Apparently this was the last year for "derby" style crab fishing, where the goal is to catch as much crab as you can before the season closes, which is determined by fish and game based on total catch, and rate of catch.
Next year, quota will be to each boat allocated based on their past catches, so the chance for a big payoff is no longer there, unless you get assigned a large quota.
The down side is that during the first 24 hours of the season, one boat, and at least 6 fishermen were lost at sea, making Alaskan crab fishing one of the deadliest jobs in the world.
The partner boat for the lost vessel, despite losing 12 hours to SAR efforts, pulled in a record catch.
The season started with 176? boats, with 6-8 crewmen per boat.
