ST. MARTIN PARISH — As early December settles across Louisiana, many residents are starting to ask the same question that seems to pop up each winter: When does crawfish season actually begin? According to St. Martin Parish crawfish farmer Jude Mequet, the answer depends far more on the weather than the calendar. “There’s no set date — the bugs tell you when they’re going to start running,” he said while checking his ponds this week.

Mequet has started grading the first crawfish appearing in his traps, separating the larger ones from the smaller ones. He said most of what he’s pulling up this early in the season simply isn’t ready. Some crawfish still lack the black line on their tails—a signal they have little to no meat. “See, this one doesn’t have any meat in it. See how it doesn’t hav

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