Re: Raritan river
 

that's a really nice fish. good work

thank you to all the guys that pitch into clean our waterways. we salute you. I took a bag of someone elses fishing line and lure wrappers and such out of green turtle pond last weekend. the line looked like 30-40 lb mono. yikes!!!!

never fished the Raritan but I have done the Passaic since mid 90s. Dundee dam in Garfield basically cuts anything off from getting up. striped bass to the dam. river is running clear these days.

Re: Raritan river
 

Nice SMB !! The river fishes good year round, access can be tough but with a little scouting you will find plenty of river to fish.
Love cleaning the river in the "off" season as I like to fish mostly in spring/winter/fall.

Re: Raritan river
 

Yes, it is the primary reason.

Don’t forget about all of the young-of-the-year American shadlings now in the river being predated upon.

Re: Raritan river
 

NJDF&W wants to give the Raritan River American shad population the best possible chance of recovering. Therefore, no direct stocking of predators.

The young-of-the-year American shadlings now in the river are, no doubt, the predators preferred forage. They are the most attractive: Like herring & menhaden very oily / high fat content & their sheer numbers.

Re: Raritan river
 

Thanks for the info, Mark. How long do the shadlings stay in the river before they become ocean-bound and how fast do they grow?

I would think that the trout stocking that takes place right where and when the shad spawn would be against the principle of recovery.
Could you explain how trout arent a problem? (Dare I even mention not stocking trout in the raritan! Please stock more! ;) )

Re: Raritan river
 

All of the shadlings are out in the bay / ocean by the end of October. In the ocean, they join schools of shad from other rivers, spending 3 – 6 @ sea until sexually mature, & then ascend the river of their birth to spawn.

Adult Raritan River American shad can swim up the mainstem & spawn only as far as the Headgates Dam @ Duke Island Park.

Fall trout are stocked only in the North & South Branches.

Spring trout are stocked in Duke Island Park & down the mainstem to last stocking point @ Nevius St., Raritan. Can’t imagine that those trout have much of an impact on the shadlings, which are essentially shad larvae @ that time. Spring trout are interested in larger prey,…..like your spinners, worms & Powerbait.

A productive lure when the shadlings are in the river: Original floating Rapala bleeding shad

Re: Raritan river
 

Thanks Mark, I appreciate the info- and bonus fishing tip :)

Re: Raritan river
 

The last stocking point is Rt. 206 in Somerville.

Re: Raritan river
 

Rt. 206 is not a trout stocking point.

Rt. 206 is the downstream limit of trout stocked waters. No fishing is allowed upstream of Rt. 206 during the spring preseason closure.

Re: Raritan river
 

There is a trout stocking sign just above the Rt. 206 bridge.