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- Mar 29, 2006
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Today is the opening day of scallop season in St. Joe Bay. Every year, state biologist lay down lines, and measure the scallop count along these lines. It gives them an indication of the population. Well, last year wasn't great. Every time we went, we got a few, even limiting out a couple of times, but we had to hunt for them, moving around a lot, and snorkeling areas much deeper than usual. But this year, they are saying that they measured TEN TIMES the number of last year. They are saying it's the best year since 1996,which was incredible. I remember 96, we were limiting out in less than an hour! The plan was for my wife and I to go next Wednesday, as Saturday is the 4th. But now I'm thinking a Sunday trip may be in order. It's a blast! You snorkel along and pick them up, kinda of like an underwater Easter egg hunt. I take a net, mesh bag and poke pole in the water with me. I pick up the scallops and scoop crabs. Usually a few mullet will swim by or a flounder will be lounging around, and they get "poked". You see all kind of life, stingrays, giant turtles and an assortment of fish. St. Joe Bay is unusual is that there are no major freshwater tributaries, so the water is usually crystal clear. It is unusual also in that it is formed by a peninsula, so there is bay on one side, Gulf of Mexico on the other. You can stand in some places and see the bay less than one hundred yards to one side, and the Gulf the same distance on the other. The end of the peninsula is a state park. On the Gulf side, there are seven miles of pristine Gulf front, no buildings, no roads, with giant sand dunes putting a wall between the green and blue waters of the gulf and the pine and palmetto inland. It is not uncommon to see deer, bear and alligators on the inland side. I have even seen whitetail running down the beach. Much of the shoreline property is federally owned, and there are a couple of islands that are National Wildlife Refuge property. It is nice to see so much protected Old Florida, and natural beauty abounds. To say that my wife and I are excited about this years prospects would be an understatement. Well, here are a couple of pics of trips past, to give an idea of a bounty that awaits.
Scallops and mullet:
Scallops and Blue Crabs:
The wife stalks Blue Crab along a sand bar
Mullet that got too close:
Scallops and mullet:
Scallops and Blue Crabs:
The wife stalks Blue Crab along a sand bar
Mullet that got too close:
