Northwest Reel Life March 2024 Volume 3 Issue 5 - Flipbook - Page 16
OYSTERS
Oysters can be found
on most rocky beaches
of the Puget Sound and
no two beaches are the
same regarding how low
the tide needs to be for
oyster beds to be exposed.
A good rule of thumb is
to stick to +2 ft tides and
lower for your best chance
at reaching your daily
limit. As a complementary
insider tip, I will add that
Oakland Bay in Shelton,
Washington exposes
oyster beds at tides much
higher than this. Oysters
would likely be the easiest
shellfish to harvest on the
Puget Sound if it wasn’t
16 | NWFISHING.net
for one important aspect
of the process, and that is
the shucking of the oyster
itself. Legally oysters must
be shucked on the beach
and the shells should be
left where they were found.
This allows oyster larvae
to use these shells during
the colonization process.
For more information on
best shucking practices
please refer to my 2022
April article where this
process is explained in
great detail. Oysters require
little to no cleaning and
can be eaten whole in a
variety of preparations.
Steaming, barbecuing, and
deep frying are all popular
choices. Minimum size 2 1/2
inches.
MANILA
Manila clams are one
of the most popular
clams to harvest on the
Puget Sound and their
populations remain healthy
throughout the region.
They grow up to 2.5 inches
long and can be found in
sand, gravel, or mud during
+2 ft tides or lower. A variety
of common garden tools
can be used to collect
Manila clams. The most
popular tools are a hand
shovel, hand rake, or a hand
pick.
