Stone crab season opens Thursday, Oct. 15, in Florida state waters. That means fresh claws are about a week away, and the Naples Stone Crab Festival follows at Tin City on Oct. 23 to 25.
The season runs through May 1, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Only the claws may be kept. Each claw must measure at least 2 7/8 inches, and claws from egg-bearing crabs must be left alone.
If you want to catch your own
Anyone 16 or older needs a free recreational stone crab trap registration before setting a trap. You can add it to your fishing license account at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. Each person may fish up to five traps, and each trap must carry the owner’s name, address and registration number.
Traps can go in the water 10 days before the season opens, but you cannot check them until Oct. 15. Pull them by hand and only in daylight. The daily limit is one gallon of claws per person or two gallons per boat, whichever is less.
Collier County has its own trap rule. Round throats are not allowed here, and the trap opening may be no larger than 5 1/2 inches by 3 1/8 inches. The same rule covers Monroe and Miami-Dade counties.
FWC says it is legal to take both claws if both are big enough. The agency also points out that a crab with one claw left can feed itself and grow the other one back faster. Many local crabbers take one claw for that reason.
The festival at Tin City
The 17th annual Stone Crab Festival starts Friday, Oct. 23, at 5 p.m. with the cracking of the first claw at Tin City on the Naples waterfront. Phenomenal Animal plays from 6 to 9 p.m.
Saturday brings Andy Moreillon at 11 a.m., Mike Imbasciani and his Bluez Rockers at 2 p.m. and Redemption Road at 6 p.m. Sunday has Gator Nate at 11 a.m. and the Dazzling DelRays at 2 p.m. Expect seafood, arts and crafts vendors and discounted boat rentals at Pure Naples. The festival is a partner of the Honor Flight Network this year.
Full rules are at myfwc.com. Festival details are at stonecrabfestival.com.
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