Did you hook him in the mouth?

[can it be luck?]

What's the average percentage of river run trout and salmon that are foul hooked? For me that number is high, upwards to 50%. Fishing shallow rivers and river mouths in the fall, fish in concentrated areas can't help but to "bump" your line. Pole in hand and a quick reflex will result in alot of bites/bumps turning out to be foul hooked fish. Are these fish actually feeding? Or does that big,open,gapeing mouth full of teeth "accidentally" snag your line makeing you think the fish bit? Fish will strike out of instinct, but I'm not sure if this is always the case. I can almost say for certain that the fish in the rivers I fish definitly aren't in the feeding mood. Yellow and orange ear plugs, marshmallows, or twister tails are what I use for bait, definitly not "natural" food of trout and salmon. Yes, the baits may simulate spawn which they do eat, but a plain hook will catch just as many. Is this legal? Do you have to use bait, or just get lucky enough to snag one in the mouth? Intentional snagging of fish should be illegal, but what about salmon? The fish will soon be dead to rot on the bank stinking up the place. Wouldn't it be better to put the fish to some kind of use? Infertile waters of Canada and Alaska require the nutrients of the decaying fish to sustain the future stock, but what about stocking fish that aren't native to rivers that never required this type of "recycling"?.......I always wondered about this. .......PS: It was a sad day in Wi. today, those Vikings kicked some butt!

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[upnorth]

Can it be luck,

In low clear water I have seen Salmon move their head to the side to pick a bait drifting by. I know that when they are in the rivers they have sex on the brain, but they do strike, probably out instict, but they do strike just the same. That is part of the challenge of fishing for Steelhead and Salmon You want real easy fish for Sunnies

If you allowed people to snag Salmon, they would be out there with snagging rigs cleaning everything else out of the rivers too. A heavy weight with a trebel hook does not discriminate on what it rips out of the water. Brookies and immature steelhead would come along with the targeted Salmon. That would not be a pretty site.

[can it be luck?]

Snagging was legal in Wi. some years back, I personaly am glad it's not legal now. Dangerous to other fisherman as well, heavy sinker and treble getting ripped through shallow water at night and flying out of the water. I guess I will fish for sunfish, because at times the salmon are easier to catch than they are! Or maybe find a river where the fishing isn't as good. I've had a 5 fish limit in less than 1 hour...many times

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[upnorth]

From those numbers I am guessing that you are not fishing the North Shore of Lake Superior. Those kinda days are long gone there. Had those kinda days in the early "80s".

[Guest]

Here he goes again.....

I think it's ok to keep foul-hooked salmon. Notice I say SALMON only. However, rigs used should be single hook with weight above the business end. No trebs or weight below the hook. Those GIANT MOSSBACKS all die anyway. I can see a problem with some coonards who ripp and ripp and show no sense of feel, so I'm not sure my belief is a good one. Course, there are always gonna be dicweeds no matter what. Usually, Lake Trout season is closed by then or the water is too low, and here on the north shore(Lester especially)nuthin much in there except exotic species like steel heads. Those should be eliminated as a non-native fish and replaced with coasters...BROOKIES. (oh boy...am I gonna get it eh?)
TALKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[can it be luck?]

upnorth, No I'm not. And the fishing hasn't changed much on the Wi. side of L Michigan as far as salmon and trout. Fish below the Peshtigo and Menomine Dams can stack up pretty thick at times. These spots are snag filled, shallow, and rocky, makeing for alot of lost tackle. The Little River in Marinette is small with a sand/mud bottom. The mouth of the river is shallow and sandy, fisherman wade hundreds of yards out in a couple feet of sandbar filled water. A small bridge is at the mouth, 6' wide and 1' deep. At times I've seen salmon passing up stream at a rate of 1 fish every 5 minutes. Most fisherman line the banks and fish "whatever" for bait,treble,and sinker. Cast out and keep the line tight and off the bottom and wait. The fish are constantly moveing around and odds say that sooner than later, you're gonna get a "bump". Where do these fish go? I'll tell you. Up a stream that on the average is 4' wide and 1' deep. Any area that forms pools due to bends,log jams, or culverts will stack them up thick, and there aren't to many. I fish an area a couple miles upstream. A small pool no bigger than 20' in diameter. At times I may have upwards to 20 fish in this pool. I always refer to this place as the "cess pool". A culvert at the head of the pool fills up with fish and I've seen guys get knocked over chaseing the fish back in the pool. Quite honestly, feeding whether by hunger or instinct is hard for me to believe. However, I have caught browns and bows later in the season fishing spawn when the "circus" leaves. I'm not an advocate of snagging, although I do believe that most of the fish are snagged, some are fortunate to get snagged in or around the mouth. To allow snagging, what you would have are guys reefing heavy hunks of lead filled treble hooks on heavy duty fishing rods snagging fish and fisherman indiscriminatly, not good. To allow guys to keep an accidently snagged fish would just open the doors to the first scenario, IMO. It's just too bad that you can't have one without the other. After all, these fish are on thier "final run". I just hope that I'll be there to greet them!

