The author working an oyster bed at low tide.
Oysters can be harvested right through the winter.
-photo by Susan Nabreski

Last month we took an in-depth look at how to find
steamers and quahogs. Hopefully by now you’ve graduated from Clamming 101, and you’re ready to move on to the
next level. This month I will divulge all my secrets for
gathering oysters and bay scallops, perhaps the tastiest members of the bivalve family.

Gathering Oysters
Let’s get started with oysters. Oysters tend to favor rocky areas, generally in bays and harbors that get plenty of tidal flow. Oysters begin their lives as “seeds,” which drift through the water seeking out something to anchor upon. Once they find a suitable location, usually a rock or another mollusk shell, they start building a foundation for their new homestead. Unlike other types of bivalves, oysters cannot move. An oyster creates a secretion that bonds its shell to a hard surface, and once it’s there, it’s there for a lifetime. This character flaw makes them pretty easy to locate. Unlike steamers and quahogs, they lack the ability to dig and can be found sitting right on top of the seafloor.

You can gather oysters from fall through early spring. An old rule of thumb says you should only eat oysters in months that have an “r” in them, which translates to September through April. In the warmer months, oysters are said to have less body mass, and they tend to be filled with eggs and milt (which sounds very unappetizing to me). I generally begin oystering in early November. The water quality is much better during the colder months, and you can taste it in the shellfish.
I’ve found that oysters tend to congregate in the zone from the mid-tide mark to just above the low-tide mark. Because of this, I like to head out at dead low tide. If you’re lucky and you have a great spot, you can simply walk along the waterline at low tide and pick them up off the beach. Usually it’s a bit more work, however.
I gear up with a pair of neoprene waders, a quahog basket rake, a shellfish gauge, some good gloves, my basket and float, a flathead screwdriver, and my license. Dress warm, but not too warm, as you will be getting a decent workout.

Scallops actually have a set of eyes that runs around the perimeter of their shell. If you look closely at an open scallop, you will see two rows of small blue dots, which are their little eyeballs looking back at you.

You will know right away if you are in a good area. Seek out a spot that features a bottom of rocks, mud and broken shells. Walk slowly and try not to stir up the mud as you walk. Look for areas with lots of dead oyster shells on the bottom. An oyster’s favorite thing to attach to is another oyster shell. Sometimes you can simply walk along and scoop up oysters off the bottom with your rake. Other times you might need to vigorously rake up baskets full of broken shells and sift through the debris. (It’s kind of like mining for gold.) The best way to learn is to watch someone else do it. Different spots require different techniques, so don’t be afraid to mimic the locals.
Once you find one, be careful. They can’t bite you, but they can slice your finger wide open with their razor-sharp shell. Always wear gloves. Neoprene gloves are OK, but they will not hold up over time. Leather is the way to go. I prefer a pair of cheap work gloves.
Chances are good that when you find an oyster, it will be clinging onto another object, be it a rock, an old shell or another oyster. In my town on Cape Cod, by law you can only harvest oysters that are more than 3 inches in overall length. Plan on spending quite a bit of your time prying legal oysters away from whatever they happen to attach to. This is where a large flathead screwdriver comes in handy. Hold the oyster-clump in a gloved hand and use the screwdriver to pry it free. Oftentimes you will find several oysters clumped together, and you need to pry them all apart to get to a legal one. You also need to be aware of small seed oysters that may be attached to adult oysters. By law you must dislodge any seeds that might be growing on your quarry.

The most popular method of collecting bay scallops involves the use
of a hood. A hood is a contraption with a Plexiglas window that
allows you to see everything on the bottom.

Bay Scallops
King of the Bivalves!
If you have never tasted a true bay or “Cape” scallop, you are missing out on one of the finest seafood delicacies in the world. When you can find them in local fish markets, expect to pay at least $20 per pound. In the minds of many culinary experts, they are the most delectable treasures from our local waters. Do not confuse them with sea scallops, which are also found in local waters but live in depths of at least 60 feet. Sea scallops are much larger. Their shell is the size of a flattened softball and lacks defined ridges. Fresh local sea scallops taste great, but they are nothing compared to the sweetness of a fresh bay scallop.
Bay scallops are not nearly as plentiful as they once were, mainly because the local eelgrass beds have taken a real beating. Nitrogen runoff has been blamed as the primary reason for the downfall of the eelgrass. Bay scallops depend on eelgrass, and without it their chances for survival diminish.
Bay scallops tend to live in water depths from 3 to 30 feet, and they are almost always found living in eelgrass beds. They do not bury into the bottom. They live on top of the eelgrass and depend on camouflage to avoid predation.
Bay scallops are the only local bivalve that can actually “swim.” They have a very large abductor muscle (the only part of a scallop that is usually eaten). This oversized abductor muscle allows them to rapidly open and shut their shells, which provides a jet-propulsion mode of transportation. Don’t worry though, they can’t really swim fast or far, so you don’t have to chase them down.
You won’t need a shellfish gauge to measure bay scallops. A “keeper” scallop is defined as “having a first annual growth ring.” As the name implies, when a scallop turns one-year old, it develops a defined ring around its shell (kind of like the rings in a tree trunk). A one-year-old scallop is still pretty small, and in my opinion there isn’t enough meat in it to make the shucking worthwhile. Lately I have been releasing smaller scallops in hopes they’ll spawn and help rebuild the stocks.
The most popular method of collecting bay scallops involves the use of a hood. A hood is a contraption with a Plexiglas window that allows you to see everything on the bottom. You will also need a scallop net, which has a long handle and a small-diameter opening with a long purse behind it. In a pinch you could get away with using a quahog rake, but it’s a bit awkward.
Start out by finding an area that features plenty of healthy eelgrass. This is easier said than done. I found a few hotspots by going online and using the Google satellite images, a powerful tool for all hunters, fishermen and shellfishermen. Bay scallops are equally at home in the open ocean as they are in bays and estuaries, so you’ll have to look around. Do not expect anyone to give you a hotspot. A fertile scallop bed is sacred to a shellfisherman, and he would rather take it to his grave than give it away.
Head out at low tide. Tie off your hood and your shellfish basket to your waders, and go out as deep as you are comfortable with. Simply cruise around the eelgrass beds while looking through the hood. The scallops blend in pretty well, but their distinct round shape on the bottom usually gives them away. When you find one, simply scoop it up with your scallop net. The extra-long netting allows you to keep the net underwater, and it can hold dozens of scallops before you need to bring it up and empty it into your basket.
Walk along slowly and deliberately. I like to move in a zigzag pattern to make sure I completely scour an area before moving on. I usually find the most scallops in 4 to 5 feet of water. Going out on a moon tide will allow access to areas that receive less pressure, and you’ll be able to cover more ground.

