The Department of Fish and Game”s (DFG) clarification of the no-snagging rule could have a major impact on bass tournaments throughout the state, especially on Clear Lake.
Snagging a fish has always been illegal but the DFG has never defined what constitutes snagging in its regulations until now.
In the 2007-08 regulations book, on page 12, snagging is defined as impaling or attempting to impale a fish in any part of its body other than the mouth by the use of hooks, gaff or other mechanical implement. The actual verbiage is: “It is unlawful to kill, or retain in possession any fish which has not voluntarily taken the bait or artificial lure in its mouth. Any fish not taken pursuant to these regulations shall be released immediately back into the water.”
According to DFG game warden Lynette Shimek and other DFG officials, the rule will apply to all fishermen, including bass tournament fishermen.
Where the rule will hit tournament fishermen is when they use jerkbaits or certain types of crankbaits. In the past, tournament organizations have always outlawed snagging bedded bass during the spawning season. A check of the rules of the three major tournament organizations operating in Northern California American Bass, 100 Percent Bass and WON BASS all have clear statements in their rules that any bass caught by sight fishing during the spawning season must have the hook in its mouth or it must be released.
However, all the tournament organizations have allowed fish that were foul hooked to be kept as long as the fish were not caught off a spawning bed, such as when a fish is caught on a crankbait or jerkbait.
Under the new DFG interpretation and as spelled out in the regulations, the keeping of a foul-hooked fish would be illegal regardless of where it was caught.
When fishermen use jerkbaits they rip the lure very hard and fast. The result is that they often snag a bass in its gills or even in its back. This happens when the bass will strike at the lure and miss. The jerkbaits are equipped with two or even three extremely sharp treble hooks and even if the lure just lightly brushes the fish it will normally hook it.
Several tournament fishermen who are experts at casting jerkbaits have said that it”s not unusual to foul-hook 30 percent or even 40 percent of the fish they catch. They said they always have been allowed to keep these fish and weigh them in.
Lipless crankbaits such as the Lucky Craft LV500 are often retrieved yo-yo style the fisherman allows the lure to settle on the bottom and then gives it a hard jerk. This also results in a lot of bass being foul-hooked.
DFG sources have told me they will enforce the no-snagging rule with tournament fishermen as well as with the recreational anglers.
“If we see a tournament fisherman snagging a bass and then putting it in his livewell, we will cite them,” said Shimek. “Regardless if it”s intentional or unintentional. However, if the fisherman immediately releases the fish, then they aren”t breaking the law. As long as they aren”t intentionally trying to snag the fish.”
This rule could come into play by a competitor in a bass tournament seeing another fisherman in the tournament foul-hook a fish and then keep it. He would have a legitimate protest. Bob Kornhauser of 100 Percent Bass says he expects there to be protests filed in tournaments. He said the regulation will definitely make the tournament director”s job a lot harder.
Bass tournaments are often won by an ounce or two and when there is a $50,000 boat plus cash on the line, the competition is often fierce. Can you imagine a fisherman who is in second place and fishing next to the leader? He sees the leader foul-hook a 5-pound bass and then put it in the livewell. You can bet there would be a protest filed.
The clarification of the snagging rule came about not because of bass fishermen, but because of fishermen intentionally snagging salmon in the rivers. When they were cited, they would claim they accidentally hooked the fish.
Recently Shimek cited several crappie fishermen on Clear Lake for snagging fish. They also claimed they didn”t intentionally snag the fish but they still kept them. It is because of incidents like this that the DFG will enforce the regulation across the board.
One solution is for the tournament organizers to put a statement in their rules that says all kept fish caught must have at least one hook in the mouth and that any foul-hooked fish must be immediately released. That way the fishermen would know up front they couldn”t keep foul-hooked fish.
It will be interesting to see how the tournament organizations respond to the DFG regulation.
