Does anyone know how clams show?

[Barviewrocks]

The clamming was great this weekend up north. However, I noticed several things and wanted to know if anyone had an explanation or theory. Some days, the clams are near the surface and thumping of the handle or stomping will cause the neck to retract and "show". Other days, the clams appear to be deeper and will not show very well via the thumping method. The question is:
Is this related to the weather, stage of the tide, people thumping, or what? Any theories or experience out there? I arrived 2 hours early one day and saw little until about an hour before the lowest point of the tide when the clams seemed to move to the surface and show up better.

[Pilar]

I'm no expert on this but I have noticed a few things.

1) They dig when you disturb the beach. This is a survival thing. Once they dig down a ways they squirt out some water and this makes the 'donut' on the sand.

2) Pounding on the beach with your shovel handle will make them dig more and will enhance the show.

3) Rough surf makes for crappy clamming. I think this is because they are dug down deep. The pounding makes them dig?

4) The clams are found from in the water to literally a hundred yards up the beach.

5) Clams near the water tend to be closer to the surface.

6) They can dig a foot in just 30 seconds.

7) When you 'gun' or dig a clam, have someone watch around the area where you dig and they will see additional clams digging and then showing. This really works well with a gun.

8) When you walk down the beach, turn around every 20 feet and watch for a few seconds. Your footsteps may make a clam spurt water and show where there were none before.

Hope this helps, I get a limit every time!

Anyone else?

[crabbait]

Usually, they just whip open their trenchcoats!

Just kiddin. What Pilar said is, I believe, correct and the more thumpin' the deeper you have to dig! Quick!

[poshie]

We clammed on Sunday around Sunset. We were out there by 7:15. We saw more holes about 45 minutes
before low tide. We have never clammed the Oregon
side except for gooeyducks at Tillamook and have clammed a lot in Alaska.
We have clammed the Long Beach area for many years and thumping the sand was done in the surf.
Last Sunday, We saw more thumping than I care to remember and it really messed up the sand. We have seen about 3 different "shows" for clams and one is similar to the end of the handle indent.
The clams were really deep.
We were also curious as to the size of the crowd in that area when WA clamming is closed.
The weather was glorious and the clams were scrumptious.

[Gregor]

Went digging in Grayland last week Wednesday, the
opener in WA this go round. Several times I saw the
tip of the siphon at the surface of the sand. This was
just above the water's edge. I had never seen this
before. As soon as I touched the sand close to the
clam, zoom! it disappeared. Howling winds and 9'
surf. Plenty of shows. The clams I dug that day were
not that deep.

Friday night we dug near Copalis, the first day that
beach was open. Calm day, gentle surf. We had a
hard time with finding clams at first. It wasn't until it
got dark and we were able to use the headlamps could
you see the depressions. Even then disturbing the
sand barely got any detectable movement by the
clam. These clams were deep. Most were at least
elbow depth and several were deeper than that.

Why was the digging the way it was at these two
beaches? You would think that the given the
conditions that it would have been the opposite
encountered. One had pounding surf with clams near
the surface and lots of people. The other had gentle
surf, clams were deep and an incredibly small number
of people digging there. One difference you can see
is the slope of the beaches. Copalis is very flat
compared to the beach at Grayland. Here I think the
beach at Grayland would take more of a pounding
that Copalis. Sand density is different as well.
Grayland is very soft and the hole quickly collapses
as you dig. The sand at Copalis was very hard. I'm
not sure which sand density would transmit the
vibrations caused by the surf or diggers better. My
thought is that the hard sand would but, you throw in
hydrolics and I'm not sure.

Conclusion...clam strips are yummy with beer!

[Snapset]

I would concur with all the comments written above. In addition I would add that this year it doesn't matter. I saw more shows Saturday morning than I have seen in all my previous Razor Clam digging. (I haven't done much, though)

My point is this. If you want to learn to dig razor clams, this is the year to do it. There are so many clams, that you will have successful trips, and you will gain experience that you can draw on in years when there are fewer clams. Get a gun or a shovel and GO!

[BUGLEMAN]

Any surf diggers care to share a few tips so I can learn in this time of a plenty.