In Belford, a warm breeze infused with the smell of seafood and seawater blew against the shoreline.
Middletown residents Brian George and his son Alec, 14, crabbed off Compton Creek and Public Dock around 1 p.m.
"It's a beautiful day. We've been here since 10 a.m. and we've caught 16 crabs," said Brian George. "We're doing pretty well."
Nestled between the greater Middletown Township area and the Atlantic Ocean, Belford and Port Monmouth are hubs for locally caught fresh fish as well as a port for the New York Waterway ferry.
Although many come through just to take the ferry, few stop to visit Belford and Port Monmouth's multiple empty beaches, which are scattered with small seashells and the occasional cigarette or beer bottle. Locals take advantage of the seclusion, using the multiple fishing piers located inside Bayshore Waterfront Park.
Those not so lucky to have their own catch can have a bite at the Pirate’s Cove, which faces out into New York Waterway ferry landing and boating lane, or the Belford Seafood Co-op, which offers local catches including fluke and bluefish.
