Before I got my boat, I enduldged in the "lining" festivities on hatchery dominated runs. In my circle of fishing buddies we had a code that we imposed on each other. If the fish was hooked in the mouth then it was fair game, under the chin, in the nose or anywhere else in the head was not acceptable. If you foul hooked a fish (tail, belly, side, etc.) you would break them off immediately. Usually you could tell by the fight if it was fair or not.

I am shocked and appalled by the increased number of blatant snaggers over the past few years, you know the guys that set the hook every 10 seconds and at the end of the drift or those jigging with huge gibbs minnows.

Also I have encountered many newbies who actually think the fish are biting when casting a hook with a tiny 4mm bead and others that believe that a fish hooked anywhere in the head is fair game. Sometimes a line job does feel like a bite until you land it and closely look at the hook placement. If the fish is in the mouth, it is impossible to "PROVE" that the fish did not bite in a court of law.