How to Scallop in Florida

How to Scallop in Florida

Supplies

A fun Florida activity for locals and visitors is scalloping on the Gulf Coast.  We headed out to Old Homosassa in Florida to go for a day scalloping.  You can either rent a boat or take a scalloping tour.  You will need a few supplies for this adventure.  You will need a mask, snorkel, fins and netting bag.

Rent a Boat or Take a Tour

You can then choose to rent your own boat or take a tour.  If you choose to get your own boat, be sure you pick up a scalloping/fishing license and learn the basics of boating before heading out to the Gulf.  There are lots of boat rentals in Homosssa Springs area.  We went with River Safari.  They got us a nice pontoon boat, easy to drive and plenty of space to relax.  However, these boats are much slower in speed.  So plan on taking your time getting out and getting back home!

Finding a Good Scalloping Spot

Before heading out, be sure you ask some of the locals or shuckers (that shuck the scallops) where they would recommend you go.  The prime locations will vary based on the time of the season.  We tried a couple spots until we found a prime location with some grass, some sand and lots of scallops.  Sometimes you can follow the line of boats!

Then Go Scalloping

Once we found a good spot, we anchored the boats and jumped in.  Underwater, the scallops look huge (like the picture above) with your mask and almost a little scary with their blue eyes.  Once you grab your first one, you realize they are tiny and do not hurt you at all.  They just look intimidating! As you go, you just fill up your netting bag until you reach your limit.  Once you head back in, you can pay a local kid to shuck the scallops.  We paid our guy around $20 to shuck a whole bucket, enough for our group of 18.  You can then enjoy your catch for dinner!  We enjoyed a fantastic pasta dish with our scallops.  We even had enough to fry some as an appetizer. Try something different this year.  Learn how to go scalloping on the Gulf Coast of Florida.  Enjoy a video tour of our day scalloping on the Gulf Coast of Florida.