A personal quest reached its climax... I finally got my 30"!!!

[Jigman13]

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?

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.