Raritan river in a jet boat

[ultimatepredator]

Has anyone ever run or seen others run the raritan river with a jet? Outboard jet, inboard jet, etc.
I am talking about from manville up to Duke island park. Or from Easton Ave 287 exit to the dam below the millstone?
I am just curious if anyone has done it.

Thanks

[thmyorke1]

it can be very shallow in some parts, on both stretches you mention. Im not sure what a jet boat would need for water depth, but even on a canoe you would have to get out an walk it.
Id recommend taking a kayak and checking it out before placing a jet boat anywhere.

[ultimatepredator]

I know it is very shallow in places and in summertime low water I am sure there is not enough water in spots.
Some jet boats only need 3 inches of water to run in and I figured someone has tried it. In some videos on YouTube you see guys running in barely anything.
I have not fished these sections all that much but access can be a pain in the ass when everything is green. A boat would make fishing really nice.

[Detour66]

It might be worth a shot. Launch from the ramp on Wilhousky Rd in Manville and run down the Millstone River to the main branch of the Raritan River. Good luck and let us know how you do.

[thmyorke1]

It might be worth a shot. Launch from the ramp on Wilhousky Rd in Manville and run down the Millstone River to the main branch of the Raritan River. Good luck and let us know how you do.

Id recommend this stretch myself, seems to be the deepest without any disturbances with rapids. After the finderne ave bridge, and the 90 degree bend, you may hit a shallow part and then right after that some tougher rapids with some big boulders/cement sticking out. I think the right side facing upstream is your best bet around it but take caution.

Try fishing the millstone btw, dont skip over it, some nice fish in there
https://www.njfishandwildlife.com/artmillstone.htm

[AndyS]

I remember driving from Manville to Finderne and looking down river and seeing Round Valley sized boats on the river and always wondered how they got there. There is a make shift boat launch on the Millstone in Manville. Best I did was launch there and motored down the Millstone and up the Raritan to the shale flats near Manville where it gets quite shallow. I suppose if you really want to push it you could take a jet boat all the way to Duke Island Park dam during high water.
On the lower section my hired guide took me from Sayerville all the way to Landing Lane bridge near Piscataway in a 20 ft. Boston Whaler type boat with a 150 hp prop motor on the boat. Just above that is some nasty rip-rap, doubt you could get any boat through there. Don't forget there is a boat launch in Piscataway also at Riverside Park just off 287, during high water you could motor up to the fish ladder falls in South Bound Brook.
With all that being said I still think a canoe or kayak is the best mode of transportation on the Raritan river above the tide line in Piscataway.

[Rapidfflow0]

[QUOTE=ultimatepredator;543759]I know it is very shallow in places and in summertime low water I am sure there is not enough water in spots.
Some jet boats only need 3 inches of water to run in and I figured someone has tried it. In some videos on YouTube you see guys running in barely anything.
I have not fished these sections all that much but access can be a pain in the ass when everything is green. A boat would
I’ve looked at it a bunch of times and thought about running mine up it in those spots. At the end of the day I wasn’t sure it could be done and really didn’t feel like it would be an effective way to fish the river. Most of those boats mine included are too big for those sections. You could run a lot of it if not all of it but there are sections where coming off plane to fish and then having enough water without sucking up gravel and mud would be tough not to mention getting back up on plane to move on

[ultimatepredator]

Does anyone want to let me borrow their jet boat? I swear I will take good care of it!!! HAHA
I know of the millstone launch behind the old night club. That is the only place to put in with a trailered boat I have seen for that stretch. And upriver of the finderne bridge looks to be a boney area for sure. And most shallow places seem to be lots of gravel which is better than big rocks and boulders I suppose.
That river view park in piscataway is a muddy mess any time I have been there. Better have a winch with a lot of line for that one. The highland park launch would be a better option , but I have never been on the river below river view park in piscataway.
I would think a light 14ft jon boat with a 25/20 jet would do it. That way if you did get caught up you could still drag the boat up or down the shallows.