scallop report?????

[phatdaddy]

anybody done any good this year?
st joe is slim pickens this year. been twice,first time we got 2 gallons of shells that yielded 1/2 pint of meat. very small for this time of year. second time we went to another spot and got 2.5 gallons of shells that yielded a little over a pint. still kind small.

i think the state screwed up by opening up in mid-june, i know they did it 4 years ago because of the bp spill, but every since they did our counts have been getting worse and worse. there is talk of not opening til aug 1 next year.

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/oo214/gls216/NCM_0179_zpsnsvzpkcc.jpg (http://s377.photobucket.com/user/gls216/media/NCM_0179_zpsnsvzpkcc.jpg.html)

did manage to pick these up locally sat afternoon. was supposed to rain, so we didn't go to st joe. got tired of watching tv, so wife and since the whaler was already loaded we went across the bay to hunt the elusive nw fl blue crab.

don't know what i hate worse, cleaning crab or scallop..

[SkunkBoat]

how did you get them to pose for that picture?:pic:

[phatdaddy]

notice, all the claws are removed

iced em on the way home

skunk, i gotta get a new go pro, lost mine on the tacoa(?) river in north ga. had it on a head strap on a tubing run, nephew grabbed my arm from behind and jerked me as he was going over a small rapid. once it hit the water it was gone

[SkunkBoat]

I always worry about that.

you didn't have the orange floaty on it? or was the head strap too heavy?

They have a lot of new versions out now from $129 to $499.
most have built in touch screen.

[phatdaddy]

i had the extra battery on the back and the life vest won't float it.

lesson learned

[phatdaddy]

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/oo214/gls216/NCM_0181_zpsqriroon7.jpg (http://s377.photobucket.com/user/gls216/media/NCM_0181_zpsqriroon7.jpg.html)

went today for 3 hours, only got 2.5 gallons in the shell, but had some monsters. this is one of the biggest scallops i've ever seen.
we ended up with 2 pints of meat.

[bradford]

That's a huge one. Always good to hear your reports Phat.

[charlie_the_tuna]

Where?? where?? where??where??

[phatdaddy]

port st joe, fl 35 miles east of panama city.
population: around 4000
most noted for: scallops and the birthplace of florida. the first constitutional convention was held here in 1838 that led to florida becoming a state. it was a blissful state until after about 1948, then the widespread use of DDT and air-conditioning made it tolerable to the northern weekly visitors as a year round habitat.

[bradford]

Nice one Phat, Almost done with Condominium by John D. MacDonald. Did I get that one from you? It's paper back with the front cover a little messed up. Anyway excellent read and your post reminds me of it.

[phatdaddy]

don't remember what i sent ya, but i haven't thought of that one in a while. i'll have to go back and re-read it.

fiddler key, right?

[bradford]

don't remember what i sent ya, but i haven't thought of that one in a while. i'll have to go back and re-read it.

fiddler key, right?


Correct, finished it today. It's one of his longer books, but reads really fast.

Puts a lot of things in perspective.

[garbubba]

Love John D McDonald. His last book, Barrier Island, was about forming Gulf Islands National Seashore, very interesting.

[phatdaddy]

haven't read that one yet, i think. best thing about getting old, re-reading favorite books ovar again

[bradford]

Love John D McDonald. His last book, Barrier Island, was about forming Gulf Islands National Seashore, very interesting.


LOL That's the one I'm reading now. Sniped a hard cover first edition off ebay for cheap.

Sorry to high-jack the scallop thread Phat. I feel that if one likes scalloping though, they would also dig John D.

[phatdaddy]

no problem, think the scallop thread is about dead anyway

i love to talk jd

are u still reading t mcgee in order

[bradford]

no problem, think the scallop thread is about dead anyway

i love to talk jd

are u still reading t mcgee in order

A couple of years ago you mentioned John D. MacDonald in a post.

I have read all but one of James W. Hall's books and identify with his character Thorn quite a bit. In one of the later books in the series Hall gives MacDonald a mention that Thorn had the entire Travis McGee series.

Started off with Darker than Amber that I found at a garage sale. Was hooked on John D after reading the first page. Have accumulated probably 75% of the Travis McGee series through ebay, you, and hit the mother lode of 23 John D. books at Goodwill in St Augustine while on a 3 day vacation last year. It was cool to find them all, but kinda felt bad at the same time, because I'll bet some old dude who thinks and appreciates things like us here probably kicked the bucket and his family cleaned out the house and donated them. Have read Darker than Amber, The Last One Left (which features a 20' T-Craft prominantly, John D's personal boat in real life. Chapter 3 especially talks about the boat and mentions the hull's attributes and offshore racing lineage, much like a 20 footer we all appreciate), Condominium, A Man of Affairs, The Deep Blue Goodby, The Lonely Silver Rain, and currently Barrier Island. Gonna amass the entire McGee series completly before continuing it so I can go in order. Only need a few more.

A few years back I was surfing ebay and ran across a black and white photograph of MacDonald running his 20' T-Craft that was selling for cheap, something like 6 or 7 bucks. Didn't really know much about him at the time, but wished I had because it would be sweet to have that picture hanging in the office or garage.

