# What if you catch a salmon...



## Jacob Huffman (Sep 13, 2004)

What are the law's pertaining to the foul hooked rule...What if you catch a salmon that had been foul hooked before maybe even still had the hook or what ever in it's side still...Can you keep it?? How could you prove it was not you that foul hooked it..???


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## sullyxlh (Oct 28, 2004)

> How could you prove it was not you that foul hooked it..???


You really can't
For what's involved,your better off tossing it back
You'll have a less than fun time convincing a CO otherwise


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## outdoor_m_i_k_e (Feb 3, 2005)

usually if it still has the hook in it, i pull the hook out and then just throw it back!


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## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

You don't have to prove it wasn't foul hooked. 

I would take the hook out so I don't get a hook in my hand at sometime and if I wanted to keep a legally caught fish, I would.

COs have been around long enough to know that while Salmon fishing you may catch Salmon that may have been previously foul hooked. CO questions you, be honest and he or she will apply common sense.


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## outdoor_m_i_k_e (Feb 3, 2005)

2PawsRiver said:


> You don't have to prove it wasn't foul hooked.
> 
> I would take the hook out so I don't get a hook in my hand at sometime and if I wanted to keep a legally caught fish, I would.
> 
> COs have been around long enough to know that while Salmon fishing you may catch Salmon that may have been previously foul hooked. CO questions you, be honest and he or she will apply common sense.


yes you may have caught it legally, but if you land a fish, pull your hook out of the mouth so it doesnt get tangled, and a CO looks through his binos and sees you pulling the hook out of the back of a salmon. . . you may be being honest by telling them that you caught it legally and just taking the hook out that was already stuck in there. . but how do they know you are telling the truth?? a CO was at my house the other day and we had the discussion about the people they deal with. . there are great law abiding citizens liek you and me, but there are TONS of people who lie every word they say. . so a CO approaching you is almost always going to expect a lie out of your mouth unless they know you!. . if there are marks from where its been foul hooked but no hook, then keep it if its legal, but if theres another hook in its back, then take the hook out and throw it back. . there are plenty of fish in the river to catch!


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## outdoor_m_i_k_e (Feb 3, 2005)

outdoor_m_i_k_e said:


> yes you may have caught it legally, but if you land a fish, pull your hook out of the mouth so it doesnt get tangled, and a CO looks through his binos and sees you pulling the hook out of the back of a salmon. . . you may be being honest by telling them that you caught it legally and just taking the hook out that was already stuck in there. . but how do they know you are telling the truth?? a CO was at my house the other day and we had the discussion about the people they deal with. . there are great law abiding citizens liek you and me, but there are TONS of people who lie every word they say. . so a CO approaching you is almost always going to expect a lie out of your mouth unless they know you!. . if there are marks from where its been foul hooked but no hook, then keep it if its legal, but if theres another hook in its back, then take the hook out and throw it back. . there are plenty of fish in the river to catch!


just because you are being honest doesnt mean the CO knows you are being honest. . they dont believe everything they hear or no tickets would be issued!!


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## snowman11 (Nov 21, 2006)

when i catch a fish i am keeping, i dont mess around removing the mouth hook, i just pop the line...the leader needs to be replaced anyway.

hook in mouth, see.


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## outdoor_m_i_k_e (Feb 3, 2005)

well yeah if ya just pop the line and the lure/hook is still in its mouth then i would sau keep it, but if theres any hook in its back or side or whatever, even though it wasnt yours, you are just taking a chance. . like i said there are hundreds more fish in the river to catch, i dont need to keep every fish i catch!


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## Greenbush future (Sep 8, 2005)

I would bet that any CO would watch you actually snag and then write you up. They are kind of smart that way, I would guess they wouldnt go along and check every fish on a stringer and assume you snagged it and then write you up for something they didnt actually see happen. It could happen but I would give them more credit than that.


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## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

While we're somewhat on the topic..........keep an eye out next year around September and October for the River Watch Program on the Big Manistee. Was able to participate for the first time this year and it was quite educational.

Worked with a whole handful of CO's and had the opportunity to see the whats, whens and hows of enforcment from their prospective.

Not only that, but it's a good program that needs volunteers. I think this year we had 5 from a site with over 23,000 members. We had a volunteer rate of just over .02 percent.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

You will only get a ticket if you are seen attempting to or actually snag a fish. One will not get a ticket for having a fish that was snagged by someone else and then you caught it legally.


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## Jacob Huffman (Sep 13, 2004)

Thanks for the help...Just went fishing last weekend and cought a couple with hooks in their backs...I got nervious and tossed them back as much as I would rather have tossed them on the grill...Ended up with one fresh one to take home without foulplay....


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## Reel_Screamer86 (Mar 22, 2007)

*Show me a fall run salmon that has'nt been foul hooked..*


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## outdoor_m_i_k_e (Feb 3, 2005)

there are plenty of fish in the river to catch! i know personally im not worried about keeping every fish i catch! if i go home empty handed so be it, but i had the fight of some fish and the thrill of being there! like i said though if you catch a fish and pull your hook out and an officer is in the bushes and pans over down the shoreline just in time to see you pull the hook out of a fishes back and put it on the stringer! good luck im bettin you will get a ticket! maybe 99% of the time you will be completely fine and have nothing to worry about, but id rather just not have to deal with it! i think ive caught 1 fish in the last 2 yrs that STILL had a hook in it that wasnt legally hooked! the fish went back in the river after i removed the hook! like reel screamer said, find one that hasnt been snagged, BUT they may have marks from it but not have a hook still there! id rather throw it back instead of having to worry about paying for a fish i caught legally!


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## Roosevelt (Sep 21, 2007)

boehr said:


> You will only get a ticket if you are seen attempting to or actually snag a fish. One will not get a ticket for having a fish that was snagged by someone else and then you caught it legally.


I hope this is true. I have seen a few overzealous CO's in my time though.

I don't even bother hitting the rivers anymore cause unless you adorn the most expensive gear and tactics everyone assumes you're a snagger. It's a shame cause I used to really enjoy catchin fish on those rivers.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

Question has been asked and answered.


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