In the mouth only. I have said this before, I Marshall for BASS. I heard the talk about snagging then going on in the tournament. Lure was deemed “prototype”. Since tournament was won they had to release it. Another angler in that tournament in a prior series was caught snagging on live tv, see low budget live. Electronics is an extension of vision in real time, seeing not believing; believing is seeing ❣️
Then it’s a foul hooked fish and shouldn’t count. It’s a black and white standard and takes all the judgment out of it. It’s competition for a money prize. It needs to be an unquestionable rule and applied universally.
@@jsting100 I agree there needs to be a objective standard but that standard can allow for baits such as jerk baits, top waters or glide baits to allow hooks outside the mouth only if not using ffs or sight fishing
Thanks Mr Dudley for putting this controversy into the " spotlight" ! IMO I too believe there needs to be a review of rules on "foul hooked" fish. Looking forward to our leaders in the sport doing the right thing to insure the integrity- future of America's favorite pastime- Fishing!
I addressed this very point at our MLF official's meeting prior to Redcrest. It was made clear that the deciding factor is if the fish is "viewed with the angler's own eye". Just to make certain I understood, I pressed further to make it clear that viewing fish with electronics is NOT viewing with the angler's eye, so therefore "fouled hooked" bass, that are not seen with the naked eye, are deemed as scoreable bass. I do believe some more clarification is necessary and will be forthcoming to include ANY fish brought into the boat MUST be presented to the official for verification as to hook placement INSIDE the mouth as stated elsewhere in the rules. Years ago, way before FFS, on Lake Lanier in the winter, I remember "foul hooking" spotted bass deep with a Hopkins Spoon. While not intentional, it was fairly common. With today's electronic advancements, this cannot be allowed in "major" tournaments, jmo.
I’m struggling finding the best way to formulate my thoughts but here it goes…First off, way too many people have opinions and thoughts about FFS but have no clue how it actually works. It’s not as easy as it seems, but with any fishing technique, time on the water will make you tremendously good. I agree that some type of rule needs to be applied about the term sight fishing to FFS. I’m not for anything illegal so I agree 100% about making rules black and white. I think you’ve done a decent job thinking about perspective of both sides of the fence here. My question is what will happen when someone doesn’t see the fish on FFS and catch a fish outside the mouth?
It's pretty simple- As long as FFS is allowed every fish must be hooked in the mouth period. If your seeing the fish with your bare eyes or thru FFS in REAL time its the same thing! Seeing a fish and then circling around to where you can't see it is nonsense...you already know its there. 🤷♂
Keep this in mind. Alot of content creators will soon be irrelevant (unless its a FFS technique) if FFS keeps taking over the industry. The bait companies will be irrelevant too other than those that specialize in minnow baits and lead heads.
It will change everything we know about fishing. I hate what it's doing. I still enjoy casting, looking for fish. Nothing better than saying at the end of the day, "I figured them out".
My first thought but now I disagree. Who will fall the most and hardest will be smaller companies. Let me ask you this…how many fishing friends do you have that are for FFS as well as against it? I see a downfall at first, but it will pick back up with people wanting the “old-school” way.
I have been apart of 2 tournaments where the person snagged every fish they weighed in. And I really believe the KREJ bait was designed to make it easier to snag them.
Imagine my surprise to find out that snagging is actually legal in much of the country! Being from Michigan, I had no idea that it was legal to take fish hooked outside of the mouth(completely illegal here!
@@DavidDudley I'm not a tourney fisherman, and I have never used a glide bait, but I use jerk(minnow) baits and crank baits all the time and almost all the time the fish is hooked in the mouth! Once in a while one of the hooks is also outside, but unless I'm reading the comment wrong, you are saying that you rarely have a hook IN the mouth? That's...weird! It's illegal to take fish hooked outside of the mouth anyway, so I guess I don't understand the issue(at least for live well tourneys, I can see the issue with catch and release tournaments where the fish would be released immediately either way). Edited to say I now realize that in some states it's legal to keep snagged fish, never knew that!, I'm in Michigan, completely illegal here.
There are a lot of states that you can only catch a fish inside of the mouth. If the fish is snagged outside the mouth, then it has to be released. The state of Tennessee is one of them. We see tournament fishing on the TV that shows professional fishermen reel in and keep snagged fish every tournament? Why?
