One of the most famous crabbing spots in New Jersey is the city of Wildwood; if you’ve never been there before, you would love it!
Right off the bat, keep in mind that Wildwood is in Cape May County and that there are multiple crabbing spots in the other counties (Ocean, Atlantic, Cumberland, and Monmouth).
Regulations
In Wildwood, NJ, the daily crabbing limit is 1 bushel. Crabbing more than that isn’t allowed. Also, one is forbidden to keep female crabs that are obviously carrying eggs or already have spawns, since they keep the crab population alive.
There are no limitations when it comes to the method you’re using for crabbing, but if you plan on using trotlines or pots, you’ll have to purchase a license from the pier. You can crab without a license only if you use scoop nets, hand lines or collapsible traps.
Size limitations, as you might expect, are imposed, too. You can’t keep a peeler crab if it’s smaller than 3”, a soft crab if it’s smaller than 3.5” and a hard crab if it’s under 4.5” or otherwise you’ll face penalties.
Licenses
There’s a wide variety of crabbing licenses available in Wildwood, NJ, 7 of them, to be more precise. They are all really cheap. If you’re a non-resident of Wildwood and you’re angling for a recreational shellfish license, you’ll have to pay $20. This is the most expensive license of them all.
The remaining ones have prices between $2 and $10; if you want to go crabbing with pots, for example, the license will cost you $2. That’s a small price to pay for a bushel of crabs, isn’t it?
$2 is the price for a recreational shellfish license, as well.
Docks and Piers
The Lakeview Docks pier in Wildwood Crest is open between 7:00 A.M and 7:00 P.M. so you’ve got plenty of time to catch as many crabs as possible. If you want to rent a boat, you can totally do that, although some people complained about both the quality of the boats and their rental prices. Well, maybe it wasn’t their lucky day.
Paddleboards, swan peddle boards, kayaks and PWCs are also available for rental, and it should go without saying that you can crab from those. You should know that the entrance fee for adults is $6 (for all day) and $4 for children under 10. That’s not bad at all.