Scalloping season starts in a few weeks and the reports
from the Steinhatchee and Port St Joe areas reflect what to expect this season.
Captain Bry
Captain Bry Martin of Bull Red Charters, www.bullredcharters.com says “Already seeing scallops out of the Econfina and Aucilla rivers. Looks like it will be a good year if things stay like they are. Waiting to see if they decide to keep the two week extension in effort this year”
Captain Rick Moseley of Scales N Tales Charters, 
reports, “Scales N Tales Charters is taking reservations for the 2012 scallop season. I have been out on the beautiful gin clear coastal waters off of Keaton Beach and Dekle Beach and some scallops are showing up now in the shallow waters everyone like to scratch for scallops in. The water temp has been about 82.5 degrees for a few weeks now and will only get warmer. We are looking for an abundant season this year with the mild winter we have had here on the west coast of Florida. For reservations on a Scallop adventure please call 850-578-2627 or e-mail us at fishrick@gtcom.net. Please don’t wait until the last minute because accommodations will be filled up, especially for the 4th of July week end.” www.scalesntalescharters.com
Julie from Seahorse Water Safaris, www.seahorsewatersafaris.com reports “We are seeing scallops and have already visited some of our favorite pot holes scouting scallops for the season. We have almost booked rental boats and scallop trips completely for the 1st week of July…. So scallop season is looking good so far.”
Dr. Fred Vose, Florida Sea Grant Marine Agent, University of Florida IFAS, shared a link for the new scallop guide for Keaton Beach and Steinhatchee http://taylor.ifas.ufl.edu and also invites all scallopers to visit the Florida Sea Grant website (http://flseagrant.org). “The Citrus County guide we revised last year, and the new Taylor County guide just released, are also available from the Florida Sea Grant website. There is also a lot of informative general information on recreational scalloping on the FSG site. This includes volunteer scallop searches in SW Florida closed areas, coming up later this summer (Lemon Bay and Gasparilla Sound, Aug 4).”
