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.”

On July 24, FWC issued a temporary closure notice and banned scalloping in Pasco County due to the presence of saxitoxins in the mollusks. At the time, charter captains had no idea if and when the season would reopen.

“There was no expectation if it was going to be 1 day, or 2 days, or more, “ Capt. Brandon said. “Then I had to cancel and cancel and cancel… and I gave up hope.”

During the more than month-long closure, Capt. Brandon said he kept close contact with all his future clients, but as the days turned to weeks he ended up losing a solid 4 weeks of bookings with an average of 12-14 trips per week. He says many families travel to Pasco County just for scalloping and canceled their trips.

“Not only did it shut down scalloping for our business but it took some money away from the area as well,” he said.

Ultimately, when the season reopened on August 28, it didn’t have the same impact Capt. Brandon was hoping for. At that point, kids were already back in school and families were no longer seeking out summer vacation activities. On top of that, he says some families didn’t trust that the water was safe and the scallops were safe to eat once the season reopened.

“For them to shut the season down the way they did and open it back up when the kids were back in school, it totally changed our business,” he said.

Capt. Brandon estimates he was able to recoup about 10% of the canceled charters when the season reopened. While weekends stayed busy with local families who rescheduled, weekdays fell flat.

He says if this were to happen again, he hopes there’s more transparency, clearer communication from FWC and the state, and easier access to water testing results so charter captains can have the most up-to-date information.

“I think more clarity and more communication coming from the top down in that this was only affecting the actual scallops that the toxin wasn’t affecting the waterways is so important,” he said. “That was big for us, so I couldn’t recoup the business that I lost.”

Scallop season closed September 24. FWC has not announced the opening date for the 2025 season.