I bet, in smaller club, buddy tournaments, they are weighting down a devil horse or something, and using FFS to snag every bass they weight in. Something has to be done to stop technology from ruining all fishing. Call me an old timer. At least 5 years from now, ill still know how to flip, punch, crank, and drag.
That's assuming a lot. I'd assume by your statement you've done this or have and wanna shift the blame. Call me old fashion, I like catching the fish as much as you, but would never accuse someone or a group or people just because they use ffs and you don't of cheating.
If you believe you can snag a fish on ffs Todd Castledine offered up 10k for you to do it on his boat. It’s going to be basically impossible to snag a fish on ffs. The cone is 14 feet wide at 40 feet
@@fisherman7275 I'm not accusing anyone. I'm saying, that WILL BECOME A THING. There has been cheaters as long as there has been tournaments. I don't have FFS, and have no plans to get it. But if a cheater buys it, learns how to see fish, he WILL start snagging them. That's what cheaters do. Wasn't possible until live scope came along.
@@devinwillis7787 people have figured out how to get a bait in his face, they can figure out how to snag. I won't know, cause I don't want one. I love different techniques, and baits. My tackle locker on my boat has all kinds of lures. I want to figure out how to catch them on every one. My opinion is, people that buy FFS, are people that believe " as many fish as possible, any way it takes". I might spend all day, and force myself to get better with one specific bait. But I don't tournament fish anymore.
Randy is right. Used too, back in the 80s, we could ride around at night and spotlight deer, as long as we didn't have a gun. That's what using during practice would be like. Using on derby day, is like spotlighting, with a gun. Absolutely same thing. It's not fair chase to see a fish, and follow him around casting until it bites. All other fishing skill isn't needed. Just knowing where to cast to get on the fish. I'm old school. I think your knowledge and past experiences with different baits and styles are the only way to fish. If it's not fixed, 5 years from now, kids won't know how to flip a jig. Crank a ledge, or punch a mat. I hate what it's doing to the greatest sport.
@Gunrunner223 so have you ever used ffs? It's not like shooting a deer, apples to lemons. They don't ALWAYS bite. I'd say depending on water conditions, pressure, type of bass (spots are a lot more aggressive) you may be successful 30% of the time. I've seen it not work at all. Seen them run from a jig and minnow. I use it more to look at a spot, they may show themselves like they will visually with a big glidebait and give their location away, same with some baits on ffs. Then back off and fish a slow presentation, worm, grub, slow fished jig or small swimbait because I know those fish are there. Yep I used my ffs to locate them, but didn't use it to catch them. Be like spotlighting a deer in an area then putting a blindfold on and randomly shooting in an area in hopes of hitting one. Actually not even close. You can't compare hunting to fishing unless you're bowfishing. Bottomline, to be even a good consistent bass fisherman you have to be well rounded and know fundamentals and multiple techniques. Unfortunately ffs is a new technique. It's not an easy one either. I know great fisherman that can't catch a cold using it.
I thought in MLF no matter what way your catching them had to be hooked in the mouth whether it be bank or forward facing sonar? So your saying that everyone who his forward facing sonar fishing is basically jigging them everytime im kinda confused
I believe: a) fish being targeted with eyes or electronics which are NOT hooked in any part of the mouth, should be immediately released and b) sight fishing for any actively “spawning” fish (those who are rubbing/ejecting eggs) should be left alone. Do not bring a fish onto your boat that is losing eggs. It only takes them about 36/48hrs. Leave them be.
Do away with FFS. David, it's no different than spotlighting deer. Think about it. You riding down the road. Shine a light on the deer, and shoot at it. You might miss, you might get another shot, but more than likely, deer dies. Same as FFS. All other sonars, is like spot and stalk. Riding down the road, see a deer across a prairie. You stop, get out, make a plan, and get the wind in your favor, and stalk. He may have left over the ridge before you get there. He may have went and layed up for the day. You don't know, until you make the stalk. Think about it. Same thing as side scanning a ledge. You make a plan, ease back up. Maybe they left. Maybe they scattered. You won't know till you start casting different lures until they bite, or don't bite. FFS is not fair chase. Period. Neither is spotlighting deer.
