Turbulent scalloping season comes to a close in Pasco County
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PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — What started as the strongest scallop season in recent history in Pasco County, didn’t end the way that many local charter captains were hoping for. When what was scheduled to be the areas longest scallop season first opened on July 10, Capt. Brandon Csaszar with Anclote Charters said it quickly became clear it was going to be a blockbuster season. Spots that had been patchy or only had small scallops in the past were filled with large mollusks and swimmers were collecting their 10-gallon limits in just 45 minutes.
What You Need To Know * FWC closed Pasco scallop season from July 24 to August 28 due to high levels of saxitoxins in the mollusks * Season reopened and was extended to September 24 * Captains couldn't recoup business because school was back in session, summer vacations over * Started as most promising season in Pasco County's recent history “Everywhere we dove in just from 2 feet of water to 6 feet of water we were finding 10-12 scallops per dive,” he described. “That’s unusual, that’s the way it used to be back in the day in Crystal River and Homosassa, but for Pasco County it was fantastic.