The opening of the sport season for Dungeness crab started in darkness Saturday with fears of high winds pushing a big swell on the open sea. It ended with a total of 297 people on 11 party boats landing 2,970 Dungeness crab, 10-crab limits for all aboard, a banner crab opener for the Bay Area coast.

In addition, in the time between dropping and picking up the crab pots, most also fished for rockfish and lingcod (a dozen folks on the Huli Cat got seasick and sat it out). They caught 2,830 rockfish, that is, limits for all aboard who put their lines in the water.

Hundreds of others on private boats reported similar success. The commercial season, when Dungeness become available for sale, opens Nov. 15.

Before dawn, a stiff wind out of the northwest pushed a deep swell. As the sun rose, the wind diminished, at times near nothing, depending on the area. Boats from across the region ventured out to the prime depths, roughly 160 to 180 feet deep. Squid was the preferred bait, but some had luck with salmon heads and bellies, saved from the summer season.

On the Huli Cat out of Pillar Point Harbor Half Moon Bay, Capt. Tom Mattusch ventured off Martins Beach and San Gregorio, and set four pots at depths ranging from 140 to 200 feet. The first pull yielded 12 Dungeness, and a banner day was under way.

At 9:30 a.m. Sunday, there was nary a whitecap, but a lot of wind remains in the forecast for coming days.

Tell your statistics to shut up:

San Francisco: Argo, Bass-Tub and Lovely Martha had a collective 660 Dungeness crab (limit 10 per person) and 660 rockfish (also limit 10) for 66 people.

Emeryville: New Huck Finn, Pacific Pearl, Sea Wolf, Tigerfish and Wet Spot had a collective 1,170 Dungeness crab (limits), 1,170 rockfish (limits) and seven lingcod for 117 people.

Berkeley: California Dawn had 360 Dungeness crab (limits), 360 rockfish (limits), nine lingcod for 36 people.

Half Moon Bay: Huli Cat had 280 Dungeness crab (limits), plus 140 rockfish for 28 people.

Bodega Bay: New Sea Anglers had 500 Dungeness crab (limits), 500 rockfish (limits) and 29 lingcod to 19 pounds for 50 people.

Tom Stienstra is The Chronicle’s outdoors writer. Email: tstienstra@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @StienstraTom