There’s something so satisfying — for the soul and the belly — about crabbing and clamming on the Oregon Coast. Make your way to the seashore, drop a trap, dig a hole in the sand or rake through some muck and voilá! You’ve got dinner! Sweet succulent Dungeness crab and blue, purple varnish, butter and cockle clams are all here for the taking.
But where to begin? Perhaps you’re not sure when, where or how to find these tasty morsels. Getting started is easy in Garabaldi and Lincoln City. Both are havens for beginning shellfish hounds with free and low-cost clinics to get help you on your way to a lifetime of crabbing and clamming.
In Garibaldi the Harborview Inn & RV Park offers year-round clinics on the Tillamook Bay. Five types of clams inhabit the bay, and staff there will show you how to find, clean and cook your harvest. All you need is a shellfish license (if you are over 14), appropriate clothing (layers are always good on the Oregon Coast), a pair of gloves, and footwear for wet and muddy conditions (rubber boots are best). Harborview provides the gear, and you’re off! Clammers hit the sands and crabbers perch on the public crabbing piers.
From spring to fall, the Lincoln City Visitor and Convention Bureau sponsors a series of free clam digging and crabbing clinics. Everyone is welcome, and no registration is required. Clinics begin with a lecture beforehand that covers regulations, clam and/or crab identification and methods for harvest, cleaning and cooking.
So what are you waiting for? This fun, family-friendly activity is a terrific and tasty way to enjoy the Oregon Coast. For information on 2014 clinics visit www.HarborviewFun.com and www.OregonCoast.org/crabbing-and-clamming-clinics/.