@@Trump2024musthappen explain to me how it isn't like spotlighting? You shine around, find a bass, start casting one of 3 lures until he bites. Im not saying it doesn't take any skill. I know people who were amazing at spotlighting deer! They were professionals at it. Seriously. But it is a tactic, that let's you have immediate feed back on your bait. You don't have to wonder if he's there. Pick any pocket on the lake, ride around staring at the screen, see fish, cast till he bites. That's not fair chase fishing. When they come up with actual cameras that let's you see them, will that be ok too?
@@Trump2024musthappen no, I'm sure it's not just immediate fish in the boat. I'm sure it takes practice. BUT IT TAKE ONE STEP out of it! When I drag a Carolina rig across a point, I have a HOPE, there is fish there. When you use FFS, there is no doubt! YOU SEE THE FISH. You watch it react to your bait. I understand. Some people are "catch all bass, whatever it takes". Question, do you think using live bait should be allowed in tournaments? If not, WHY?
@@Gunrunner223 prior rules said no to live bait . The rules have not excluded electronic devices . 360 mega live , 2 d side scan or any fish finders . I'm down with cancellation but make it mandatory zero electronics . That's the only fair thing to do . Without those electronics you wouldn't see rock piles , bushes and schools of arches on the fish finder . Honestly it's all cheating when you get down to it not just ffs .
Forward facing sonar needs to be treated the exact same way as when fishing with your eyes. Heres the rule and it is really quite simple. When using forward-facing sonar or when sight fishing in any circumstances whatsoever, the angler must land the fish with the fish hooked inside of their mouth. This must be proved via visual confirmation to the official in the boat. If the hook is removed prior to visual confirmation, no matter how large the fish is, it doesn't count.
@@DavidDudley I know I replied on another comment...but how are you saying that jerk baits(I haven't used glide baits so cannot comment) are not hooked in the mouth? I use them all the time, especially rapalla and storm thundersticks(yep, I'm old school lol) and I can't recall the last time that at least one of the hooks was not in the mouth? They always are, usually the back hook!
The game is about catching fish? Have you ever went to a Boulder or brush pile after you caught a fish.. shame on you for going beck to that same spot... if you are good enough to trick a bass into biting twice a day weather it's April of September.. that's what this sport is about getting fish to bite
Out of curiosity, why the difference? On treble hooks or multi hook lures, you still have the main hook in the mouth pretty much every time. Also, it's not legal to keep fish hooked completely outside of the mouth anyway, so I'd think this is a moot point.
In Michigan, the hook has to be in the mouth by law, period. Interpretation of tournament rules doesn't matter. Maybe now, more states need that law that I had been trying to change but put on the back burner a while ago due to various discussions of angler ethics that I didn't have a 100% clear, consistent answer for. In the rules, you have to go by local laws.
I'm from Michigan and tbh I had no idea that any other states did it any other way! Also, respectfully, why were you trying to get that law changed? IMO it's a great law, and I'm stunned that it's not national. I DO understand it for fish like bighead/black carp that are filter feeders and simply don't typically take bait/lures, but for any fish that will take bait(pretty much everything we normally fish for), why would you want to allow snagging? Genuinely curious in case I've been missing something.
@@NightwingGR1 I think only a few states have specific regulations about the hook being in the mouth. I was not trying to allow snagging. Michigan has specific regulations about snagging 'equipment' that is illegal. I think many anglers don't understand all of that because there are waters that many regular bass lure hooks are not legal on those waters part of the year. I had wanted the regulation to be if you are purposefully trying to snag a fish, that is illegal, but if a fish swipes at your lure and doesn't get the hook in the mouth, or the fish is hooked multiple places and the hooks in the mouth come out while landing the fish, it is still legal. As I meant above, maybe there's no clear way to do that in regulations without allowing more illegal snagging? I haven't pushed the issue in a few years, and I think there are fellow outdoors people who don't want the regulation changed. It also has to be enforced, AND honored by bass tournament organizations.
You can't make the rule of any fish hooked outside the mouth not legal because then you have the Steve Kennedy swimbait in California issue. In the BPT make the rule you can't intentionally snag the fish on ffs and leave the bed fishing rule as is. Use Marshalls and polygraph to enforce. But here is a question for you. If you are visually fishing for one on the bed with a topwater and one treble hooks is outside the mouth, legal or not legal on current rules?
