Have you ever gone scalloping? Personally, I had not, until this year in Gulf County, Florida. I wasn’t even sure what the act of “scalloping” was. Yes, getting scallops, surely, but how? And what did that entail? It turns out, it’s both fairly simple, and not as easy as you would expect.
One basically needs to get to a body of water that contains these mollusks, which are both mild in flavor and extremely healthy for you. You can charter a boat, get on a kayak, or find a company that does scalloping tours. If you head out without a guide or boat captain, you will need a Florida saltwater fishing license, a mesh bag, and a dive flag. Get your license ahead of time online or head to the experts at Bluewater Outriggers. They can get you a license, supplies, tell you the local hot spots, and tips on how to find scallops.
We first tried our hand on the Break-a-Way Charters boats, owned and operated by the father and son team of Captain Bobby and Captain Wade Guilford as well as Captain George Lautt. The boat tour we were looking to go on revolved around scalloping, but we ended up doing more then that. The first stop where we tried for scallops came up empty handed, but we were able to go shelling along the beaches of Port St. Joe and St. Joseph’s Bay.
The shelling could easily have been the highlight of my day- it was peaceful, quiet, and something you could do either by yourself or with someone else. I headed out for some alone time, enjoying the solitude while seeking out shells on the beaches. The guides were able to identify the shells when we returned- what type they were, what lived in them, and other interesting shell-related information.
Break-a-Way Charters offers inshore & offshore fishing, shelling, sightseeing, scalloping and are the only locals able to provide“snuba” trips. What is snuba? Part snorkeling, part scuba “diving”, snuba allows you to dive into the water with air but without the tank, so no special certification is needed.
We headed back onto the boat with our newly found treasures to try another location for scallops. We found all sorts of shellfish, interesting shells, sand dollars, starfish, and more- but no scallops. The clear, warm water however made for a perfect place to swim and lounge about; no one was in a rush to go try another spot.
We decided to head to lunch, and taste the scallops that had been eluding us instead. At Indian Pass Raw Bar, they continued to be evasive, but the food was so amazing that we didn’t mind. If you didn’t know any better, you’d be tempted to pass what looks like some “hole in the wall” convenience store looking building. Looks can be deceiving. Once inside, seat yourself and grab a drink from one of the “coolers”. Decide what you want by checking it off of a “ticket” and handing it in- the staff will bring your choices to you when ready. The menu is on the smaller side, but the food is amazing, offering barbeque, stuffed shrimp, and melt-in-your-mouth parmesan baked oysters that will convert many who swore off the sometimes off-putting shellfish. This friendly and unassuming restaurant is come-as-you-are, flip flops and shorts, and operates on an honor system (yes, really). Located in a corner of Florida’s Forgotten Coast, the food and staff are anything but forgettable, and you will find yourself planning another visit to this local favorite into your schedule.
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