Most scallopers run out the Steinhatchee channel to the Gulf, or at least to marker 11, and then go either north or south for several miles until the inshore waters become clear. The immediate vicinity of any large collection of boats is usually a good place to begin, for at peak scallop season 100 or more boats will be on the best spots. Don't worry about all those boats. Scallops have been abundant in recent years and limits easy to come by. Patches of brown algae and the edges of oldpropellor scars also are favorite hiding places.
Scallops are easier to find when the sun is high overhead.
Once you are done catching them, cleaning your scallops can be a chore. River Haven and Sea Hag Marinas have excellent cleaning facilities, and often they can find someone willing to clean your catch for a small fee that is well worth every penny. We put our scallops on lots of ice in a big cooler as soon as we catch them. To open a scallop, use a scallop knife or sharp spoon to cut the muscle that closes it. Hold the shell dark side up and hinge away from you.