CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — Scallop season is just a few days away, but before people start heading out to bring back their share, the local boat captains are hard at work getting ready.

  • Boat captains scout out locations where scallops found in previous years before season begins
  • Season starts July 1
  • More Citrus County stories

We joined Captain Gary Bartell Jr. with River Adventure Tours in Homosassa as he was heading out to scout for scallops for the first time this year. 

"Each year, each season, it's always different," Bartell said. "They never fall in the same place." 

"There's so many different factors where they could land, such as the rain, the moon, the stone crabs, their different predators," he added. 

It's truly a guessing game to find where the most scallops are. The only way to know for sure is to head to each spot and check out the area. 

We went to four different locations that had lots of scallops in previous years, but there were few to be found. 

Bartell said it wasn't a wasted day, though. 

"At least we know where they're not," he explained. "It's just about tracking down where they're at and learning their movements from there."

He’ll be heading back out each day until he finds the best spot. Scallop season starts July 1.