It's time to get cracking South Florida Stone Crab as the official start of stone crab season gets underway.

The season runs from  October 15 to May 15. The nice thing about eating stone crab claws, other than they are delicious, is that stone crab claws are the only renewable resource from the water. Crabbers take only one claw from each crab, which is then regenerated over time. It takes between 12 to 24 months to reach legal size again.

But there are a strict set of rules that must be followed:

1. When catching a crab  the claws can be removed, but the crab should be thrown back  to water.

2. Stone crab claws must be at least 2 3/4 inches in length to be harvested legally.  

3. Crabs must be captured in baited trap, declawed and released.

4. Egg bearing females cannot be declawed.

5. No hooks or spears are allowed.