New to Salt Water

[Odin908]

Hello all. I just recently did some of my first saltwater fishing down in Florida and I'm hooked. Caught some flounder, mangrove snapper, red fish, lady fish, even a puffer fish. This Sunday I'm looking to take my two young sons crabbing while i drop a line in the water. I was going to avoid raritan bay since i hear you don't really want to eat out of there. Is there a good spot for shore fishing and crabbing somewhere in redbank/ Middletown area on the Navesink?

[HDMarc]

Nothing wrong with the Raritan Bay, one of the best areas to fish along the Jersey coast.

[Odin908]

Nothing wrong with the Raritan Bay, one of the best areas to fish along the Jersey coast.

It would definitely be a lot easier to just go over the bridge to Perth Amboy 5 minutes from my house.

[River2C]

Fishing in that area is ok but there is a eating advisory on the blue claw crabs. I attached the link. Hope it helps. My advise would be to get away from the National Lead site (Driscoll Bridge area) also the Great kills dump. Keyport and south would be OK.

https://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/crab-outreach/alert-english.htm

[Gerry Zagorski]

Oceanic bridge on the north side would be your best bet for crabbing and there is parking and public access.

Not much going on fishing wise but crabbing has been good this year.

[Odin908]

Fishing in that area is ok but there is a eating advisory on the blue claw crabs. I attached the link. Hope it helps. My advise would be to get away from the National Lead site (Driscoll Bridge area) also the Great kills dump. Keyport and south would be OK.

https://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/crab-outreach/alert-english.htm

Thank you, i think i would definitely feel better about eating without being worried about advisories lol. My wife probably wouldn't even eat it.

[Odin908]

Oceanic bridge on the north side would be your best bet for crabbing and there is parking and public access.

Not much going on fishing wise but crabbing has been good this year.

being that you are the second person to recommend this spot to me in the last 10 minutes, i think this is where we will go. Thanks. I definitely will be bringing my rods anyway! As for the crabs, i was thinking of grabbing some chicken legs. My only other option is frozen peanut butter bunker.

[Jigman13]

Chicken backs. Frozen peanuts will disappear waaaaay too quickly. Buy a couple adult bunker and use heads/chunks.

[AndyS]

You mean chicken necks. Just be careful handling raw chicken. Bunker is good !

[stugots]

Chicken for crabs. Tons of snapper bluefish in the navesink. You can use a bobber/hook with hair or tiny metal spoons to cast and retrieve. Good luck. And yes oceanic bridge is a good spot plus beautiful scenery.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Chicken backs. Frozen peanuts will disappear waaaaay too quickly. Buy a couple adult bunker and use heads/chunks.

Chicken necks and backs are the best since they are very bony and will stay tied on better... Frozen adult bunker work well too.

[Odin908]

Chicken for crabs. Tons of snapper bluefish in the navesink. You can use a bobber/hook with hair or tiny metal spoons to cast and retrieve. Good luck. And yes oceanic bridge is a good spot plus beautiful scenery.

Thank you.