New lure and hooking rules in place
to curtail salmon snagging

OLYMPIA-Anglers heading out for river fishing are reminded that new lure and hooking rules aimed at curtailing snagging activity are in place in some areas of the state. The rules affect waters with non-buoyant lure restrictions in effect.

Under one of the new regulations, any angler using a buoyant lure (one that floats in freshwater) in waters with non-buoyant lure restrictions must attach the hook to the floating lure or below it but within three inches of the lure. No hook may be tied above the lure. Weights may not be attached below or less than 12 inches above a buoyant lure. The single-hook restriction does not apply to a buoyant lure.

In addition, new regulations adopted during the North of Falcon salmon-season-setting process specify that only fish hooked inside the mouth may be retained on the Green, Kalama and Washougal rivers in southwest Washington when non-buoyant lure restrictions are in effect.

"Anglers need to pay extra attention to gear rules this year anywhere there are non-buoyant lure restrictions," said Patrick Frazier, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Fish Program Manager in southwest Washington. "With the low water levels we're seeing this year, it's especially important to be mindful of gear restrictions."

The buoyant lure restrictions were adopted earlier this year as part of the permanent rule process in an effort to curtail illegal snagging activity. Snagging refers to attempts to take fish with a hook and line without the fish voluntarily taking the hook in its mouth. Except for rivers listed above, in freshwater it is illegal to possess any fish hooked anywhere other than in the mouth or on the head (defined as any portion forward of the rear margin of the gill plate), another permanent regulation adopted this year.

I am not a rocket scientist so I am not sure what this exactly means can someone please explain. Does this include corkies and wing bobber?

it means you can't have the hooks above the lure on anything that floats

also, you can't put weight below your hook

on the listed rivers, you can't keep a fish hooked outside of the mouth

those seem like common sense regulations to me, should stop some of the more thick headed snagging idiots

It mean no snagging

It means you can't fish with a hook above a spark plug.

Snagging is illegal (obvious, I know) but NOW the rules are precise and SPECIFIC.
So no arguing with the fish cops about how that spark plug "has special feesh attractin' qualities" and "only works if I rig 'er up like this"
The "in the mouth" part means if yer linin' and the hook catches the gill plate or eye socket or nose, "FOUL BALL"

Which, in the spirit of sportsmanship, is not truly a "take"- no arguing that the fish "turned" or "swatted" or whatever, "FOUL BALL"

And yes I have kept a few hooked in the side of the face or nose, since at that time on that river the rule was "gill-plates forward". I have gently reminded ("YOU DUMBA$$, That's illegal...") many folks that the anal vent is not the mouth and surely isn't "gill-plates forward"
Nor are pectoral, dorsal or belly hooks.
To me the specifics make sense; they have spelled it out!

The Irony is thus:
Those that the rules are aimed at don't read the reg.'s anyway!


That's my take.

Finally, no one has an excuse now. We'll see how it holds up on the puyallup this year. But it don't look to good cuz i agree Phreak, "those guys" don't read the regs anyways. It's really pathetic.

does this mean that you can't use a plug as a bait diver?

I was coming home today from a day out fishing,(No Luck) And stopped by coulter creek hatchery. I like to see if the fish are in yet, Their not. Anyway the two guys I stopped to talk with were getting ready to go fish the creek. Now I know this creek is open for fishing, but there is no way to cast, or is there any water for fish to run in, so I don't fish it. I did ask these two fine young men about the area and what it was like to fish up above the hatchery. Just then it hit me right in the eye, the A-holes had fluorescent red Buz Bombs on the end of their lines. Treble hooks blazing in the sun. They said the fishing was pretty good.

Well you know I have thrown a B/B before but never in a damn near dry creek. If you call the Gameie will he do anything? These kind of people TICK me off to know end. What can you do to stop them?

that is an interesting question

This means they are crackin down a little on the obvious snaggers.Which it's about time.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

quote:
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Originally posted by larryb:
does this mean that you can't use a plug as a bait diver?
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That is why I posted that because the rules could mean so many things. I understand the snagging set up just wondering about plugs, spin and glows

Hey-
I don't think a plug as a diver is considered a lure, but a wieght:

"Weights may not be attached below or less than 12 inches above a buoyant lure."

All the regulations in the world are worthless unless there is someone there to enforce them.

Last year, even with the new "bait-in-motion" regs, there still wasn't anyone on the Kalama River (e.g., the RV Park) around Labor Day to curb the snagging. Unless there is a game warden handing out tickets, the snagging crowd will, once again, camp out at the RV Park and snag/release until they "catch" one in the mouth. Meanwhile those of us legal anglers will catch almost zero because the fish are harassed to death.

If these new regs don't change the situation on the Kalama, I may propose to the Commission that they impose a "flies only" section from I-5 all the way to Modrow Bridge. That would be unfortunate, but drastic situations call for drastic changes.

The Kalama River in early September is a prime example.

"The Kalama River in early September is a prime example."

Same with the Skoke.

What really gets me is watching the snaggers take pictures of their fish. What a joke.

My personal opinion is they should either close the river, or change the regs to allow snagging. You would have to keep the first fish you snag then get off the river. It would have less impact on the fish, and free up the river for people that want to fish the right way. I know this may sound ludicrous, but without enforcement laws are useless.