What about a jerkbait or a Glide bait they are hardly ever hooked inside the mouth.. if you throw a jerbait over the top of standing timber in the month of September does it still apply..
TAA is the way to go. It’s going back to the original B.A.S.S format. True fishing!… MLF and Elites just need to follow California rules. All game fish must be hooked inside of the mouth. We will never eliminate technology from the big box store tournament platforms; so let’s just make that one change and everyone will play by the rule.
I have to say that a clean rule would be out side the mouth does not count. With the FFS being so accurate it is to easy to snag a fish whether you intend to or not it will happen. The Classic and Red Crest were prime examples of fish being caught outside of the mouth.
Foul hooking and snagging isn’t the same thing really. The vast majority of fish on a jerk bait are hooked around the mouth but not directly inside it. You cannot snag something on ffs. If you believe you can then Todd Castledine has offered 10k for you to go on his boat and do it
@@devinwillis7787 I keep seeing this comment here(jerk/body bait fish not being hooked in the mouth), yet, I cannot recall the last time I caught a fish that was NOT hooked in the mouth(yes, sometimes the outside hook is outside of the mouth, but always the main hook is in it). I use mainly rapala and thundersticks, but I don't know why that would make a difference.
@@NightwingGR1 I caught 3 on a jerk bait not hooked in the mouth yesterday. Caught 7 on a crank bait and 2 of those came in with the back hook in the forehead. Seems like they often try to eat the front of my bat and get hooked on the way in
@@devinwillis7787 See to me, that's just the weirdest thing! I'm sure it's happened, but I seriously can't recall not having at least one(normally the rear hook) in the mouth. Regardless, I think given that it's not legal to keep fish hooked outside the mouth anyway, that it should sort itself out just by following state law.(should say that's the law in Michigan, I'm learning that it's not the same everywhere, but IMO it should be!)
@@NightwingGR1 I don’t really think it should be a law. If the fish attempted to bite the lure I don’t really care where it got hooked. That law isn’t going to stop people illegally snagging them anyway
I have seen fish on beds and pulled off and blind casted for them with a wacky rig, kind of similar, but I have to feel the bite. I think the problem is, are guys intentionally snagging fish?
Any fish caught outside the mouth doesn’t count🤷🏻♂️💯 fishing is not now or ever been about snagging in a tournament, and in my opinion even if you’re deep cranking and get one by the tail or side fin😮 should not count,though you may have been lucky,it’s not a fair catch💯🤷🏻♂️
It is typical for bedding fish to partially hold a bat in there mouth which causes unintended snagging of that fish. That being said, if the fish is guarding an area or specifically not chasing a bait it should have to be hooked inside the mouth. FFS or not. If the same fish reacts to and chases a jerkbait that it swipes at during the chase it should not have to be hooked inside the mouth. Just my opinion.
There is a fine line between snagging and caught outside the mouth unintentionally as in catching a bass on a jerkbait or crankbait that the fish swiped at. Then there is the angler who with malicious intent snags a big female off a bed with a tube/treble hook combo. For that matter I’ve seen many schooling bass caught on the top of the head with poppers and ploppers. Cheating is cheating whether it’s blowing out a bed so other anglers cant fish it or snagging fish or worse filling your fish with lead. FFF is a tool that may or may not be detrimental to the sport however it still doesn’t always ID bass as bass and Ive had a couple laughable tournaments where my boater chased hybrid striper thing they were LM so until it has an alam that goes of only when its sees a bass its still just a locator.
Any fish seen during the spawn any stage or on live sonar must be hooked inside the mouth during tournament competition. This is how I would write the rule
It’s damn near impossible to snag a bass using ffs. Bass are way too fast, but sometimes they swipe at a lure and get foul hooked. But you’re never gonna see a bass and snag it intentionally.
Looking at a fish with Live sonar should be considered in the same rules as sight fishing. Consider this. I look at your chest. I know your heart is on the Left side of your chest and need to put a needle in it to save your life. I may or may not hit the exact spot. But, if I use an ultra sound machine “Live Scope” I know I will hit it. In this instance, the ultra sound machine was my eyes. To make it simple, the rules should just state all fish must be caught in the mouth period.
