2012 stone crab season

[Veggo]

This is the first week of the season, I did my customary wharf rat Q&A today on the docks. Catches and weights are good, but mediums are $20/ lb, large/jumbos are $25? Two years ago during a poor season they were $14.

I want to support my local fishing industry, but at those prices, include me out.

[Jimonthebeach]

Try Ward's Seafood up in Clearwater. They put $3 off coupons in the beach newspapers for Thursdays I think.

[deet13]

Where was that at?

[Veggo]

Star Fish in Cortez. Same obnoxious prices at A. P. Bell next door, same ownership.

[deet13]

That's too bad,

I'm going to Cox's Seafood tomorrow afternoon. I'll check their prices, but I'm willing to bet that they're probably going to be the same (if not more).

I just got done talking to the guys over at Lobster Haven, they have the Mediums for 15.99, Larges for 24.99, and Colossal for 29.99.
http://lobsterhaven.net/

[Veggo]

Let us know, I'll check out Mid Peninsula Seafood in St Pete, but not right away. Walter Bell has always been my best deal. I'll check with Captain Brians in Sarasota, too.

EDIT: those prices are goofy. I know that a lot of stone crabs are air-freighted to Vegas, the Saudi Peninsula, and Macau for rich Arab and Asian gamblers who have a recent love fest for stone crabs, so now Floridians don't get to eat their home grown food.

[deet13]

Will do...

If I can get a good price for claws at Cox's, then I'll be off to Cigar City to fill up a couple of growlers of Florida Cracker White Ale, and then it's be back to the house to fire up a boil. Plus I have about 10lbs of blue crabs and other goodies we caught flat fishing last week.

[Veggo]

Nice. I'm making do with Apalachicola fried oysters and smoked mullet, no complaints.

[deet13]

It was $13.95 per lb for medium sized claws over at Cox Seafood Market. I forgot what the rest of the prices were...

I picked up about 8 claws per lb, and got a few lbs for the steamer.

[RibDog]

Mid-Peninsula showed a one pound dinner of stone crab claws for $20.99 on their FB page and claws available for $16.99 per lb.

[ospreycove]

Veggo, First how was your visit to, the land of cigars? I think I saw Stone Crab Claws at "Maggie's Seafood" at the Sarasota Saturday MFarmer's Market for $17.50 Med/lb and large $20.50, not sure though as I was not buying them and just saw the price on the board. Very surprised at A. P's prices, Am going there this week for Black or Yellow edge Grouper.

[Veggo]

Grouper looked good at Star and Bell, as did the pompano. Bell doesn't filet any more so it's whole fish only. Right now I'm snacking on the remainder of my smoked mullet dip.
Re: the land of cigars, nearly everything I saw was laughably counterfeit, but I was not on a mission for the real deal.