Rakes or Scratchers  -  There are several types, each with a fairly specific purpose depending on what shellfish you are after and where you are fishing.  You will notice a wide variety of devices in use on the flats.  Eventually you may want to be creative, and use whatever seems best suited to your fishing style.  However, please check the Shellfish Regulations regarding legal requirements and exclusions before you get too creative!  All of these gathering tools require some skill development.  Plan to be patient and to improve your fishing ability with practice. Be sure to check with current regulations and observe all posted signs with respect to open and closed areas, legal size, catch limits, and open seasons for each species.

1). Picking Oysters:   Most oysters can be picked off the bottom by hand.  Just wait until the tide goes off the area you want to fish.  However, a light three-tined garden cultivator with about a three foot handle can be very helpful.  This eliminates much bending, allows fishing in calm and clear water before the tide is all the way off your fishing area, and helps in turning over possible good oysters for a better look or for removing partially submerged oysters from muddy or silted bottom.  It is also useful in culling through clustered oysters on a reef, giving your gloves and your back a break.  Since small oysters often attach themselves to larger ones, you will need to remove the small oysters from a legal sized keeper.  You may also find a keeper attached to another larger item, such as an unwanted sea clam shell.  In order to separate your oyster from these other items, a small tool is essential.  Tools with some type of claw hammer head and a chisel end are most useful.

2).  Scratching Quahaugs:   (Hard shell clams: littlenecks, cherrystones, chowders are all quahaugs, just different sizes in ascending order.)  For working in water, a quahaug rake or a four or five tined sturdy garden cultivator will work best. Avoid broad tined rakes.  Rakes with extra long handles or with attached baskets are commercially available and have occasional advantages, but most people find the standard rake easier to use.  If you are going to scratch for quahaugs (usually “necks” or “stones”) above the flat but below the grass line, you will find a short  handled  (about a foot long) version of the standard quahog rake somewhat more efficient.

3).  Digging Steamers or Soft Shell Clams:  Found mostly in more sandy areas as the tide recedes, these clams have a very soft shell that is easily broken by contact with any digging tool.  Soft shell forks are available that minimize this damage when used properly.  These forks have long broad tines and a short handle for releasing sand that includes a clam without contacting the clam itself.  Not usually used as a rake, it is thrust into the sand behind a suspected clam and gently levered upward to release the clam from the sand.  The clam may then be lifted out of the sand by hand.

4). Gathering Other Species (scallops, cockles or blood arks, surf or sea clams, mussels and razor clams):  An occasional scallop or cockle may be gathered when using a quahaug rake or by hand picking on oyster beds.  Sea clams are sometimes found in fairly deep tidal water at the edge of the Bay from the north edge of Billingsgate Island north to the Duck Harbor Beach area.  Here, a longer handled quahog rake is helpful.  Sea clamming is sometimes successful from a sturdy boat, if the weather is favorable. An occasional razor clam may be turned up when digging for steamers.  Mud or ribbed mussels are abundant but not suitable for food and should be avoided.  Blue mussels are sometimes found along rock jetties.  Because this species attaches itself by strong fibers to the rock base, you may want to use a knife or a small flower pot cultivator to release the mussel.