ABBEVILLE – Everyone has just thrown away their left over Thanksgiving dinner, which means it is time to begin thinking about another favorite food choice --- crawfish.

That’s right, the little red mud bug is already on the minds of some in Acadiana. A handful of fishermen are running their traps despite how cold the water and temperature are. This time of year, crawfishermen are getting top dollar for the few crawfish they catch.

Although the price of crawfish is high today, it is not a sign of the times for crawfish this season. Expect the price to begin to fall after the holidays and after the weather begins to warm.

Each year the parish produces 15,000 pounds of crawfish a year. There are close to 300 farmers who harvest crawfish in the parish.

Mark Shirley of the LSU Ag Center spoke to the Abbeville Rotary Club about the forecast of crawfish for the upcoming season.

The news is good, Shirley told the Rotarians.

“We had lots of rain this summer,” said Shirley. “We expect a good production this year. The supply will be good.”

Shirley told the Rotarians to prepare to boil a lot of crawfish when it gets warmer.