legal or not

[Jim]

had a client play a nice silver to the boat yesterday...right at the boat the fish came unbuttoned...I netted it before it swam away...it was an exciting time...high fives all around whoopin and hollerin...and then last night when I got home I thought...Technically was that an illegally caught/netted fish. Please nobody report me...lol...

Jim

[Jeffhead]

Man Jim,
I think that we all can think of stories like that. I had that happen on a Lake Washington sockeye, my Son fought it to the boat, it did the "sockeye spin" and wound the leader up tight against he dodger and came off just as I was netting it, he kind o' fell into the net. I wouldn't worry about it, your client has a great story to tell!!!
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff

[TideWater]

Look out Jim. Here they come.


Did you see where the hook point was located in the fish? If the hook point came through the mouth and stuck outside it was legal. If the hook point came through the outside of the mouth and stuck inside is was illegal. This is what I learned here.

[Oakie Drifter]

Tidewater, and gee, what state are we talking about anyway.....Oregon, Washington, KANSAS??? Glad Im not confused anymore : )

Hi Jim. That's a tough one to answer, but I will risk an opinion. While it may be technically against the letter of the law, if it was a legit bite hookup that you saw inside the mouth and it came unbuttoned as you were starting to net it I believe that it's ethical to keep the fish, and would not draw you a citation if wittnessed by an officer either. Because that's within the "spirit" of the law. It's a different deal to land a fish that didn't bite and got hooked on the outside of the jaw; let those go or you have unethically kept a snagged fish and that will get you a ciitation if you are in the binos or on camera. - RT

[Fishen Fool]

Ask the Salmonator if it is legal to gaff a Ling Cod that has chased a black rock fish to the surface.

[Salmonator]

Damn right it is and I didn't hear you suggest I turn it loose either!! Geez, take a guy bottom fishing and this is the thanks you get... (c;