Funny you should mention it because as much as I ranted about how stupid the DNR was for wasting a bunch of money on their "clam team" that puts hatchery raised clams in stretches of river they've gone extinct in....
.....I still peel every zebe off a native mussel I find like this one hoping to save it (and kill the zebes).
The channels could get tricky....a net would definitely be the way to go. Hopefully you've got an old pair of leather work gloves you don't care if they get ruined otherwise.....the ones up here will stab you, the little ones especially. You'll be holding them pulling the hook, have them held right, thinking they've chilled out, and a lot of them will pull some pretty crafty moves to contort themselves where they whip their stingers back like a knife.
As I was recalling that story I remembered the worst place I've ever seen them do that....
...the Minnesota by New Ulm. The chick I was dating at the time from Gaylord and I camped at Flandrau SP for my birthday, and fishing the river I've never had so many little channels get me. It got to the point where I'd just cut it and re-tie a new hook because I didn't want to hold the fukcers. They got me enough times to where I got off the water with swollen and achy hands. It hurt to type still on Monday when back in the office. Shit was nuts on the MN out there.
Never bring a knife to a gun fight, and never show up with bare hands to a knife fight....and those little channels out there are definitely knife fighting SOB's.