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My brother-in-law wants to bring his SUP boards or kayaks over and do some scalloping in the next couple weeks and he asked me to ask you find people a few questions.

1. Is this feasible?
2. Where is the best/safest/most realistic part of our area to do such a thing?

I figure...if you have a bucket/cooler and an anchor for the kayak you should be good...right?

I did it a few times a couple of years ago when the scallops were really thick within easy reach.

This year they seem to be a little bit deeper, so I guess it depends on exactly where you're planning on going. I was putting in at Yates Creek, but you would have a long paddle to reach them from Yates Creek this year.

I just brough an anchor, diving flag, mask/snorkel, and a bucket that was just big enough for my limit (in addition to the regular safety gear required on a kayak). I would get my limit so fast, I would just leave the ice chest in the truck and dump them in it when i got back. I would go after work in the afternoons, so quite often I was the only person in sight.

It's a bit surreal being 1/2 mile from shore in a kayak miles from any other person and just voluntarily rolling overboard. I saw a nice sized bullshark on my kayak a few weeks ago. I doubt I will ever scallop from my yak again.

I'd imagine the shape and size of your vessel makes little difference to the bull shark when you are swimming along the bottom in your swim-trunks.

haha.

WolfeMan wrote:I'd imagine the shape and size of your vessel makes little difference to the bull shark when you are swimming along the bottom in your swim-trunks.

i think he meant that a bullshark that size could easily come up and knock him into the water while he was in the kayak. which is very possible, and a reason i don't scallop out of mine too!

Ahh. Well, he's pretty risk tolerant. Fishes near shore in Pensacola from his rig all the time. I'll certainly offer the bull shark disclaimer though.

If sharks really attacked people often at all don't you think with all the people in the water between St Marks and Keaton Beach don't you think we would have heard of one over the years.

I think the risk are much greater just driving down to the coast to go scalloping.

of course the danger kind of enhances the experience for me

That is why I like spearfishing so much

It is like deer hunting where there are lions and tigers

RC wrote: It is like deer hunting where there are lions and tigers

Never really looked at it that way.

I'm doubtful that sharks pose much of a real hazard scalloping or in any other activity in calm, clear water. I suspect most bites happen when the shark mistakes a person for something else because of low visibility. I fished off a pier throughout the 70s and early 80s on Okaloosa Island. You can see a long way from 30 feet over the water. If you are in salt water in Florida, big sharks are pretty much always near by. I've seen many giant bulls and hammerheads and endless numbers of blacktips and spinner sharks. If they wanted a swimmer there's not a thing that would stop them. No, I can't issue a guarantee, but the world is full of risk and this one seems pretty low. Now, I will admit that seeing those videos of Tiger Sharks has made me a little more nervous. . . .

What I meant was that normally go kayaking alone which is a little bit risky by itself. Jumping in the water just rasies the risk factor a tad too high for my comfort. Not just from sharks, but you never know when your shoulder will give out and you can't climb back in the boat, you could surface only to find that your anchor did not hold (or came untied), a storm may blow up while your face is under water,........ Give me long enough and I could list a million. I can imagine that crawling back into a kayak after stepping on a stingray and having to paddle back to shore would be a pretty miserable experience.

It's not neccessarily scalloping from my kayak that makes me nervouse, it's scalloping when I'm all alone that puts the fear in me. Having a buddy there, especially when it comes to wading or kayaking, would really be an asset in an emergency.

yeah

notice most of the scallopers at saint marks group up all together.

thinking I don't have to outrun the bear only you.

the schooling theory

Surely they know that there are more scallops out of that pack


Occasionally I wind up fishing offshore by myself. Used to do it a lot when I fished during the week.

I have, on those perfect days, went spearfishing when no one was with me. 20 miles offshore on the bottom in 30 or 40 feet of water all alone a lot of scenarios go through your head.

One day I am spearfishing this ledge in 40'. Have a school of grouper that are staying just out of range but they really like this one section of the ledge and keep coming back to it. I am laying in the sand with 1 grouper and some hogfish already on the stringer just waiting for one more grouper to get a little closer. Just had that feeling and I looked up towards the boat and there is the silhouette of a large shark just cruising along the surface. It was a national geographic moment. Sunlight on the water perfectly backlighting him. Water clear enough to see the boat on the surface 40' overhead. Cool!!! You see them on the bottom from time to time but that one was memorable.

Of course I keep a couple of ray odor's slip on .44 Mag bang sticks in my pocket just in case. Never had to use them.

Don't go much anymore between work and family obligations time is getting precious

WolfeMan wrote:My brother-in-law wants to bring his SUP boards or kayaks over and do some scalloping in the next couple weeks and he asked me to ask you find people a few questions.

1. Is this feasible?
2. Where is the best/safest/most realistic part of our area to do such a thing?

I figure...if you have a bucket/cooler and an anchor for the kayak you should be good...right?

Port St. Joe would be your best bet, if you don't mind the drive. There are a few in Lanark, but it will take time and work to get your limit.