Accidentally Snagged Fish

[ozark trout fisher]

That's basically my policy. Even if you leave a barbed hook in a fish, it will usually find its way loose eventually. Anything is better than fighting a foul-hooked big fish for 20 minutes. He's sure to die that way.

Yeah, that's what I though too. The fish was pretty decent sized, so it would have taken a bit to bring him in.

I fought a similar sized fish (fair hooked of course) yesterday, and it took me a good 15 minutes to land. I can't imagine a tail hooked fish would survive that.

[laker67]

Playing out a foul hooked small fish, to retrieve your fly, is ok provided you are not in a crowd of other fishermen. Such as a trout park. Letting that foul hooked fish invade the other fishermen's water is rude to say the least. It not only interupts their fishing, but it could also relocate any fish that may be laid up in front of them. I would also recommend that you immediately break off any lunker sized fish.

[stlfisher]

I almost always practice c/r but I always keep an empty stringer on hand. That way when I invariably foul hook a fish, deeply hook a fish, or stress a fish I can keep those that might otherwise die after release. If I am at trout park and tearing them up this usually will get me a fish or two to eat that would have gone to waste. I would rather people keep these fish than see them die later and go to waste.

[laker67]

I almost always practice c/r but I always keep an empty stringer on hand. That way when I invariably foul hook a fish, deeply hook a fish, or stress a fish I can keep those that might otherwise die after release. If I am at trout park and tearing them up this usually will get me a fish or two to eat that would have gone to waste. I would rather people keep these fish than see them die later and go to waste.

It would be illegal, to take into possession, that foul hooked fish. That applies to "all" gamefish in missouri.

[ozark trout fisher]

I almost always practice c/r but I always keep an empty stringer on hand. That way when I invariably foul hook a fish, deeply hook a fish, or stress a fish I can keep those that might otherwise die after release. If I am at trout park and tearing them up this usually will get me a fish or two to eat that would have gone to waste. I would rather people keep these fish than see them die later and go to waste.

I agree that deep hooked trout should be kept when legal, as well as those that are so played out that they can't be revived. But like Laker said, it isn't legal to keep foul hooked trout, and it's catch and release season at the trout parks anyway. But I do generally agree with you point of view on keeping mortally wounded trout when the law says its OK.

[Guest]

deleted

[stlfisher]

Well I am little embarrased! Thanks for the clarification on the regulations. I never knew that about accidentantly foul hooked fish. I always thought intent was the key, but I guess you can't prove

poaching (purposely snagging a fish in this case) vs. accident (one that strikes and get's

foul hooked). Now that I think about it it would leave too much room for interpretation.

I obviously do not keep fish during the winter C/R season. I really don't keep them at all.

[Paola Cat]

I foul hooked one yesterday at BSSP. It was border line trying to bring that fish in ... in the heavy current. Finally got the fish in and released it. Had it been just another minute or two ... I would have snapped him off. We pretty much had the entire park to ourselves so there wasn't any etiquette issue. I kind of "play it by ear". If it's a large fish .... I snap them off. On all others it depends on the water conditions and where they're hooked. Like it or not, it happens .... it's pretty much just a park occurrence for me. I suspect that it happens frequently for the guys fishing the Taney outlets too. PC

[ozark trout fisher]

Well I am little embarrased! Thanks for the clarification on the regulations. I never knew that about accidentantly foul hooked fish. I always thought intent was the key, but I guess you can't prove

poaching (purposely snagging a fish in this case) vs. accident (one that strikes and get's

foul hooked). Now that I think about it it would leave too much room for interpretation.

I obviously do not keep fish during the winter C/R season. I really don't keep them at all.

No need to worry. It sounds like your intentions are good. I guess I'm not even totally sure that fish that are accidentally foul hooked can't be legally kept during the regular season. Maybe someone can fill us in.

[laker67]

No need to worry. It sounds like your intentions are good. I guess I'm not even totally sure that fish that are accidentally foul hooked can't be legally kept during the regular season. Maybe someone can fill us in.

You cannot keep a foul hooked game fish under any circumstance. It's in the code book. This applies to all waters of the state where a fishing permit is required.