You’re standing on the pier at Windward Beach Park in Brick, New Jersey, and the smell of salt air is basically fighting with the scent of rotting chicken necks. It’s a specific kind of Jersey Shore sensory overload. Most tourists blow right past Brick on their way to Point Pleasant or Seaside, but if you actually want to catch dinner without fighting a thousand people for a square inch of railing, this is where you end up.
Crabbing is a religion here.
Seriously. People show up before the sun is even thinking about rising, armed with tangled balls of twine and those collapsible traps that always seem to pinch your fingers at least once. Windward Beach Park sits right on the Metedeconk River. It’s brackish water—that perfect, murky mix of salt and fresh—that blue claws absolutely love.
But here is the thing: if you go there thinking you’ll just toss a line and pull up a feast, you’re probably going to go home with nothing but a sunburn and some empty beer cans.
The Reality of Windward Beach Park Crabbing
The Metedeconk isn't the open ocean. It’s a complex tidal system. The crabs move based on the moon, the tide, and how much rain has fallen in the last week. If there’s been a massive thunderstorm and the river is flushed with fresh water, the blue claws head deeper toward the Barnegat Bay. They hate low salinity.
I’ve seen guys spend six hours on the Windward pier and catch exactly two "shorts" (crabs under the legal limit). Then, the next day, a grandmother and her grandkid will pull up a literal bushel in two hours. That’s just how the river works.
Timing the Tides at the Pier
Most people tell you to fish the "incoming" tide. They aren't wrong, but they aren't totally right either.
The best window at Windward Beach is usually the last two hours of the incoming tide and the first hour of the slack. Why? Because the current in the Metedeconk can get surprisingly rippy. If the tide is moving too fast, your traps won't stay flat on the bottom. They’ll tumble. A tumbling trap doesn't catch crabs; it just loses your bait.
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What You're Actually Catching
We're talking Callinectes sapidus. The Atlantic Blue Crab.
These things are mean. Honestly, they’re basically underwater tanks with an attitude problem. In New Jersey, you have to know the rules, or the Fish and Wildlife officers—who do frequent the park—will ruin your weekend with a hefty fine.
- Hard shells: Must be 4.5 inches point-to-point.
- Peelers (Shedders): 3 inches.
- Soft shells: 3.5 inches.
And for the love of everything, if you see a "sponge crab"—a female with a giant mass of orange eggs under her belly—put her back. It’s illegal to keep them, and it’s just bad karma. You’re literally throwing away thousands of future crabs.
The Gear That Actually Works (And the Stuff That Doesn't)
You’ll see people using those fancy four-door stainless steel traps. They’re fine. But honestly? The old-school hand lines are way more fun and often more effective at Windward.
There’s a specific technique to "feeling" a crab on a hand line. It’s a subtle tug. Not a jerk, but a heavy, rhythmic pulling. You have to bring the line in slow. Like, agonizingly slow. If you go too fast, the crab feels the change in pressure and lets go. You need a long-handled net to scoop them before they break the surface.
The Bait Debate
Chicken necks are the gold standard. They’re cheap. They’re tough. Crabs can’t tear them off the line easily.
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However, if the bite is slow, try bunker (menhaden). It’s oilier. It creates a massive scent trail in the water that acts like a dinner bell for every blue claw within a hundred yards. The downside? It’s mushy. A big "jimmy" (male crab) will rip a piece of bunker apart in five minutes.
Why Windward is Better (and Worse) Than Other Spots
Let’s be real. Mantoloking Bridge is the "famous" spot nearby. It’s huge. It’s also a chaotic nightmare on Saturdays.
Windward Beach Park is smaller, more "neighborhood." It has a playground nearby, which is a lifesaver if you have kids who get bored after twenty minutes of not seeing a crab. There’s shade. There are actual restrooms—don't underestimate the value of a real bathroom when you've been drinking salty air and coffee all morning.
The downside? The pier isn't massive. If three or four big families show up with twenty traps each, the pier gets crowded fast.
The Secret of the "Low Approach"
The water around the Windward pier isn't incredibly deep. On a clear day, the crabs can see you. I’ve noticed that the most successful crabbers at this park are the ones who stay quiet and don't shadow the water. If you're leaning over the railing, casting a giant human-shaped shadow right over your bait, those crabs are staying away.
Common Mistakes People Make at Windward
First, don't use weights that are too light. The Metedeconk has a bit of a push to it. If your trap is drifting, the crab isn't going to chase it. Use enough lead to pin that bait to the mud.
Second, check your bait frequently. The river has plenty of "bait thieves." Small minnows, eels, and even tiny spider crabs will pick a chicken neck clean until it’s just a white bone. If you haven't had a hit in fifteen minutes, pull it up. You might be fishing with a skeleton.
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Third, the "bucket" mistake.
Don't put your crabs in a bucket of water. I see this every single time. People think, "Hey, they live in water, they need water!" No. If you put ten crabs in a five-gallon bucket of standing water, they will use up the oxygen in minutes and drown. Keep them in a bushel basket or a cooler with some ice on the bottom (covered by a burlap sack so they don't touch the ice directly). They need to breathe air, and they stay "dormant" and alive much longer when they’re cool and damp, not submerged.
Navigating the Local Vibe
Brick is a blue-collar town. The people at Windward are generally friendly, but there's an unspoken etiquette.
If someone has a line out, don't toss your trap right over theirs. It’s a mess to untangle, and you’ll definitely get some Jersey-style commentary on your lack of spatial awareness. If you see someone catching a lot, don't crowd them. Just watch what they’re doing. Are they casting further out? Are they letting the bait sit longer?
The best part about crabbing at Windward isn't even the food. It’s the ritual. It’s the sound of the water hitting the pilings and the way the sun reflects off the Barnegat Bay in the distance. Even a bad day of crabbing beats a good day doing almost anything else.
Actionable Steps for Your Windward Crabbing Trip
If you're planning to head out this weekend, don't just wing it. A little preparation goes a long way.
- Check the tide charts: Look for "Metedeconk River" or "Mantoloking" tides. Aim to arrive two hours before high tide.
- Prep your bait the night before: If you're using chicken, let it sit out of the fridge for a few hours to get a bit "fragrant." Crabs hunt by smell.
- Bring a measuring ruler: You can buy plastic crab gauges at any local bait shop like Pell's or Jersey Hooker. It's better than guessing and getting a ticket.
- Get a New Jersey crabbing license? Usually, you don't need one for hand lines or collapsible traps in NJ, but if you're using "non-collapsible" commercial-style pots, you absolutely do. Double-check the current NJ DEP regulations before you go, as rules can shift.
- Pack some heavy-duty tongs: Unless you want to lose a chunk of your thumb to a grumpy Blue Claw, use tongs to move them from the net to the cooler.
Clean your catch as soon as you get home. Some people boil them whole; others prefer to "clean" them first by removing the top shell and guts. Whichever way you go, make sure you have plenty of Old Bay and some cold drinks ready. There is nothing—honestly, nothing—that tastes more like a New Jersey summer than a crab caught fresh from the Metedeconk.