This is my first serious season, so take that into account.
Most, if not all of the walk in areas are fine for a guy with no boat. Every once in a while you find a deep pond, but a telescoping pole solves that problem.
My advice would be to get out there and check out the sites. Grab your gun, some decoys and have at it. You can research them online, but until you put your boots on the ground you don't really know what is there.
The popular sites are similar to Ridgefield in terms of pressure, but if you really want a duck you can get out there at 3 am and get a spot - or wait until spots open up as you mentioned.