Will the 2023 Scallop Season be good?

The main question before every scallop season is "will it be a good season"? My response to everyone is "Absolutely! Every season is good, just look where you get to go swimming and vacationing!". That answer doesn't please everyone though as I know there are some people coming here for the bounty more than the hunt. To answer the question, no one truthfully knows until a few days leading up to opening day and even then, we've had many seasons where the start isn't as plentiful then all a sudden, the scallops show up everywhere. There are a few factors we pay attention to that will help guide us as to if the season will be a good one or not. The factors are below-

Past Stone Crab Season. Stone Crabs are one of the main predators to scallops and since the 2022/2023 stone crab season wasn't the best, means that there weren't as many stone crabs which is a good sign for 2023 scallop season.
Rain, rain, go away! The more rain fall we have in May and June will lower the salinity in the scallop grounds which will hold the scallops further offshore. Seeing that we have had below average rain falls so far, is a good thing.
Big high tides. Our pre-season tides have been fairly large with the strong winds coming from the west this past two weeks. Those scallops will move in with the tides so bring on the high waters!

My prediction for the 2023 Scallop Season is it will be above average but that's up to the Scallops to decide! No matter what, if you book a trip with River Adventure Tours in Crystal River / Homosassa, Scallop bounties to the side, you're guaranteed to have a great time with our awesome crew!

Happy hunting this season,

Capt Gary Bartell Jr