[phatdaddy]

i started to read them after i heard the buffett song "incommunicado" around 1981. has a line "Travis McGee stil in Cedar Key, that's what ol Jonh McDonald has said". had a friend who was working in a book store, so i asked her about it. she brought me a copy of "The Empty Copper Sea". i was hooked.

i also went to University of South Florida in 74 & graduated in 76. while there i worked at the campus radio station. he would come and lecture every now and then. never went and saw him or gave him any notice. always regetted that. also dated a girl who lived on siesta key in sarasota where he had a home. her parents knew him. probably could have met him that way

hind sight is 20-20...

[awthacker]

I hear they're killing it in Steinhatchee this year and the nearby areas. Nice scallop! That is huge.

I wore my go pro rafting this year and put it on a ball cap fit very tight. When I dive, I always pull a hood over it. I've nearly lost it before.

[THEFERMANATOR]

I want to go so bad, but can't find a babysitter to help the wife watching our 2 boys for me to break away and go. With a colicky 2 month old, and a 2 year old with a SERIOUS attitude problem(who gets MANY attitude adjustements daily), it's more than I want to stick her with for a day. Maybe next year I'll be able to go. That and with my hip the last thing I want to happen is get in the water and my hip go out and be stuck trying to fight the current back to the boat. I'm waiting for the mackeral run to come back in full force as I think my 2 year old will ride in the boat for that one.

[phatdaddy]

thanks aw, yea, i had it tight, but not hooked with a cord. i've seen where they have mask with the mount built right in the frame. great idea until your mask gets ripped off because you hit something with the go pro.

they could make them slightly positive, but i think they do it so they won't float
i gotta get a new one

ferm, you were typing as i was. you guys from crystal river to cedar key have had a great year, as far notrth as st marks. i have bad knees and the water actually helps as far as taking the weight off of them and getting a work out. i do know i sleep goood the night after going .

[phatdaddy]

went saturday, finally got our limit. 2 people = 4gallons in shell.
they were huge the meat was the size of tater tots ended up with a quart and one pint of meat.

[macojoe]

thats great!! $18.99 lb here

[bradford]

Figured I'd bump the John D. Macdonald/scallop thread with this pic. John D. and his wife running his T-Craft.

https://drmar120.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/munequita_0001.jpg

[phatdaddy]

great shot, bradford. looks like reasearch to me. you can tell when u read that john d was a boat owner and had dealt with some of the little things that boating fun at times.

that was something i liked about randy wayne white's first 3 or 4 books. then they just kinda wandered too far for me.

not to do with boats, but have u read michael connelly? if not, try "Bloodwork" (has a trawler in it)

[bradford]

I'll keep an eye out for Bloodwork Phat. Been shopping trawlers a little for later on in life. I have a few Randy Wayne Whites that I haven't read, have read the Heat Islands which was pretty good. Picked up OLD Randy Wayne White when he used the pen name Randy Striker which seem like its gonna be pretty awesome. It's part of the Mac Morgan series called The Deadlier Sex. Reading reviews on him it seems like you said the older stuff is better. Reading Islands in the Stream by Hemingway right now. Was published after his death, and a lot of reviews don't care for it, but if you're into boats, fishing, the Bahamas, or drinking back in the day it's awesome so far. I think a lot of reviewers just don't like Hemingway himself. Check out Hooked on Books next time you're in the Keys, they're in Islamorada.

[phatdaddy]

if you like hemingway, get a copy "To Have And Have Not"

when we're in big pine key,we go to the monroe county library in the winn dixie shopping lot. very large used book section that is free to the public. librarian said alotta people bring books to read on vacation and leave them in the condos. the cleaning crews drop them off because homeowner donsent want the piling up. not very well organized, but lots of varity and price is right.

[bradford]

if you like hemingway, get a copy "To Have And Have Not"




I own it and read it twice.

Haven't spent much time in Big Pine. Mostly just driving through. Might have to venture that way next time. Just got back a week ago from Islamorada, Lower Matecumbe Key. If any of y'all are going that way and want to bring your dogs, White Gate Court is the place. Six different 1940's bungalows on 5 acres on the bayside on Matucumbe bight. FREE boat dockage, and FREE trailer parking for boats up to 26 feet. Very decent on the price too. Everyone there has their dogs with them, it's pretty cool. MM 76.

[bradford]

So the wifey went to a garage sale Saturday and brought me home a liquor case of John D. MacDonald paperbacks, most the older print ones from the 1960's. Paid 7 bucks! I've got multiple copies of a lot of them now so Phatdaddy or anyone else who would like a copy of one you haven't read or don't have let me know I probably have it.

[phatdaddy]

nice find, looks like you've got your summer reading all planned out.

we might as well turn this into a book thread, state just released the scallop forecast for st joe bay. they found NONE. Talking about closing it from mexico beach to st marks or even further east.

[garbubba]

Bad news about the scallops, any word from farther east?
We always went to Port St. Joe, but went farther West two years ago & it was a bit tricky finding them because we were alone! Had the son in law drag me behind the boat 'til I started seeing them & bam! we were on them.

[phatdaddy]

we went to st marks several years ago, your right. different type of scalloping. i think they are ok from cedar key south. we actually had a very healthy crop in our bay, but illegal to harvest them.

[bradford]

Sorry to resurrect a hi jacked thread, but I completed all 21 books in the Travis McGee series by John D. MacDonald today. I highly recommend reading them in order, but if you come across one read it and see if you like it.

Changed my life for the better.

Cheers to Phatdaddy here and Edwin who lives on the Sea Lark anchored in Tybee Creek for turning me on to John D. MacDonald.:beer: