BigBendFishing.Net

Don't know if y'all remember my friends Chip & Carol from the social, but here they are doing their Clam farming in the bay on the Dicovery channel

Dec 22, 9:00 pm

(60 minutes) Dirty Jobs
Worm Grunter
TV-PG (L)

Mike heads to Florida to harvest clams in the Alligator Harbor Aquatic Preserve and then takes on the task of worm grunting in the Apalachicola National Forest.
http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-schedules/s ... x&start=10
Dec 23, 12:00 am

(60 minutes) Dirty Jobs
Worm Grunter
TV-PG (L)

Mike heads to Florida to harvest clams in the Alligator Harbor Aquatic Preserve and then takes on the task of worm grunting in the Apalachicola National Forest.

Cool, I'll have to watch that

I'll check it out

Wevans -

I staked all of those clam parcels out years ago, then wrote deeds to them so the State could lease them to the farmers. Pretty interesting survey. I still have a copy of it around here someplace.

- Steve Stinson

Steve.
You covered up some of my best fishing holes.

I know Bruce too... Should be a fun one to see

Okay, I saw this episode yesterday (had the wife record it), and now I have some questions.
The piece of wood they used; what is the technical term for that? It looked to be about as big around as my forearm, is that right? How long, between 3-4'? Better to use a piece split to size, or cut something close to the diameter? Green or seasoned? Does it matter what kind of wood it is? I have heard persimmon is best. Is that true? Taper the ends, or not?
The flat iron. I can get a leaf out of a spring pretty easy, but it won't be as big as what they were using. Will that matter? Does it need to be that big?

What else do I not know enough about this to ask?

I was thinking the wood looked like lighter knot, but I may be wrong. I don't think a piece of steel like he had will be easy to find. He mentioned on the show that his had been passed down through his family for a couple of generations.

I am not sure that old boy should have mentioned how much he could make on a good day. With the economy the way it is, I told my wife that he may be overrun with folks out there in the forrest.

- Steve Stinson

I caught this episode and the whole family hooted all the way through it.
I didn't even know we had a clam harvest here and the operation seemed efficient and certainly "down-home". The worm grunting.. well it was worm grunting. I was looking for Mike to come across a rattler in our piney woods to add more 'citement but it didn't happen.
Now the entire country knows how folks close to the capital city of Florida are. I wonder if the kin from other parts of the country will ever let down on the impression they must have got from this show.
Proud to be associated with - if just by proximity - down home, hard working, no nonsense folk shown on the show. Might have to try some clams too.

I was working down at Alligator Point Marina yesterday and saw the picture that Mike Rowe took while down there. There was also an autographed hat with the picture that said "Stay Dirty." One of the guys from the marina asked the camera crew if Mike was the same "off air" as on. They told him "yep." They said he was a really cool guy and signed stuff for anybody that wanted it

All those PVC pipes near the dirt ramp on 98 are the clam leases...
The flavor is great- just steam them up with some beer or wine.
I posted this in the recipe section about 2 years ago.. all Alligator Point Clams!
http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpBB3/vi ... 14&t=16448

That was a great episode, I enjoyed it.

Barry,
Where are you buying AP clams? I'd like to try your steamer recipe and wanted to buy local. Tks.

Southern Seafood in Tallahassee
Or
Mineral Springs Seafood 1612 Coastal Hwy Panacea, FL 32346 (850) 984-2248

Thanks. Mineral Springs is where I buy fix'ns for my gumbo recipe. I'm going to get a batch of clams next time I'm down there.