It's the question on tens of thousands of pairs of lips in Perth - when will the 'white run' begin?
The white run is when Perth's crayfish population moves from the shallow waters of the coast to the deeps of the continental shelf, malting their shells to reveal a new layer of pinkish white along the way.
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And that white shell is the sign that crayfishers everywhere are looking for.
Matt Gillett from Recfishwest said the white run is when up to 80 per cent of the total catches for the season are made.
"Last year down at the Hillarys boat ramp we had a line of cars and trailers from the water to the top of Hepburn Avenue, and it took at least an hour on average for people to get their boats out of the water waiting in line," he said.
"It really is the easiest fishing. The suspense is really building and it's mainly announced through word of mouth, so we'll be keeping a watch on things."
The white run typically begins with the last full moon in November and many crayfishers anticipated that the recent 'Supermoon' would trigger a rush for the deeps by the highly-sought-after crustaceans.
But Mr Gillett said lower water temperatures may be delaying the white run until the new moon rises in early December.
![White run crayfish shed their red shell and show a new layer of pinkish white.](/web/20161124164829im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/w/4/9/d/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gsvyr5.png/1479940967402.jpg)
"A lot of the guys are watching out for what the divers are bringing up - they usually discover the first whites. And because the crays lose their appetite at this time most pots are coming up empty at the moment."
But when the whites run, crayfishers can expect a bumper catch.
![The 'white run' usually provides a bumper catch.](/web/20161124164829im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/w/4/9/8/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gsvyr5.png/1479940967402.jpg)
"The population is really healthy because of all the management that's been done over the past ten years," Mr Gillett said.
This really is a special time, people will get out on the water and have a ball, maybe catch a few in time for Christmas. We've seen crayfishing numbers jump from 30,000 licenses to 50,000 plus so it's a great time to be a crayfisher, there's plenty there and everyone's going to have a great time."
That's good news for fishermen, but there has been a spate boat seizures in recent weeks related to fishers helping themselves to cray pots that don't belong to them.
Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities is urged not to get involved, but to carefully observe what they see and call FishWatch on 1800 815 507.
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