Razor clams! pics added

[Encore 280]

If you like your fried razors breaded ya gotta try the Willabay Breading Mix, jeeze that stuff is good. It's made down at Oysterville northeast of Long Beach and Ocean Park and I think Jack's has it there in Ocean Park too. You can buy it at the Oysterville seafood store out there on the point too.

[GregE]

We went clamming last Thurs and Friday, ( smelt Sat)  Here's some pics from last month

Took two friends with us - good light, no rain, no wind and 4 limits in 25 minutes. 





Overnight in seawater flushes the sand

[FC]

Nice haul Frank.

Still shaving Frank? Good haul you guys .... never been clamming before in my life ,got to try it before I die 

Thanks! It is a lot of work but a lot of fun too. I want to go again soon!

[Sportfury]

GregE good tip. I usually clean mine soon after and I am always dealing with sand. I travel a couple hours home and usually stop for a bite to eat does anything happen to the clams if you have a lid on the bucket?

[trophyhunt]

GregE good tip. I usually clean mine soon after and I am always dealing with sand. I travel a couple hours home and usually stop for a bite to eat does anything happen to the clams if you have a lid on the bucket?

if I'm traveling home w clams I just leave them in a bucket w sea water till I clean them.  I put them in boiling water w a net for only 2 to 3 seconds then rapidly put them in ice water.  It seems to help the sand stick to the slime when you pull the clams apart.  Not sure about covering w a lid but if I did I think I would cut a hole/holes in it.

[lokidog]

The thing to worry about keeping the clams in water for traveling is that if they use up all of the oxygen, they will die and start to deteriorate.  If they are in a bucket/cooler with a block or 2 liter bottle of ice, they will stay alive for a longer period of time since as long as they stay damp (but not submerged), they can still absorb oxygen from the air.  The same thing works for traveling long distances with crabs.  They will stay better in water though if you throw ice in there as well since when colder they use less oxygen and the melting ice will release oxygen.

Nice looking clams y'all.   

[Hunterman]

I need to get some clams one of these days 

Hunterman(Tony)

[FC]

I drove home with mine laying in a dry cooler in the net bags just to help keep them damp. They were still trying to dig through the counter-top 5 hours later so I am assuming they were ok

I just sliced mine down the middle with a fillet knife splitting the foot until they popped open and then just ran the knife around real quick and cut the edges free and then the abductor muscles. It goes pretty quick if you are handy with a knife.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Clams will stay alive at least a week as long as they are cool and damp. I used to dig commercially for crab bait in Alaska when I lived in Kodiak. We ran across Shelikof Straits to Kukak Bay on the Alaska Peninsula and dug for 4 days and all we did to care for them was layer ice them. Then a day's trip back across to Kodiak, and deliver them on the 6th day. The oldest clams would be in as good of shape as the newest when we delivered. The coldness of the ice would put them into a state that was sort of like hibernation. As soon as they came out of the ice and warmed up they would get lively again.

Here at home, we regularly put them in the frig when we get home with just a damp cloth over them and keep them for three or 4 days until we clean them, if we are digging multiple days. That way we only have one mess to clean up after the clams are cleaned.

We never soak them after we rinse them on the beach, especially in fresh water, unless we're getting ready to clean them. If you leave them too long, they will die and fresh water hastens them dying.

[McCRIZZLEY]

I really gotta get out and try that sometime! Nice hauls guys!