I have foul hooked quite a few bass while fishing a spoon. Had I been fishing a tournament, I wouldn't consider it a legal catch. Competition or money shouldn't outweigh ethics.
I must have misunderstood, I thought we were talking about when FFS was being used. FFS should have the same rules as sight fishing. It's just sight fishing via electronics.
In my opinion there is no way you can snag a fish on purpose with electronics. The rules should stay the same if you see it with your eyeballs and snag it you have to throw it back. If you see it on electronics and it gets hooked outside the mouth it’s legal just like a fish blowing up on a top water while schooling. If someone can snag a fish with electronics then there is another level of human that I’m not aware of or have come in contact with.
The outside of the mouth rule should be done away with altogether. Accidental and intentional are two different things and should be treated accordingly
In a perfect world, the rule would just say you can't intentionally snag a fish that didn't bite. I don't care how you are fishing if the fish attempts to bite and you catch him it should be legal. It's not a perfect world so I know the problems with this. As of now I wouldn't include electronic sight fishing in the rule. I also wouldn't include the stage of the spawn in the rule because it's irrelevant. When sight fishing the fish must me hooked inside the mouth. Period end of story next lol.
@DavidDudley tell me about it. There's so many problems with this rule. Like a sight fish can explode on a top water and get hooked outside mouth and by anyone's standards that should be a legal catch. If we could enforce it, like I said, it should only be against the rules to intentionally snag hook a fish that didn't bite. I am of the opinion that if the fish bites it should be legal. But it's unenforceable and the line has to be drawn somewhere.
It all comes down to INTEGRITY David. If you are cranking a ledge and snag a fish that’s different then using FFS to snag one. I wish everyone would be honest and have some integrity!
a jerkbait or Glide bait they are hardly ever caught inside the mouth.. let's say it is a Sept brushpile fish and a spotted bass fishery... I have a spotted bass bite the back end of a worm and I catch him on outside of mouth... are you going to keep him? I'm going to say yes for you... OK let's say it's April they are spawning and you see a stump with a fish beside it ... you throw a lizard and same thing catch it just on the outside of mouth.. never saw it with human eyes... how is that any different
@@DavidDudley you are absolutely correct! You KNOW if you are cheating! If you purposely target a fish on ffs and purposely snag it then you’re cheating. If you purposely see a bed fish, back up 75 yards and yeet your 4/0 treble hooks at it and snag it then you’re cheating. Unfortunately there are some people that who aren’t honest and don’t care if they are cheating or not. So unfortunate that we even have to have this conversation.
EASY fix!!! ALL fish must be hooked in the mouth, regardless of technique used. This eliminates the responsibility of the angler trying to figure out what "phase" it's in. Also, eliminates whether FFS usage constitutes sight fishing. TOO easy!!!
When snagging them on live tv redcrest he should not have been allowed to weigh them in. You see them with your eyes with ffs. I like ffs just have to have bait in mouth to be allowed all the time.
Come on, if you jerkbait fish you catch them all the time on the outside of the face. There is always a lag in ffs. If you feel a bite whether it’s in a foot of water or 20 ft. Of water you set the hook. Maybe it comes down to each anglers own ethics. My own opinion is if you are seeing a fish with your own eyes it has to be in the mouth, otherwise there’s to much gray area.
its a shame the money got so big,took the fun out of fishing.. lots of drama lately,cause guys so serious ..i understanding ,i would be intense also..politics are in everything...rules are rules,as long as everyone follows them #fbd
Now you guys can pound spawners that you can't even see, because of dingy water. FFS will cause many to get a regular job if this keeps up. Without TV the money won't be there. Why did the MLF do away with the smallmouth dates up north? because they couldn't even watch that boring FFS crap.
All I keep hearing from the pro-FFS guys is how much we are learning about bass behavior and all the things we've learned over the last 50 years is now wrong. I guess there needs to be new rules now to be consistent with all the new knowledge? Complete nonsense!
I love FFS rec fishing. But it is flat ruining, watching, tournament fishing. It's so painful and boring that I stopped watching my MLF after just getting back into watching it 3 years ago. Watching a guy standing there eyes glued to his screen dangling a crappie jig on a spinning rod? I only watch tournaments to see anglers 'moves' under pressure. No thanks to this stuff.
