The opening of Crab Season in November is a festive occasion. A century ago, Chinese fisherman and Italians with their lateen-rigged Genoese sailboats, found crabs in plentiful supply from the Straits of Carquinez on the inland reaches of San Francisco Bay to the sandy shorelines off the East Bay. Over the years, clams, the natural food of the crab, disappeared from the Bay. The best crab catches were made just outside the Golden Gate. Now "crabbers" must drop their crab pots far out near Farallon Islands in 18 to 35 fathoms of ocean water. The best time to buy fresh and seasonal crab at Fisherman's Wharf is November - July.