Scallop Season Is Underway Along The Gulf Coast
By: Stephen Crews
Updated: July 9, 2012
"It's just a little bit below normal," Duke says. "Most everybody is getting their limits but last year you whistle and they jump in the boat...this year you have to get in there and catch em."
However, the ones you do find you may notice are a little bigger.
"Anybody that does anything seasonally will tell you everything started two months earlier this year," says Duke. "I'm pretty sure the scalllops did also, which means were that much ahead - which means when you do find them youre not shucking out fingernail size scallops."
He says tropical storm Debby did stir up the waters some but shouldn't interfere with your scallop search.
"It did muddy up the water some. We got a lot of tanic acid coming out of the woods or swamps, which turns the water a little bit red," says Duke. But he adds, "People see red and think red tide, but it's not, and everything's good."
Scallop season could last an additional two weeks. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission voted last week for the extension, which is something Duke is excited about as it means more tourists and potentially more money. A news release from the the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission says the season will be extended through September 25th.
