Hi, Karen, and welcome to our message board!
I think you can crab off any of the piers. Many, like Apache, will rent the nets, but you can probably find nets in the dollar stores. There is usually a charge to walk the pier, although it is free to walk the large Garden City Pier. I know there is an extra charge to fish, and that varies pier to pier, but I don't know if there is an additional fee if you just want to crab.
Here's a link to all the piers which include websites and contact information. The smaller Garden City smaller pier is listed at the bottom of the list.
www.funbeaches.com/piers.htmlWelcome back to the beach. You'll see so many changes!