Pasco County Scalloping Season Extended To 37 Days

PASCO COUNTY, FL — Experience Florida’s Sports Coast is welcoming the return of the highly anticipated 2023 Bay Scallop Season with a significant extension. This year’s season kicked off Saturday and continues through Monday, Aug. 6, marking a 37-day season.

Florida’s Sports Coast, the official tourism office for Pasco County, encourages locals and visitors to participate in this annual experience.

“The extended season is going to do so much for tourism in Pasco County,” said Pasco County Commission Chairman Jack Mariano. “This will be our best year yet. And we’re thankful for Gov. DeSantis and the Florida Fish and Conservation Commission for not only focusing on water quality and the environment, but also tourism in our wonderful state.”

The Pasco County season allows scalloping in all state waters south of the Hernando-Pasco county line and north of the Anclote Key Lighthouse, including all waters of the Anclote River.

Going with a local guide or charter company is your best bet for finding scallops because guides will know the best spots to anchor and will take care of everything for you, from snorkeling gear to a charter fishing license that covers everyone in your group.

With this option, little else is needed beyond some reef-safe sunscreen, some water to drink and maybe a few snacks.

Florida’s Sports Coast offers experienced local guides and charter companies to help scallop fans make the most of scalloping season.

To arrange a scalloping trip contact:

• Capt. Mark Dillingham's Inshore Adventures of Hudson
• Anclote Charters
• Coastal Outfitters Sport Fishing Charters in New Port Richey
• Reel Good Times
• Nature Coast Inshore Charters at Skeleton Point Marina in Hudson
• Sports Coast Inshore Charters at Skeleton Point Marina in Hudson
• Flats Snookin Inshore Charters of New Port Richey
• Catch-A-Ray Charter
• Fishing Florida Flats & Nature Tours of Hudson
• Mad Red Fishing Charters of Tampa Bay
• Hudson Charter Co.
• Windsong Charters & Boat Rentals of New Port Richey
• Capt. Chris Brown's West Coast Fishing Adventures
• Cotee Breeze Charters
• Florida Backwater Charters

If you go alone, make sure everyone on your boat has a saltwater fishing license (unless age exempt), snorkeling equipment, a diver-down flag, mesh bags to collect scallops and coolers for storing them.

Scalloping Regulations And Safety Tips

• You can collect scallops by hand or with a dip net. There is no commercial harvest allowed for bay scallops in Florida.
• The daily bag limit is 2 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or 1 pint of shucked scallops per person.
• The daily boat limit is 10 gallons in the shell or half a gallon of shucked meat.
• Display a diver-down flag while diving for scallops in the water.

“We’re thrilled to welcome the return of the bay scallop season with such a noteworthy extension,” said Florida's Sports Coast Director Adam Thomas. “Our destination is proud to offer such a unique and multigenerational experience, and we’re excited to see our efforts for an expanded season be realized for our community and visitors.”

In addition to Pasco County, the 2023 recreational bay scallop season opens July 1 for Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson, a portion of northwest Taylor, Levy, Citrus and Hernando counties.

There are different regional bay scallop seasons but the regulations do allow direct and continuous transit of legally harvested bay scallops through closed areas. When in transit, boaters may not stop their vessels in waters that are closed to harvest and must proceed directly to the dock or ramp to land scallops in a closed area.

The other bay scallop season dates are as follows:

St. Joseph Bay/Gulf County: Aug. 16 to Sept. 24. This region includes all state waters from the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County to the westernmost point of St. Vincent Island in Franklin County.

Visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission for more information on bay scallop regulations.

How To Harvest Scallops

Bay scallops—like oysters, clams and mussels—are bivalve mollusks and live in shallow waters along certain areas off Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Bay scallops are smaller than sea scallops and have less meat. They’re typically found in depths between 4 and 8 feet on the sandy ocean floor or on blades of seagrass.

They have 20 pairs of tiny, bright blue eyes along their shell edges that detect movement and light.

Scallops can “swim” backward by rapidly opening and closing their shells in order to escape predators. But once you’re within an area with a good scallop population, they’re not hard to find or catch.

Boater And Scalloper Safety

Be safe when diving for scallops.

Wear a life jacket when underway and do not drink and boat.

When scalloping in open water, divers should stay within 300 feet of a properly displayed divers-down flag or device, and within 100 feet of a properly displayed divers-down flag or device if on a river, inlet or navigation channel.

Boat operators traveling within 300 feet of a divers-down flag or device in open water or within 100 feet of one on a river, inlet or navigational channel must slow to idle speed.

For more information on boating regulations, click here.

Stow It; Don't Throw It

Do not discard scallop shells in inshore waters commonly used for recreational activities such as near boat ramps or swimming areas.

Piles of discarded scallop shells can create hazards for swimmers and damage seagrass habitat.

Scallop shells can be discarded in a trash receptacle or in larger bodies of water where they are more likely to disperse.

Also, don’t forget to stow your trash securely on your boat so that it doesn’t blow overboard.

Free Scallop Sorters Available

Experience Florida’s Sports Coast is offering free scallop sorters to encourage sustainable scalloping practices in Pasco County.

Visitors and residents can stop by the Florida's Sports Coast office, at 1938 Duck Slough Blvd. in Trinity, during regular business hours to pick up a free scallop sorter. (There is a limit of two per family while supplies last.)

By using the scallop sorter tool developed by the UF/IFAS Extension Florida Sea Grant, Florida’s Sports Coast aims to keep smaller, underdeveloped scallops from being harvested in Pasco County waters this scallop season.

“Promoting sustainable tourism is important to our Florida's Sports Coast team and to our destination offerings, such as scalloping," said Thomas. "As we gear up for the launch of our 37-day scalloping season this summer, we’re encouraging first-time and returning scallopers to use ethical practices to help ensure the health and quality of our bay scallop population for years to come.”

The scallop sorter is easy for scallopers of all ages to use. Keep it handy in the water or on your boat, and simply place the tool above each scallop to check its size. If it’s too small, toss the scallop back so it can have a chance to grow for another scallop season.

Scallop Trio with a Hawaiian Twist

Kathleen St. Martin of Frankie Raw Bar, 4903 State Road 54, New Port Richey, shared the recipe for one of the seafood restaurant's fan favorites with Patch readers:

Ingredients:

• 7-ounce lobster tail
• 6 ounces of scallops
• 6 ounces of peeled and de-veined shrimp
• 4 ounces of butter
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 fresh pineapple wedges

Preparation:

Sautee the garlic, butter and pineapple in a pan.

Put the split lobster tail face down in the pan and sear for 3 minutes.

Turn the lobster tail over in the pan, add the scallops and shrimp and saute for 3 minutes.

Remove promptly as seafood will continue to cook when plated.