LAFAYETTE - Crawfish sellers in south Louisiana are reporting larger mud bugs in the early part of the season.

The Advertiser reports merchants are crediting a relatively warm winter thus far.

Heather Girouard, general manager of Hook & Boil restaurant in Broussard, says small crawfish are usually expected in January, but she's seeing medium and large ones already.

Several seasonal restaurants are opening this month to serve though early summer.

According to the research and promotion board, Louisiana's crawfish industry generates more than $300 million a year. On average, the industry harvests between 120 million to 150 million pounds a year.