Family day on the Raritan at the Island Farm Ladder??

[Fishinfire]

My sister just stopped by and asked me when picnicking on the River became the latest thing. Apparently there are multiple families and kids swimming over at the fish ladder as well as on the falls! Guess after they got the boot from the Somerville spot they just relocated. Hope a good spot doesn't get ruined by a bunch of ^@*#*@&!^#^^# slobs!

[Jigman13]

That's prob not the safest place to be swimming... Countless plugs, jigs, and hooks combined with heavy braid and an assortment of other snags spells an ER trip to me! I also doubt it's legal to swim there.

Ain't no one swimming when I visit the ladder anyway lol... They'd end up in the bay rather quickly!

[AndyS]

I walked out on those falls ONCE and had a bunch of New Jersey American Water people yelling at me.
Honestly I don't care if people swim in the river, just don't trash the place !

[Chrisper4694]

I saw a whole family bathing in the river once! Soap, shower caps, awesome!

[Eskimo]

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I promised a member of this forum I wouldn't disparage the demographics of the picnickers. I'll choose my words carefully.

New Jersey is extremely densely populated. Look at it this way:

The density of mainland China is 365 people sq. mile.
Japan has 836 people. sq. mile.
New Jersey has 1210 people per square mile.
Somerset County (my home and where the falls are located) has 1,071.7 per square mile.

When you live in a state 50% more crowded than Japan, you're going to have to tolerate a lot of shenanigans like people swimming and picnicking where you are trying to fish.

Try to be positive and look on the bright side - as long as there are people swimming - the bucket brigade probably isn't catching many fish.


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[Fishinfire]

Thanks for the demographics lesson. I saw them the other day. Upstream of the falls closer to the pump station. I don't care about the swimming in the river so much as the historically proven mess that is almost always left behind as well as where people park. I am one that fills a garbage bag where I fish and even have my 7 y/o son started on it now. But it would be a matter of time until there are no parking signs and/or no trespassing signs posted. Just don't want to see a good thing ruined. Thats all.

[Detour66]

Went to hit my #1 honey hole after work to find it's also a swimming hole. Looks like the SBR is becoming a favorite place to take a dip. Too hot to Trout fish anyway. Next time out I will hit less swim-able spot!