Raritan river Trout play 5/1/17:

[AndyS]

Hit the ribber at Robert St., nothing. Fished up and around by the falls, just one small LMB. A guy was there turning over rocks collecting crays for his day of fishing. He checks the crays to see if they have eggs or not, if they have eggs he won't take them as bait. Fished below the shale flats near the parking lot, here I did very well. Got 2, rolled a few, a few big ones on, head shake, gone and one follow. Seems like these trout get wise fast in the big water.
Had one hit at Nevieus St.
Met Shucker, fished Demott Lane, just a few rats and white perch.
Hit Queens Bridge, again, White Perch-A-Paloozah !
Saw the Rutgers gang as they were leaving, they were able to PIT tag one American Shad today.
Shucker and I fished the ladder falls and it was STANDING ROOM ONLY !!
Again, White Perch-A-Paloozah. Shucker nails his first Raritan river American Shad on a 5" KEITECH SWIMBAIT !!
Donations at the falls left and right !! Can't wait till the water is warm and low so I can re-stock my tackle bag :D

[FASTEDDIE29]

Hahahaha! Beautiful day to be out and about! That ribber is coming to life big time! White Perch everywhere! Crazy man, just crazy!!!:D

Way to go Shucker! See you in the summer I'm sure! Out front Sharkin' hopefully!!!

[JDTuna]

Very nice, Andy! Great stuff.

[thmyorke1]

Nice trout, that one has a jaw. Are we sure its a stockie?

ill contribute with one of those white perch. Biggest one I got today. Got a rock bass, big red breast, and a crappie along with them.

[Eskimo]

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I'll contribute with one of those white perch. Biggest one I got today.

Nice White Perch.
Here's a random fun fact - and a lesson on how morphology can be misleading: White Perch are actually bass and not perch - although they are considered panfish in terms of creel limits and seasons.
Both White Perch (Morone american) and Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) are members of the Morone genus while Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) are members of the Perca genus.

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[thmyorke1]

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Nice White Perch.
Here's a random fun fact - and a lesson on how morphology can be misleading: White Perch are actually bass and not perch - although they are considered panfish in terms of creel limits and seasons.
Both White Perch (Morone american) and Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) are members of the Morone genus while Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) are members of the Perca genus.

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I guess that's cause white bass took their name :P

Speaking of, are white bass in NJ, specifically in the Raritan?

[TheDreamCatchers]

When do those shad leave the rivers? I heard its usually last week of march to first week of may. But people are still gettin em????

[JimmyC]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone eat anything out of the Raritan? With so many people fishing I can't imagine everyone is C&Ring

[shucker]

The Raritan is big river with many more and better spots that rarely get fished the damn internet burns these easily accessible spots and then everybody shows up expecting to catch a big stripers..NOT:D

[kcritch]

That's a lot of fishin without pickin for you capt! Good to see you partaking more these days.

Good to hear from the shucker again too...glad to see you haven't totally given up on the freshwater now that you live near the salt! HA!

[AndyS]

With all that I didn't hit Orlando Park in Raritan Borough, or Peters Brook Greenway stretch in Somerville, nor the Manville fast water, so much water, so little time !!

[JimmyL]

With all that I didn't hit Orlando Park in Raritan Borough, or Peters Brook Greenway stretch in Somerville, nor the Manville fast water, so much water, so little time !!

Can you be provide me more detailed instructions on how to get to these spots? hahaha, just playing, of course.. Great looking trout too. I love the Q B stretch. Leaky waders have prevented me from going hard there and have only fished from the shore which to me isn't ideal. Caught one sucker there so far several weeks ago.

[nate01]

When do those shad leave the rivers? I heard its usually last week of march to first week of may. But people are still gettin em????

In the Delaware they are completely spawned out by the end of May...you can fish for them waaay up river until then. You'll see those that don't die dropping back and returning to the ocean throughout June. Then the fry come down river in the fall.