.
Legal Requirements
In general, recreational scallopers between the ages of 16 and 65 must have a current Florida saltwater fishing license to collect scallops. There are some exceptions, listed in the FWC "Florida Saltwater Recreational Fishing Regulations," which is available in bait shops, FWC offices, or at the FWC website (http://myfwc.com/). All non-residents over the age of 16 are required to buy a license unless they are fishing (scalloping) from a for-hire vessel (guide, charter, party boat) that has a valid vessel license. Most scallopers need a regular saltwater fishing license, but requirements vary with age and residency. Florida residents need a regular saltwater fishing license, unless exempt (scallopers under 16 years of age, residents 65 years of age or older with proof of residency and age, or scallopers on a boat with a valid recreational saltwater fishing license).
Harvesting is allowed from the west bank of the Mexico Beach Canal (in Bay County) to the Pasco-Hernando county line (near Aripeka). The bag limit is 2 gallons of whole scallops (in the shell), or 1 pint of scallop meat per person per day. In addition, no more than 10 gallons of whole scallops or 1/2 gallon of scallop meat may be possessed aboard any vessel at any time. You may harvest scallops only by hand or with a landing or dip net. Scallopers must remain in the legal scalloping area while in possession of scallops on the water, including the point where they return to land.
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