When you think of fresh Dungeness crab you think of San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, where the popular sidewalk crab cocktail and sourdough bread make a great meal. Crab is not only caught within shouting distance of the wharf, but all along the Pacific from Northern California north. Pat McConahay hopped aboard Phil Glenn's 50-foot boat, the Celtic, to see how this veteran fisherman traps the prize catch. Phil traps the crustacean about 12 miles off the coast, near Bodega Bay. He drops what is called a pot (baited with squid or mackerel) to the ocean floor. There may be 100 pots on a string and boats operate several strings at a time. Dungeness crab gets its name from the town of Dungeness, Washington, where the first commercial harvesting was done. But the best fishing is right here in California. In 1996 California landed more than $17 million worth of crab. They average just under two pounds in size. The easiest way to cook a crab is to boil it. A two-pound Dungeness will cook in 10 to 12 minutes immersed in boiling water. It's cooked when the shell turns red. For a tasty and simple crab dish we turned to Michele Anna Jordan, author of the new cookbook, "California Home Cooking." Crab Linguine Recipe Boil desired amount of linguine Sizzle a little garlic in melted butter Add a tablespoon of Tabasco sauce to the butter mixture Pour half of the garlic butter over the linguine and toss Add the crab body meat and toss again Scatter crab legs over top Sprinkle with Italian parsley and lemon Enjoy! If you have questions or comments about this story, please E-mail Producer/Reporter Pat McConahay at pmcconah@kvie.org.