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[Surface Tension]

Since I'm an old North Shore Steelheader plus a few years on Ak rivers I'll throw my 2 cents in. Its hard to describe what a pickup from a Steelhead feels like. So most guys are taught to set the hook when ever your line stops. In time you learn what the difference is between a sinker hung on the bottom, hung on a fish and a strike. So instead of setting the hook you give the rod tip a bounce and continue your drift. This is where your percentage of foul hooked fish will drop dramatical. Your also going to start tying into a lot more legally hooked fish. Why because of experience of coarse but also your drifts aren't cut short with the constant hook setting but more importantly your not spooking fish. A drifted bait isn't going to spook fish but one thats ripped through the water will. This leads into snagging Salmon. Yes they do tend to open and close their mouths, catching your line as it drifts by. Caught many Salmon that way with the hook on the outside corner of the mouth. Also the same way as CIBL described with a tight line off the river mouths, keep the rod in hand and set the hook when you get a strike. Many times however the Salmon hooks itself by getting the line its open mouth.
Thats different then ripping hooks through the water and you'll lose any chance of getting a Salmon to strike. Being a fall run fish it may have entered the river in high stained water but its going to end its life in the river. When that water drops and its sticking out like a sore thumb you can see him and he can see you. Guess what you have an other spooked fish. Yes they're just going to die and chances aren't good for a spawn/hatch and return of young to the lake. If we allowed snagging on the NS you could forget about any quality fishing. It would turn into a circus real quick.

[upnorth]

summerzoff,

We all have our opinions on what should and shouldn't be in those rivers. I am of the opinion that Lake Superior can only support so many predators. I think that Steelhead being in the Lake for something over 100 years are pretty much considered the same as a native fish, and should be preserved.

This opinion only pertains to Lake Superior, the other Great Lakes seem to be thriving just fine with the King Salmon. Kings Salmon IMO have proven themselves to be pigs and have decimated the forage base. Look what has happened to the smelt runs since they have been planted in Lake Superior, hardly even a run anymore. And this is coming from someone who 15 years ago would have defended them being planted to the death. Lake Superior is not really the place for a fish with kinda growth rate, they eat too much and leave nothing for other fish.

As far as snagging goes Salmon goes, Surface Tension pretty much said it the way I feel about it.

[can it be luck?]

Outdoor video production/Fishing Fever posted a clip of me fishing Little River, on page 2. Watch the clip you'll realize why I say what I say. If you look real close you'll see other fish "spook" from the commotion. Comments are made such as "Hooked him in the lip" and "There's my ear plug I lost" (stuck on a fish). That day, 2 man limit of 10 fish in an hour or two. The 80's are alive and well on the Wi. side of Lake Michigan!.....If you know where to go......and now you do!---------
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[This message has been edited by can it be luck? (edited 09-17-2003).]

[Walleye_GFA]

We used to snag spoonbill in Kansas... was great fun until I tasted the fish... horrible... and those of you who know me understand I am 1000% for eating those "other fish"... so I dont snag fish anymore...

Sad but true, one year a buddy was with me, now understand that in Kansas a walleye is there, but rather rare (nobody fishes for them)... so when snagging in the river (small one, smaller than the Sota by far) imagine my horror (remember I am big on selective harvest) when my buddy snags a 9 pound walleye outta water that it should not have been to begin with and procedes to put it on a stringer...

After I savored the flesh of the spoonbill (again horrible) I ceased snagging from that date on... what in the hell was I going to do with 50 pounds of fish I cared not to eat of a fish that was very regulated anyhow... (you got one tag for the season, and tehre were only 7,000 tags available)...

Wally

[Guest]

No need to snag em they bite.. watch this fish that can-it-be-luck hooked. Looks like this fish ate it, looks like fun and looks good on the grill! Watch Marks salmon here http://www.fishfever.com/actionvideo1.htm