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Originally Posted by DanH
Great catch and report! I enjoyed reading it.
In your opinion , do you think that Walleye was born and raised in the Raritan or was it a State released fish that entered the river from another location?
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Tough to answer this. Walleye entered the raritan many yrs ago with the states stocking of the Delaware. They came thru the d&r canal. Whether or not they're spawning in the raritan is TBD. That's more of a question for Mark B. one of our fisheries biologists. I'm sure they go thru the mating motions after ice out but substrate, pH level and a variety of other variables play an important role in successful spawning.
We know nature finds a way. I'm sure SOME success has been had as I've caught walleye under 12" in the spring when the males are increasingly active. At the same time that could've been a transplanted fry that made an inspiring journey.
Whether they do spawn in the raritan or dont, I'm just glad they're there! My thoughts are the fish I caught has been there for many, many years and grew to trophy size on the multitude of forage available in the river. She was very healthy and strong--a sign of a well-balanced diet.
