Geoducks

[Mech]

I’ve always heard we had geoducks here.
The videos I saw had people digging near 3 feet using a garage can with the bottom cut out to stop the sand from backfilling the hole.

I have a bad back  so I said screw that and never gave it a second thought.

Today was an odd day.
I went out to drop my crab pots in on a very low tide and got the heck squirted out of me.
I look down and it was a geoduck.
I look around and they are all over the place.
I tried to hand wrestle several big ones out but they won.

After I set my pots I went and got my shovel and the blue suction clamming thing.
The suction clamming thing was worthless.
The narrow clam shovel did work.

I ended up with a couple of smallish ones.
I don’t think I’m doing it right though.
I might run a sump pump with a hose next time so I’m not unnecessarily injuring them.

So how should I cook these?
I saw a video that blanched them, removed the skin off the dick, thinly sliced them and served raw sashimi style with a sauce.

That said I kinda wannna smoke them.
Any ideas would be great.
Thanks.

[Mech]

Here is a pic

[Jake Dogfish]

Horse clams. 

[knighttime25]

Those are horse clams. Here's a pic for reference. On the left are horse clams, right side are geoducks

[HikerHunter]

agree that they are horse clams

[bhawley76]

good crab bait!

[Parasite]

Illegal to use a sump pump and hose for geoducks  read your regulations.

[paguy]

Remove the hide just like you would with a geoduck. Cut the neck open so it lays flat, Tenderize it with a meat tenderizer like a Jaccard. roll it in flower and fry it with a little Johnneys seasoning salt. Very good eating.

[Mech]

Yes they are horse clams.
My bad.
After they set a bit they grew out to about 8 inches.
I did wonder about the pump and knew I had to research it because I did hear it might not be legal.
Thanks for that because I do need to know all laws pertaining to what I harvest.
We plan on marinating them in lime, onions and cilantro as a dinner appie.

Thanks again.

[Norman89]

I thought there were only certain beaches where you could harvest all the different clams we have? Iv been reading the regs trying to figure out when and where to go for geoduck Manila's cockles and little necks. Never met anyone that chased them before just see the occasion video pop up on YouTube making me want to try it all

[pd]

I’ve always heard we had geoducks here....

So how should I cook these?
I saw a video that blanched them, removed the skin off the dick, thinly sliced them and served raw sashimi style with a sauce.

Yes, just like that.  Those horse clams are actually a pretty good size.  If you want to know more, PM me any time.

[KP-Skagit]

I thought there were only certain beaches where you could harvest all the different clams we have? Iv been reading the regs trying to figure out when and where to go for geoduck Manila's cockles and little necks. Never met anyone that chased them before just see the occasion video pop up on YouTube making me want to try it all

Shellfish management is a little complicated as there are two places you have to watch, the Department of Health and WDFW. Generally the WDFW has the whole state open to most clams (other than razors) with special rules for a few specific beaches. Ala Spit on Whidbey Island is an example, its only open in May. Then the DOH theoretically tests the shellfish to see if they are safe to eat. So it is possible for WDFW to have a beach open but the DOH to close it. It is also possible for the DOH to say all good but WDFW to have something closed.

[Norman89]

So certain beaches may have a "season" while others do not, but can be closed to harvesting is that correct?

[KP-Skagit]

Correct. Though I suppose if you are just getting them for crab bait then maybe the DOH stuff doesn't matter.

Here is the DOH map:
https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/biotoxin/biotoxin.html

[Tbar]

Correct. Though I suppose if you are just getting them for crab bait then maybe the DOH stuff doesn't matter.

Here is the DOH map:
https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/biotoxin/biotoxin.html

Bait clams need to be dyed and recorded on a ticket.

[Stein]

There are a lot easier clams to get than for bait then geoducks, that's a pretty crazy way to get crab bait.

The WDFW website is pretty good for clam beaches, they list them all, some basic info and then the map showing which are open or closed due to safety or something else.  It will take some on the ground research to find which ones have the types of clams you want as well as where they are on the beach.

[Norman89]

Fine with me, time on the beach with kids and wife is a good time even if we don't bring anything back

[509]

So how should I cook these?
I saw a video that blanched them, removed the skin off the dick, thinly sliced them and served raw sashimi style with a sauce.

That said I kinda wannna smoke them.
Any ideas would be great.
Thanks.

No help on finding geoducks.

However, I use to buy them at the grocery store in Colville.  These days you have to special order them!!!

For cooking.  Find the best, richest clam chowder recipe. 

Replace the clam portion with an extra helping of geoduck.  Cut into clam size portions before cooking them in the chowder.

You will NEVER eat clam chowder again.  I cannot believe that people still make clam chowder!!!

[GWP]

Don’t know how long you have lived in Wa State, but you REALLY need to know your regs BEFORE you collect ANY critter of ANY type. And writing about it? You could very well loose your license for a year or more if they find this. Even if YOU don’t think it is a ‘big deal’.
Are the regs a mess? Yes. Will that make a good defense? No.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Private property has different rules.
He is probably ok harvesting..

[GWP]

Correct. Private beach rules are different. I did not see that mentioned.
Wife visited a friend and came home with a couple buckets of clams years ago. I was pretty antsy until I found out they were from private beach front.

[bigdave]

When I was a kid, my family used to got to Birch bay for vacation every summer. I called it Clam Camp cause we dug full limits for our family.... 45 of those horse clams every day for a week. My dad and I would be so sore from shoveling wet sand we needed a vacation from the vacation. Sure made great clam chowder for the winter month though. Now the red tide is so bad, it's never open for digging in the summer. 

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I grew up listening to geoduck stories by my relatives, and eating them, but had not dug any myself until about 5 years ago.
.
I made my own tube out of a plastic barrel, and spent 3 days at dosewallup.
Got 1.
Talked to biologist checking and 500+ checked with 6...
He told me to either go to boat only access points, or private.
.
I contacted my cousin that lives in Suquamish about getting access.
.
That works much better!
.
Although digging one for myself is about all I can handle, I have the tube, and equipment.
.
The horse clams are entertainment, the geoducks are the "trophy"
.
I much prefer getting the Manila clams, oysters, etc..
But the natives can put one heck of a feast over an open fire with horse clams, I tell you what!
All they do is clean them and sear over fire, delicious..
Although, grinding up and making fritters, or chowder is what they did with most of them.
.