BigBendFishing.Net

I was coming by some oystermen over the weekend and thought- I need to try that.
A little later near dead low tide I saw some big ones at the lower end of a bar.
I picked off a 5Gallon bucket full of big ones- Law man says they have to be at least 3 inches.

Ended up with about 40- came home cleaned them up and put them on the grill

They cooked up NICE

A little Butter, Lemon and Old Bay

Sooooo Good!


Got to give credit to the men and women that do it for a living- even 40 were a lot of work.
But they were TASTY

I HOPE YA DID NOT GET THOSE OFF A LEASED AREA, THE OYSTER MEN FROWN ON PEOPLE GETTING OYSTERS OFF OF THEIR LEASE BEDS. THERE ARE NOT TOO MANY OYSTER BARS THAT ARE NOT LEASED. WHEN I WAS YOUNGER WE WOULD GET A COUPLE OF BUSHELS OF OYSTERS, CAMP OUT ON THE BEACH, HAVE ROASTED OYSTERS, TROUT , RED, AND COBIA FILETS FRIED UP OIL AND EAT TIL OUR BELLIES ALMOST POPPED, THAT WAS REALLY FUN WHEN OUR 5 CHILDREN WERE GROWING UP. WE NEED TO DO THAT AGAIN BUT IT IS DIFFICULT WHEN ONE OF MY BOYS IS BRAZIL, ANOTHER IN TRONTO, ONE IN JAX., ONE DAUGHTER IN MCCLENNY, ANOTHER DAUGHTER IN WEST PALM BEACH. WE HAD A SMALL MOVIE CAMERA AND TOOK MANY ROLLS OF FILM, BABE AND I GET A KICK OUT OF WATCHING OUR CHILDREN GROWING UP ON FILM. BE SURE TO TAKE PLENTY OF THE VIDEOS WHILE YOUR CHILDREN ARE YOUNG, AFTER THEY GET OUT OF COLLEGE YOU WILL NOT SEE MUCH OF THEM.
SORRY FOR CARRING ON, JUST POPPED IN MY HEAD AND I WROTE IT DOWN.
PA THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA SEMPER FI

Those do look like some good eatin'. When I was a kid back in the 50's we would camp out on the islands around Clearwater, break off a mangrove root covered with what we called coon oysters and roast them over the fire. It was great at the time but of course that would be illegal today.
Where would it be OK to pick a few oysters for personal use in modern times? How can you tell if an area is leased like I assume most are? It would be nice to show the Grandkids how folks used to be able to feed themselves and have to work for it.

Looks great Barry! What a life. Pa, thanks for the cool story. I bet you were a wonderful dad.

Here's a map of permitted areas.
Does not show leased areas, but it shows where you definitly can't harvest them.
http://www.floridaaquaculture.com/seas/seas_shamap.htm

You got it Whoopty!
I was going to point folks here: http://myfwc.com/rulesandregs/Saltwater ... llfish.htm

The minimum size limit for oysters is 3 inches. The bag limit is 2 bags per person or vessel, whichever is less, per day (1 bag = 60 lbs., or two 5-gallon buckets, whole in shell). The months of June, July and August are closed to all oyster harvest in Dixie, Levy and Wakulla counties. The rest of the state is closed to all oyster harvest during July, August and September. All harvest is also prohibited when allowable harvesting areas are closed.

Pa, it's too bad you could not put those old movies on you tube or something and share them with us. I'm sure they would be great.

Lots of Oysters in Zone 1
http://www.floridaaquaculture.com/pdfmaps/22w.pdf

Just when I thought my oyster holes were safe Wevans prints a map.

Done that a time or three myself. Be careful that you only get those that remain under water at all times.

I don't think that there's a worry about running outta Oysters in Oyster Bay JT