Raritan river float 5/21/13:

[AndyS]

Put in at Robert St. in Raritan around 7am. Fished a standard black and silver Rapala (since I'm a hack at lures) and some black marabou jigs.
As I was getting set up there were 2 guys in the fast water slaying the trout so I figured that was a good sign.
Fished kinda hard stopping along the way with no luck. All the way to Manville without a fish. Met up with Shucker there. Had a large fish crush my jig tipped with a leech and I thought it was a big walleye, turned out to be a nice channel cat, I got a smallmouth there also. Floated all the way to the 2nd 287 crossing without another fish. Water was stained but not dirty.
I must be doing something wrong. Either I'm floating too much water and not taking my time or I don't know what, I KNOW the fish are there. Not too many places to launch and take out a 73lb. 17ft. canoe.
Met up with the guys from Rutgers in Somerset doing the tagging operation and chatted alot, all good stuff.
Highlights of the day, taylor, ham, egg and cheese from my local deli, seeing 2 bald eagles this time, one in Raritan the other in South Bound Brook, saw a snake swim across the river, and a squirrel.
Didn't see any dead fish along the entire float. Got a good workout and a nice sun burn.
Still see no reason why walleye can't be stocked along the majority of the river.
Cormorants where EVERYWHERE !!

Tagging a gizzard shad.