Mmmmm! A cooler full of quahogs, bay scallops, blue crabs and
lobsters. All this good stuff was scavenged off the beach last
November after a powerful storm blew through.

Scavenging for Scallops
There is one other low-tech technique for gathering bay scallops that I should share with you. It is primitive, yet very effective. When it works, it will provide the motherload.
Since many bay scallops live in the open ocean off our local beaches, they are vulnerable to large storms that blow through. Large waves that sweep through at low tide can lift bay scallops right out of the eelgrass and wash them up on shore. You can simply walk along the beach after a good storm and fill your bucket with washed-ashore scallops. It’s scavenging at its finest.
It will generally take a powerful storm to make this happen. The wind must blow at least 30 knots for two straight days and it must be blowing directly onshore. Throw in a moon tide and you have a recipe for success. I’ve only witnessed this phenomenon in late fall and early winter; I think this is the time of year when the scallops are closest to shore.
Look for any areas on the beach where large amounts of eelgrass are washing up. You’ll want to bundle up and get down to the beach at sunrise, before the seagulls pick the place clean. It’s best if the tide is low, but it’s not essential. Simply walk along the shoreline and look for scallops. Sometimes you will have to dig through piles of eelgrass to find them, other times they will be constantly pushed up onto the beach with every incoming wave. If the conditions are right, you will fill up a bucket in no time at all. Some of the shells might be broken from pounding in the surf, but they are still plenty good to eat. You will feel like a caveman, but it’s all in the name of fun and free food. However, just because you’re scavenging doesn’t mean you’re excused from local shellfishing laws – be sure to have a license!
This past November a good storm rolled through Cape Cod and provided some epic scavenging. It blew hard from the south for three straight days, so I knew the conditions were right. I hit the beach early the following morning and easily scavenged a limit of bay scallops, some bonus quahogs, two lobsters, two big blue crabs, two golf balls, a pair of sunglasses and a mint-condition Roberts Ranger lure. I topped off my cooler and still made it to work by 8:30 a.m.

When it comes to shucking, using the proper knife will make a world of difference. From top to bottom: oyster knife, scallop knife, quahog knife.

Preparing the Catch
There are a few things you should know about caring for your shellfish. Last month we covered quahogs and steamers, and this month we learned how to harvest oysters and bay scallops. Now let’s take a look at how to prepare the catch for a feast.
QUAHOGS: Quahogs are perhaps the most versatile of the local clams. They work well in many recipes, and you can store them for over a week in the refrigerator. I store them in plastic shopping bags to keep them from drying out. You should always scrub quahogs before cooking to remove any sand lodged in their shells.
STEAMERS: Steamers won’t last that long out of the water. I will store them in the same manner I store quahogs, but I always eat them within a day of their capture. In my not so humble opinion, the best way to eat them is also the simplest. Steam them open for about 8 minutes and serve them with hot broth and melted butter. They are also divine when battered and deep-fried, but steaming them is a lot less work, healthier and equally as tasty.
OYSTERS: Like quahogs, oysters will live for quite some time when wrapped up and placed in the fridge. I feel just fine about eating an oyster that has lurked in the fridge for a week and a half.
Oyster shucking has a pretty steep learning curve, and nothing I can write will be better than practice. Get a proper knife and figure it out. Remember to always hold an oyster in a dishtowel or gloved hand when shucking. Their shells are deceptively sharp, and will cut you like a knife.
BAY SCALLOPS: Always shuck scallops as soon as you get home. They are fragile and don’t live long out of the water. They are easy to shuck, but it is tedious. It takes a lot of shucking to produce a handful of scallops, which is one reason they are so expensive in fish markets. If you don’t have a proper scallop knife, you can get away with using a butter knife. Insert the knife at the hinge of the shell and cut along the top of the shell. Pop off the top shell and cut around the abductor muscle. Then flip the knife under the abductor muscle and it should pop right out.
For more information on cleaning and cooking your bivalves, pick up a copy of Dave “Pops” Masch’s cookbook, Cooking The Catch. Dave is a master shellfisherman, and his book will tell you exactly what to do.