EVERGLADES CITY, Fla. – In other parts of the country, the change of season is marked by cooler temperatures and fall colors, but in South Florida, a sure sign of fall is the start of stone crab season, which runs from Oct. 15 to May 15.
When the first crabs came off the boat in Everglades City on this year's opening day Monday, people were lined up and ready to buy.
"We're out of state from Arkansas, and we've been hanging around all day for this," Tammy Wheaton said.
"We run over from Fort Lauderdale every year to get the stone crabs when they first come in," said Dean Stuhlmann, who was with his friend, Bruce Schattenburg.
"You wait all summer and they're really tasty," Schattenburg said.
Crabbers are allowed to drop their baited traps off shore on Oct. 5, 10 days in advance of opening day.
Many went with fingers crossed that the recent forces of nature, from red tide to Hurricane Michael, would have a limited impact on this year's catch.
"We never got the red tide, we never got the green algae down here -- none of that. So that's not an issue at all," said Justin Grimm, of Grimm's Seafood.
Oslo Hilton, who runs Triad Seafood, said he plans to continue to be the only place in town that serves "all you can eat" stone crab every day of the week.
"Come on down. We're ready," Hilton said.
But fearing a sluggish start, fewer than half the typical number of boats headed out to pull traps this year and optimism waned as they returned to the docks.
The largest catch was 180 crab claws, which was well below average.
"Real slow start, but it happens. They're wild. We just don't know," said Howie Grimm, mayor of Everglades City and owner of Grimm's Seafood.
Of course, the season is just beginning. As the weather cools and wind currents change, Grimm said the catch should improve.
"The fronts come down and stir the bottom up and, when it gets muddy, the crabs come out and move," he said.
Currents can also take traps off track: fisherman can lose up to 20 percent of their traps in a normal year.
Combined with a slow start, that could lead to higher prices per pound this season.