Raritan river

[Riz]

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.

[AndyS]

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.

[Mark B.]

Originally Posted by Jigman13

Is that the primary reason? The only thing choking back an adult American shad would be a decent striper or musky. Not sure walleye or smallies would be apex towards American shad.

The gizzards on the other hand are candy to all!

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.

[Mark B.]

Originally Posted by Lard Almighty

Mark, I will defer to your professional expertise as a biologist, but it seems to me that the predatory fish of the Raritan have a plethora of prey species to target aside from juvenile American shad. Emerald shiners, gizzard shad, sunfish, creek chubs, sculpin, crayfish, tadpoles, leeches, hellgramites, and frogs are just the ones I can name off the top of my head. Given the healthy forage base, are you of the opinion that the recovery of shad will be significantly set back should more predatory fish be stocked? Alternatively, would the shad benefit from supplemental stockings of prey species, so the predators target those instead of the shad?

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.

[thmyorke1]

Originally Posted by Mark B.

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.

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! )

[Mark B.]

Originally Posted by thmyorke1

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! )

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

[thmyorke1]

Originally Posted by Mark B.

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

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

[AndyS]

The last stocking point is Rt. 206 in Somerville.

[Mark B.]

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.

[AndyS]

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