On line petition for the lower Raritan river:

[AndyS]

I am thinking of starting an on line petition to have fish stocked below Rt. 206 in Raritan to the 2nd 287 crossing in Somerset. I am not doing this for personal gains, but in support of the river and the people who fish there.
Those living closest to the river live in Somerset, Raritan, Bound Brook, South Bound Brook, Manville, Piscataway, Middlesex, Somerville and Edison.
The focus of the lower Raritan since restocking shad in the early 1980’s has been to restore a healthy shad population. Data was taken from the fish ladder starting in 1996 to the present day has shown a rise and fall in the amount of shad using the fish ladder. A moratorium on shad fishing was imposed in 2013 due to the low numbers of shad in accordance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Shad and River Herring Plan. The lower Raritan river seems to be in a catch 22 at the present moment.
Apparently the State seems hesitant to stock fish on top of an ongoing shad restoration project, yet on the other hand fishermen can no longer fish for shad. It seems to me the ladder numbers are almost inconclusive as to weather or not a sustainable shad population can ever be achieved. Meanwhile, the lower Raritan is in a holding pattern, a wait and see so to speak. A final report was drafted in January 2013 in respect to monitoring shad on the Raritan. Since then a 2 year study was granted on further research in regard to shad on the Raritan river.
Shad today can swim up as far as the Nevius dam in Raritan where trout are being stocked, so fish are being stocked on top of an ongoing shad restoration project. If this is the case then why can’t walleye or any other fish be stocked on the lower stretches of the river.

I do have SO many questions with this petition in it’s earliest stages:

1.) How and when will we know if the shad population has been fully restored on the Raritan river.
2.) If fish are already being stocked on top of a shad restoration project then why can’t fish be stocked further down river.
3.) If fish were to be stocked below Rt. 206 in Somerville what would be the best fish to stock?

http://www.raritan.rutgers.edu/resources/Fisheries.pdf

[ithaca10]

Have you sent your concerns to F&G. And what was their response.?

[AndyS]

For years now the focus on the lower Raritan has been the shad population.
I look at the data from years past and the numbers seem to be all over the place, take into the fact many years of tapes from the ladder were never even viewed. Pile on top of that a recent survey showing shad may not even want to use a fish ladder and the questions far out number the answers.
WILL the Raritan river EVER be able to support a sustainable shad population and at what numbers are shad deemed safe and restored. If we sit and wait it could be lost opportunity for stocking fish in the lower Raritan. The shad numbers over the past years seem to me are inconclusive. So where do we go from here, why not take the upper hand and steer the ship in another direction and leave the shad alone until another inconclusive shad survey comes along. Such is the case with anadromous fish, look at the Delaware river, the numbers there are all over the place also and it does not stop the State from stocking over 1,800 walleye annually, but the argument will be the river has a sustainable shad population.

So if we wait, and wait and wait then what, nothing gets accomplished. If we ask the tough questions that need to be asked we either get answers, some of which we may not like and others that may open many doors like fall trout stocking down to Rt. 206, or a sea run brown trout program, or walleye and muskie stocking. We as fishermen hold the steering wheel of the ship in which many fish code changes are based on, case in point with the recent TU push for no kill on certain stretches of rivers here in New Jersey.

If we look at the recent photos posted on here from the Raritan of the beautiful walleye and tiger muskies you have to kind of ask yourself where are we going here. Will shad reproduction ultimately just be a foregone conclusion and the numbers being small or large depending on how you look at it for the size of the river may just be compiled in a book of data and put away to collect dust or will shad continue to be the sole focus on the lower Raritan for many years to come. The hands of time turn slowly when dealing with situations like these, some can take many years but change can come from an idea, or a question asked.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for seeing big shad coming up the Raritan but at what poiint do you say, okay, lets flip the page and start a new chapter on the Raritan river.

[FASTEDDIE29]

Lets get the petition going Andy. Will F&G actually stock something provided we get enough signatures? People are catching more and more species on the Raritan every year that passes. Lets get it done. I'm all in!!!!!!!

[AndyS]

In June I plan to meet with Sustainable Raritan River Initiative, Central Jersey Trout Unlimited, New Jersey Federation of Sportsmen in both Middlesex and Somerset counties.
I would like to have everything signed and sealed to be delivered at the December 7, 2013 meeting at the Hackettstown Hatchery.

[Skunk City]

I have yet to fish the Raritan yet, but its clear from the reports on here that we have an awesome fishery in our state....will be signing the petition for sure.

[lunkertaker]

Agreed...signed...OH we need the patition first 100% agree and will sign accordingly.

[Codguy]

Great idea Andy. For the lower Raritan trout stocking you can start by taking the 400 trout they put in colonial park and toss them below manville. I am sure that most if not all of them become cormorant food. Any given day in season there are no less than 10 cormorants there. They dont stand a chance with those birds, and even if any make it past the birds or anglers, they definitely succumb to high water temps and low oxygen come July.

[Super]

A few things...

I don't think the shad restoration/dam removal projects have any impact on trout stocking, especially at this time.

Are you sure you want to stock that area with trout? It's a big, wide, slow river that won't hold trout over. My thought is that the catch rate of stocked trout will be really low, and they will all die when water temps rise in July. Better water to stock pike or channel catfish, IMHO.

Lastly, have FG&W do a study and gather some scientific evidence to support (or reject) stocking in that area.

[ChaosStarter]

Originally Posted by Super

Two things...

I don't think the shad restoration/dam removal projects have any impact on trout stocking, especially at this time.

Are you sure you want to stock that area with trout? It's a big, wide, slow river that won't hold trout over. My thought is that the catch rate of stocked trout will be really low, and they will all die when water temps rise in July. Better water to stock pike or channel catfish, IMHO.

We don't need more pike in that river as they're already getting in from the D&R canal. We need to go for walleye or smallmouth/largemouth IMO. I'm not arguing over the trout thing. I just wish bass fisherman would step up efforts and not lay down to the trout guys (no offense to those of you out there).