For rivers I’d recommend breathable stocking foot waders with studded felt sole boots. For the ocean wading in sand I still like stocking foot waders because the boots have more support and are easier to walk around in deep sand. However a lot of surf fishermen prefer the boot foot waders because they don’t get sand in them . I ve found if you use gravel guards and keep your feet moving you can minimize the amount of sand that gets between the neoprene stockings and the boots. Frogg Toggs Hellbender for boot foot , Anura for stocking foot.

Capt Ferd here from very south NJ . Thanks for the add and looking forward to sharing info with some knowledgeable fishermen and women. You can never network enough if you're a serious angler, looks like this site is serious😎. I fish year round, fresh or salt or both,so I can provide some pretty fresh info. For example, my son and I fished yesterday first for perch, then hit a pond on the way home. Ill go to report section and see what I need to do to submit it Thanks again for the add ! . Peace ,Ferd

Grass shrimp are the most important food source for all the fish we seek in our back bays. Clean out any cooler at the end of a trip and you will find grass shrimp regurgitated by your fish.
We are entering our white perch season in South Jersey and although bloodworms will catch they won't match what fresh grass shrimp can do. I ran a Bait and Tackle shop in Wildwood and we had the perfect location for catching winter grass shrimp. They don't migrate because they are just too slow to go any distance. They stay put and wait for the spring warmup to begin breeding.
This time of year they do feed but being cold blooded the don't need much and they have to conserve as much energy as they can. This is when you need to find some quiet waters to score well.
I use a square umbrella style drop net and bait it with just about anything you have that can stay on a bait clp attached to the drop net. Our dock was located on a narrow waterway that had tidal waters moving through. Difference was that there were two openings in our little waterway with one to the south and one to the north. This caused the water to rise and fall but not much straight through water movement. We were more like a tub with the tide going up and down rather than in and out. The shrimp loved it here. They could jeed on tiny organisms and alge on the bottom without trying to hold on so they didn't get swept away.
I'd hang a piece of bunker from the bait hook I attached to the center post of the drop net and just let it sit on the bottom for an hour or two. When I would lift the net I was amazed at how many shrimp were in it.
Her are some pics of the net with my catch. Notice the while under the net. That was snow covering the deck.

Nothing but shrimp. This is what my net looks like.

How often, do you fish?
How many times a year?
What's your favorite fish to fish for?
What's your favorite time of year to fish?
You prefer to fish alone or with a partner?

You don't have to answer all the questions.
Just would like to hear some answers from some of y'all. Thanks.

As if you didn't know, I prefer to fish for Stripers.
Spring and summer are nice but I think fall might be best.
I prefer to fish twice a week but have fished as many as 3 to 5 times a week when I had my own boat.
I use to fish bout 150 + days a year.
Now I'm lucky if its 40 days a year.
I think I prefer to fish with a partner, but don't mind if it's by myself either.

Look forward to seeing your answers. Thanks.🤠👍