Scallop season starts Saturday along the Nature Coast, and local businesses have been preparing for the crowds for months.

The boats are sitting today, but soon they'll be packed with people heading out into the gulf to grab their share of scallops. The crew at Homosassa Springs Marina said this weekend is sold out, as is the case the entire season.

"We're going to have about 25 of our rental boats rented, and we expect about 50-55 of our storage boats out on the water," Marina owner Mark Smith said. "July, August, and into September is when we make probably 50-55 percent of our revenue."

Smith said they've been prepping for this busy period for months.

"We re-upholstered all of our boats. I've changed out the motors on half of them," he explained.

It's not just locals that love coming out during scallop season. People from all across the country come to the Nature Coast during this time of the year, and that's why many area hotels have been booked for months and even a year in advance.

"We actually got a good majority of reservations for this month in January," Destini Andrews, who works at the front desk at Bella Oasis Hotel, said.

She also said they have been prepping their rooms for the constant traffic these next few months. Andrews said it's important they make a good impression.

"It's a big thing here. And people talk about it when they go home to Texas and all the places, and then they bring more people next year, you know, because they had so much fun," she said.

It's an important time for the Nature Coast that locals say they're ready for.

Smith also said he's expecting this to be one of the busiest seasons they've had. He's noticed they usually get more and more customers each year.