The 2025 stone crab season is off to a sluggish start for the working waterfront of Cortez, where crabbers and market owners say unseasonably clear, calm water has kept crabs buried and traps unusually light.
At the A.P. Bell Fish Co. and Star Fish Co. Seafood Market, early landings were well below expectations, leaving buyers and captains waiting on a weather change to stir things up.
“It’s been terrible,” Karen Bell, owner of Star Fish and A.P. Bell, said, describing the first few days of the season.
“We had maybe eight or 10 fishermen come in with about 260 pounds total,” she added. “One guy with a couple thousand traps only got 25 pounds — that doesn’t even cover his fuel.”
In a good year, Bell said, crabbers can expect about a pound of claws per trap. In the first days, the yields were closer to a quarter pound.
“We just haven’t had any weather,” she said. “No cold, no fronts, nothing to stir up the water and push the crabs around.”
James Gowett, manager at the Star Fish Co. Market and Restaurant, said the slow start didn’t necessarily signal a weak fishery. Calm, clear water has kept the crabs buried and offshore boats, which set thousands of traps farther out, take longer to return.
“Once the weather turns, we’ll know what kind of season it’s going to be,” Gowett said.
Despite the short supply, demand has been strong.
Bell said prices the first week in Cortez and on Anna Maria Island ranged from $23 to $46 per pound, depending on size and preparation.
“People get really excited for them — it’s like pumpkin-spice season for seafood,” she joked.
Bell said a small cold front in the near forecast could help “turn the bottom,” giving the season a boost.
“Patience is a virtue,” she said. “Hopefully, they’ll show up soon.
“We’ll be OK,” Bell continued. “And in the meantime, eat shrimp.”
Florida’s stone crab season runs through May 15.