Rough Waters Delay Catch As NorCal Crab Season Begins

SAN RAFAEL (CBS/AP) -- California's Dungeness crab season is off to a rocky start as rough seas keep many Bay Area fishermen from bringing in their catch.

The commercial crab season began Friday, but high winds have prevented many crabbers from heading out to sea to pull their traps from the ocean floor.

Industry officials don't expect much crab to land before Sunday.

The good news for crab lovers is that sport fishermen who started the recreational season two weeks earlier say this year's catch is looking robust.

This season is the first under a new state law that limits the number of traps fishermen can carry on their boats. The law is aimed at helping small-boat crabbers a chance to compete with larger boats, mostly from Oregon and Washington.

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