Cockles are usually raked while standing in waste deep water. These clams can be cleaned and eaten like any clam, but they are excellent as steamers. In additions to bays, there are isolated places along the coast where these clams can be found in tide pools during extremely low tides. It's also the most fresh-water tolerant and is found further inland than any of the other bay clams. Softshells are dug about 12 to 20 inches below the surface of exposed mud flats.
Mussels are one of the most commonly overlooked seafoods on the Oregon coast.
The coastal mollusks live in clusters connected to rocks and most low tides with a calm ocean will reveal mussles on the rocks along oregon's beaches and bays. Mussels were an important food source to Native Americans along the Oregon coast and are considered a delicacy in France, but are mostly ignored in oregon in favor of more popular clasm. Oregon has two species of mussels. The surf mussel reaches a length of elevin inches and is found in large clusters attacted to rocks along the coastline. No digging is necessary to collect mussels they are simply twisted from their beds on the coastal rocks during a low tide and a calm surf.