Scallop Advice

[leesburgga]

Looks like we got a last minute chance to get some scalloping in this weekend. We normally wait until mid-August or so before we go. Looking for any advice -- we typically go to St. Marks or Keaton (Grassy Island). Any thoughts on which one? I also have noticed that scallops seem to be deeper in the reports that I am reading. Are folks still finding that to the be the case? Thanks in advance and see you out there!

[Reel Cowboy]

St. Marks & deep

[lordsfisher]

Do areas that have been picked over re-populate over the summer? In other words, do new scallops migrate in to replace the ones picked up?

[Hammer]

Plan on carrying a new scalloper saturday and would like to know a little more about how deep. I guess we can just look for the crowd.

[Reel Cowboy]

I guess we can just look for the crowd.

That's probably the best way to do it.

[lonesouth]

Hammer, 7-10', definitely diving for them. We are headed out tomorrow(leaving tally) @8, put in at the light house.

[Rainman]

It's been tough out there. I've been picking them up in about 5ft give or take, depending on the tide... Limits are taking all day and a three man limit is the absolute most we have gotten. This weekends low is in the early afternoon so my area will be in the 3ft range. I have been going back to the same places and picking them up so they do "repopulate" the same areas. This is St. Marks. We actually found a few out at Ocklocknee Shoals on Tuesday... They had barnacles on the shells.

I'd like to hear more about the deep water. Are you talking about out by the stake line and farther? Or inside the stake line? I've not looked out that deep but I may give it a try this weekend, especially with the low tide.

[lonesouth]

When we have gone out, the flotilla has been about 1/2 mile west of the rock garden. We pulled into the outskirts of the RG, but didn't find anything that shallow. It was a little ways before we started seeing them again. That was 2 weeks ago, and they may have moved in since then, but I'm planning on starting in the 8' range and move as required.

[mean24]

Filled an entire cooler in 45 mins at keaton (sun). St marks on wednesday not near as good. filled the cooler but took 4 hours. and jelly fish everywhere. have to float over all of them.

[Hit-n-Miss]

Filled an entire cooler in 45 mins at keaton (sun). St marks on wednesday not near as good. filled the cooler but took 4 hours. and jelly fish everywhere. have to float over all of them.

How deep of water at Keaton?

[Reel Cowboy]

Filled an entire cooler in 45 mins at keaton (sun).

Come on man, don't say there are scallops at Keaton. I was thinking about fishing this weekend.

[leesburgga]

Headed toward Keaton while watching radar Saturday morning and storm hanging over Keaton not moving. When we hit 98, we took a right instead of a left and went to St. Mark's. Only my 11-year old son and me. We took our time and enjoyed ourselves. Mostly stayed out from Rock Garden and could have filled our two man limit. Found most of them in 3-4 foot. Moved to about 6-7 foot one time considering the reports I had been seeing, but could not see the bottom with the overcast skies.

When we finished scalloping, we rode out to about 10-11 feet and threw some poles out with some pinfish we caught earlier on squid. My son caught bluefish and ladyfish while I cleaned the scallops. Great day and ready to go again.

[juan sapatos]

We've gone twice out of St. Marks. The first time was about 2 weeks ago. We had a hard time mostly looking around the giant scallop armada. We picked up a couple gallons, but they seemed few and far between. Tried a different spot last Sunday with much better results. My suggestion is that if you go in the morning before the wind blows you can drift along with the tide and see them on the bottom from the boat. Don't get in the water until you start seeing them. For us, a different spot just a few hundred yards away made all the difference. The scallops were very nice sized.

[flatsbroke]

We've gone twice out of St. Marks. The first time was about 2 weeks ago. We had a hard time mostly looking around the giant scallop armada. We picked up a couple gallons, but they seemed few and far between. Tried a different spot last Sunday with much better results. My suggestion is that if you go in the morning before the wind blows you can drift along with the tide and see them on the bottom from the boat. Don't get in the water until you start seeing them. For us, a different spot just a few hundred yards away made all the difference. The scallops were very nice sized.