clam digging and fishing in Yarmouth (Freeport: buying, live, shop)

[eastcoast3]

Hi
We are moving to Yarmouth this summer and wanted to know if there were area's that residents could dig for clams?
Also, my dad would love to come visit and take our children fishing. Where are the good areas to fish in Yarmouth or surrounding areas and what are people catching?
Thanks for your help in advance!

[gf2020]

Yes people dig for clams, you can learn more here:

Yarmouth Clam Festival

There are plenty of opportunities for fresh and saltwater fishing in the Yarmouth area. Asking for advice at a local tackle shop would be your best bet once you get situated.

[maureenb]

Welcome to Maine, eastcoast3!

[Maineah]

Yarmouth issues resident only recreational clamming licenses. They are first come first served and it is not uncommon for them stop issuing them when they reach a pre-determined quota. You are allowed a peck of clams (appoximately 12-15 pounds) per tide and the clams must be a minimum of two inches long. Yarmouth has a Clam Warden and they enforce the minimum length issuing fines for short clams.
You must also check with the town office to determine areas open to digging as the flats open and close quite often due to over harvesting, pollution, or seeding activity. It's far easier to stop at Day's Crabmeat or Harraseekett in Freeport and buy a peck of clams.

For fishing Yarmouth has the Royal River and the beaches around Cousins and Little John's islands.
There are some nice brook trout and brown trout in the fresh water and mackerel, and striped bass in the ocean and mouth of the river.

[eastcoast3]

Thanks Everyone!
Maineah...buying the clams at the store takes all the fun out of it!
We grew up in Rhode Island and going clamming was one of those family days we all looked forward to. Thanks for the info, I will check into the details so we do everything the way we should!

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by eastcoast3

Thanks Everyone!
Maineah...buying the clams at the store takes all the fun out of it!
We grew up in Rhode Island and going clamming was one of those family days we all looked forward to. Thanks for the info, I will check into the details so we do everything the way we should!

One man's fun is another man's work. You have to understand the mind set here. Commercial diggers get preferrence over recreational diggers. Municipalities do not issue many recrational licenses as commercial diggers do not want to compete with the recreational diggers for the flats.
This is their livelihood. Commercial diggers are required to volunteer time to clean the shore and plant seed clams in flats. Recreational diggers do not have to seed flats. Your peck of clams may be fun to you but the commercial guys DEPEND on these clams to pay their mortgage. Towns are sympathetic and preferrential to the clammers plight and therefore limit the number of peck licenses to around 100 for the whole town. That's only 25 bushels if everyone in the town with a peck license dug all at once! While one good commercial digger can dig a barrel of clams a tide (three bushel). So you can see the preferences clearly go to the commercial digger. As they should.
Having lobster traps may be "fun" too though the state will only allow a recreational lobsterman 5 traps. Hardly worth the time, boat,fuel, bait, gear, and effort for what one will catch in 5 traps. The state KNOWS fishing five traps is more trouble than it's worth which is why they do it. They don't want recreational lobstermen anymore than they want recreational clammers.
Sure it's fun to scratch out a few clams with the kids but it really helps out your new neighbors more if you buy their clams and lobsters and take up beach combing for fun!