Crabbing in Massachusetts

[Ndancosse]

 hello people, i have lived in new Bedford for about 20 years.
im a 54 years old person who grew up in Florida .
I miss going down to the local inlets and crabbing with traps and digging for clams.
im interested in knowing if theres places locally near New Bedford that i can go from shore and do this stuff for personal consumption.
a few questions i have are ;
1. where can i go catch crab and dig for clams locally?
2. do i need to buy permits? 1 for each or 1 that encompasses both?
\3. is there a particular season thats best or only legal to go?
4. are these places if any crowded where youre fighting for spots to catch?
5. a little off topic but i also used to catch shrimp using cast nets. is that possible around here?
any and all replies id love as id love to do this stuff i grew up doing with my dad

[Logical1]

Don't take offense, but a moderator named Jack is probably going to move this to a more appropriate location on the forum.  They try to keep things categorized for easier search by relevance.

[Ndancosse]

No offense . I wasn't sure where I should post the question
But thank you

[Logical1]

My guess would be under Northeast Crabbing under Crabbing Resources.

[chef]

I clam in NH and cant speak to the shrimp or clamming question in MA, but just about  every tidal creek or river on and below the south shore of cape cod will hold blue crabs. You dont need a permit to catch blue crabs as long as you are handlining or using collapsible crab traps, crab rings or trot lines. Crab pots are illegal now in the state of MA due to them being death traps for terrapins. Crabs must measure 5 inches point to point, sponge crabs are prohibited, and your daily limit is 25 crabs. Blue crab season is from May 1st to Dec 31st but crabs are usually only active from mid/late May to October. There is no commercial fishery for blue crabs in MA so the crabs are plentiful. I catch more blue crabs in MA than I did when I lived in MD 20 min from the Chesapeake bay. Hope this helps. Good luck this season.