Clams (Surf Clams)

Surf clams - the big ocean clams cast up on the beach after storms - are a proven, scent-rich bait along the Atlantic coast. Their tough, salty flesh stays on the hook through the surf, leaks a natural scent that bottom fish home in on, and matches a food source coastal gamefish already eat. Striped bass, tautog, cod, and a range of surf species all take clam readily. Whether you buy it, shuck it, or gather storm-tossed clams yourself, it's a durable, dependable bait for bottom fishing the salt.

What it catches

Striped bass, tautog (blackfish), cod, winter flounder, porgies, and various surf and bottom fish. Clam is an especially trusted early-season striper bait and a tautog favorite, and its natural scent and tough texture make it a reliable all-around bottom bait along the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic coasts.

Getting & keeping it

Buy surf clams (fresh, salted or frozen) at coastal bait shops, or gather them - storms wash whole surf clams onto beaches - but check your state's shellfish rules first, since some states require a recreational shellfish license or close certain areas to harvest. Keep fresh clam cold and use soon; salted clam toughens and keeps far better, which is why many anglers salt their own. Freeze surplus. The tougher and saltier the clam, the better it stays on the hook.

How to rig it

Shuck the clam and hook the tough foot (the "tongue") and firm muscle strap so it stays on, binding the soft belly flesh to the hook with bait thread or elastic. Hook it on a stout inline circle hook - circle hooks are required by law when fishing natural bait for striped bass along the Atlantic coast, so check your state's regulations - and fish it on a fish-finder or bottom rig with enough weight to hold in the surf or current. Use a chunk sized to the target - smaller for porgies and tautog, larger for striped bass and cod. The tough, salted flesh casts and holds best.

When it shines

Early-season striped bass fishing when bass first move in and key on natural baits, tautog fishing around structure, and general bottom fishing from surf, jetties and boats. It shines on moving tides in the surf and around rocks and wrecks, and any time you want a durable, scent-rich natural bait for coastal bottom species.

Field tips

Salt your clams to toughen them so they stay on the hook and cast well. Use bait thread or elastic to bind softer flesh. Hook the tough foot for durability, and refresh the bait once the scent soaks out. Fish moving tides where scent spreads, and match chunk size to the species - a whole clam's worth for a big striper, a small piece for tautog and porgies.

Common mistakes

Fishing soft, unsalted clam that flies off on the cast or washes out fast, too little weight to hold bottom in the surf, using a piece the wrong size for the target species, and letting the bait soak until the scent is gone instead of refreshing it on a moving tide.