Alaska Wildlife Troopers ran a widespread bust targeting illegal clam diggers on Kenai Peninsula beaches over Memorial Day weekend, citing at least 22 people for misconduct with mollusks.

Unusually low tides, the holiday weekend and the irresistible lure of fresh clams drew hundreds of mud-diggers to Kenai Peninsula beaches over the three-day weekend. Soldotna wildlife trooper Sgt. Paul McConnell said the law was out in full force to watch.

Violations included taking undersized or too many clams and clamming without a fishing license.

"It was good timing as far as a three-day weekend, people kind of head down there anyway for Memorial Day weekend, and the tides just fell at the right time too, so it's probably pretty popular right now," troopers spokeswoman Beth Ipsen said.

It was. There were probably more than 1,000 clammers working the mud near Ninilchik alone on Saturday and Sunday, McConnell said. Troopers out of Soldotna were among them, while troopers from Anchor Point focused on Resurrection Bay and its remote beaches, he said.

Memorial Day fell a little early in the month this year, and with the king salmon fisheries still warming up, troopers had time to focus on clams on a weekend when the tides dropped below minus 4 feet -- making for prime clamming, McConnell said.

Troopers covered the beaches at all hours over the weekend, with at least three out during the clamming tides, he said. Officers were in uniform, but that didn't mean they were easy to spot.

That was the case Sunday when Homer resident Allan Phelps encountered troopers. He said his group was out to hike but stopped on a beach to dig out some butter clams and mussels for dinner. They got there as the tide was coming in and everyone else was leaving, he said.

Before long, two men in an inflatable boat began creeping toward them. They didn't realize it was the law until a trooper stepped out and opened up his raincoat to reveal the uniform, he said.

"It was quite an operation," Phelps said. "They even had clam rakes. They were dressed and kind of made a point of approaching us as if they were clammers."

Phelps said he prefers smaller clams because they are less chewy. He had read the regulations and thought he knew them, but he didn't realize there was a size requirement on butter clams, he said.

McConnell said butter clams need to be at least 2 and a half inches. Phelps received a $110 citation for taking undersized clams.

Although troopers employ such covert techniques, they also walk the beach openly, talking to everyone and checking for valid fishing licenses, McConnell said. Troopers also have been known to sit back in a hidden spot, watching people leaving the beach, he said.

"Large limits of clams are heavy, so you watch and see who's struggling to carry their clams off the beach," McConnell said.

Fines can reach $300 or more, depending on the number of clams illegally taken. There was a time when troopers would cite people with hundreds of clams over the limit, but these days, because of enforcement, a bust of 20 or 30 is considered a respectable catch, he said.

"I think what leads a lot of people to go over limits, they drive a distance and they're trying to get their money's worth, so to speak," McConnell said. "I don't think they necessarily come down there to violate, it's just a crime of opportunity, or a violation of opportunity."

Other big negative tides will hit in June and July, and troopers plan to ramp up enforcement then too, McConnell said.

Though he understood the need, Phelps said the efforts targeting size requirements seemed a bit overkill. There are a lot of clams in the area and they certainly don't appear to be in danger of being wiped out, he said.

"I'm a little annoyed with it all," Phelps said. "I think there's probably better uses of money than that. But on the other hand, regs are regs and people should be aware."

Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin or call him at 257-4589.

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