A clam rake is a tool used to collect clams from the ocean floor. They come in different sizes and designs, with some having a basket attached. The type of rake used depends on the hardness of the sand or mud. Clamming can be done recreationally or commercially, with clams also being farmed and harvested using hand tools.
A clam rake is a tool specifically designed to dig up and collect clams that burrow into the sand or mud of the ocean floor in natural tidal areas or clam farms. Clam rakes come in a variety of sizes, and the tines can vary in number, spacing, length, and design. Usually, a clam rake is made of steel and looks similar to a regular rake, although a clam rake commonly has a shorter handle and longer tines that are wider, more knife-shaped, and sometimes curved. Some types of clam rakes also have a metal basket attached to the back of the rake to hold the clams as they are dug up. Examples of different clam rake designs are: combine rakes, which have a large open basket; bull rakes, which have a more enclosed collection basket; and Chatham scratching posts, which have no basket attached.
An important consideration when choosing a clam rake is whether the top layer of the ocean floor is hard or soft. Longer and wider teeth are preferable when digging in hard sand or mud than when digging in softer material. The clam rake is used by pulling the tines through the top layer. When a clam is found, the prongs of the rake are angled under it and it is dug up and collected in the clam rake basket or placed in a container such as a bucket.
Clamming can be done in natural tidal flats near the ocean and is best done at low tide. People who collect clams are known as clammers, and the business of digging up clams is often referred to as clamming. Both recreational and commercial shellers working in clam fishing or clam farming can use clam rakes. Recreational shellfish commonly go out into the tidal area when the tide is out, using clam rakes or other tools, or simply with their bare hands to dig for clams. Commercial clams may also make their clams on foot, but sometimes work instead from boats in somewhat deeper water, often using a net rather than a clam rake.
Farmed clams are often grown in hatcheries and weaning areas until they reach a certain age and size. The clams are then placed on a natural beach and allowed to sink to the ocean floor. After a few years they are harvested, a process that is often done using clam rakes or other hand tools such as trowels or dredgers.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
