Razor clams

[evinrude 130]

 All I've been seeing is "use razor clams for crab bait". So I was curious to look them up for info. Found this 2010 article about soft shell clams and razor clams.

http://www.bayjournal.com/article/bivalves_dramatic_demise_is_as_quiet_as_a_clam_

So has the razor clams made a comeback? Are they easily available now.  According to the article, soft shell clams just about disappeared and the razor clams weren't far behind in disappearing.

 Anyone clue me in on both the soft shell clam and razor clams situation?

[rdbeard]

Yea i got some info. The Bay Journal is not a good source of info.

[Mikie]

Yea i got some info. The Bay Journal is not a good source of info.

 

[Neither Crab]

About how many razor clams are  in a bushel?

[evinrude 130]

Never really took notice of razor clams before. Recall using them for perching years ago.  Found this on a MD DNR page. Think it's from 2011.

Once widely distributed throughout the Bay, softshell clam populations of any consequence are now relegated to the Upper Bay, from the Patapsco River to the West River along the western shore and from Swan Point to Kent Point along the east shore, including the Chester River and Eastern Bay. Lesser populations are found in certain areas of the Choptank River, Tangier Sound and its tributaries and the Patuxent River. Since 1968, when the relatively modest fishery inexplicably collapsed, Virginia softshell clam populations may be characterized as remnant.
 ((Abraham and Dillon 1986; Baker and Mann 1991; Homer et al. 2011; Laursen 1966; Pfitzenmeyer 1972; Theroux and Wigley 1983).


 Can't say I've ever seen one on the shoreline or any where else.

[Crabbin Fever]

About how many razor clams are  in a bushel?

                9.30917749 gallons. 

[Neither Crab]

                9.30917749 gallons. 

I read it was 37.2  qts. in a gallon. Anway,  How many razor clams in a gallon. Don't say 4 quarts. ( clams) TIA

[Crabbyd]

I read it was 37.2  qts. in a gallon. Anway,  How many razor clams in a gallon. Don't say 4 quarts. ( clams) TIA

It's like crabs, it depends on the sizes of the clams and how full the bushel basket/fish basket/bag/gallon container.  I can bait 3,600' of line spaced at 8' and 3-5 clams per bag depending on the size of the clams.

[evinrude 130]

Found this

http://www.stackablecrabtraps.com/razorclamstest.html

[Neither Crab]

Let's calculate that. 3600 ft. divided by 8 ft. = 450 clam bags x 4 clams average per bag = 1800 clams per bushel. Does that sound right? That's a lot of clams. I've counted out oysters in a bushel. Just legal 3 in. oysters count out at about 300 oysters per bushel. Seaside Virginia. The biggest oysters I counted were from Tilghman Island , years ago at 100 per bushel. They were big oysters. They looked the size of  baby shoes. Both were single cupped oysters, not from clumped snaps .

[evinrude 130]

Interesting video

[evinrude 130]

Little more info on razor clams that I am learning about. Seems eels got too expensive and waterman turned to razor clams.

http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pages/shellfish-monitoring/razorclam.aspx

[Neither Crab]

There is your answer. In 2003-2004 the average harvest rate was 8-10 bushels per hour. Now it's 1 bushel per hour. 10% of what it was 14 years go. . Oysters are down to 1% of what they once were and our soft shell clams are gone . It looks like we are heading in the wrong direction.