I'd say no matter what stage of the spawn they're in or even if it's just sunning itself under a log in October snagging is snagging whether you see it with your naked eyes or with the forward facing sonar you're still seeing the fish and I believe it should still have to be hooked inside the mouth .
@@DavidDudleysnagging on live is impossible. If you think you can do it Todd Castledine will give you 10k if you can do it on the front of his boat. There is no reason to change anything other than going off what the legal rules are for the state.
The only other two other ways to regulate it are. No FFS allowed or FFS allowed for practice only. You would have to use some kind of transducer lock out device like TAA is using right know on Lake Lanier.
Laws around me are anything outside the mouth is not a legal catch, all tournaments ive fished you must obey all state and federal laws. So if it's not legal by the state why would it be a legal catch in the tournament? Ffs or not . Being ignorant to laws of other states i don't know of other states allow snagging to be a legal catch or not.
Its very simple. Call it the California rule. A bass has to be hooked inside the mouth to be a legal catch. Period. Id dont matter time of year or intent.
I wish I had a nickel for every fish I’ve caught on the outside of the mouth with a crank bait or jerkbait before ffs lol. Pretty the goat would have a few less titles if he hadn’t caught a few key fish that were hooked on the outside of the mouth back before ffs.
You are a Professional Angler, competing against other Pros who are the “best” in the world….. You know when it’s in the mouth no matter what time of year, and no matter what tool you use, if you snag one, it’s a foulhooked bass if and when it’s outside the mouth… if someone wants to make up a BS scenario ,they need to check their own integrity ,because we all know what inside the mouth looks like and if you foul hook one by accident or on purpose and it’s outside, 😮😢😢 then sorry about your luck🙏🤷🏻♂️ I’ve never weighed in a foul hooked bass even if it was caught in the tail on a lipless crankbait 😮😮😮
Dudley You are what I consider as an old pro.I know that you have the knowledge on how to catch Bass without FFS.These young dudes can't compete without it.I learned how to fish with 2d sonar.I have never needed FFS.
The answer is simple! No tournament angler should ever count a snagged fish!! If a lure has multiple hooks or treble hooks, at least one hook must be in the mouth. Simple rule wording, done!
What is ffs didn't exist and you backed 69feet off a fish a triangulated where the bed was but then hooked it outside of the mouth....you weren't sight fishing correct?
I wasn't aware rules were different for snagging weather it was a pre or spawn, or post fish? A snag is a snag regardless if you see it or not. it is not a fair catch in my eyes. No snagged fish should count! If I accidentally snag a fish. I would say I snagged that fish. I didn't catch it. Catching a fish is getting them to bite your bait. That stupid simple...?
I believe that any fish hooked outside of the mouth is a no catch. Tournament rules are way over analyzed, so make them simple with little to no interpretation. For single hook baits, if a fish is hooked anywhere on the fish besides on the inner part of the lip and mouth, it's a no catch. For multiple hooked lures, if there is one hook on the inside of the lip or mouth, it is a catch, but if there are no hooks present and hooked in the mouth, it is a no catch. That is how I would write that rule.
Anyone remember the Bassmasters at Clear Lake. Kennedy was throwing back 6-8lb fish because they ate the 8" Huddleston and were hooked on the outside of the mouth. CA law. Im against any intentional snagging of bass. But we have all caught bass on the outside of the mouth, especially with treble baits. Jerkbaits being the worse because they swipe at it. Has to be a grown up in the room that will put their foot down and state, "no fish will be a legal catch if Visually fishing for it(with their eyes not electronics) if caught outside of the mouth." Yes then you have the push back " but what about if they use ffs, thats cheating and should be applied the same way!" At which point we refer to the rule of unsportsmanlike conduct, if you automatically think or call those that choose to fish differently then you but within the rules of legally fishing, your conduct can be considered unsportsmanlike and negative towards others who didnt break a rule, but your "feelings " , you can be disqualified. We are a group of fisherman some love to compete, if you don't that's fine. But don't bring your opinions to something you don't participate in and only watch. Those that do participate, treat your fellow competitors and fisherman with respect, if you are sowing division in the sport based on feelings, you are not showing good sportsmanship and being a steward for the sport.
RULE 347: SIGHT FISHING -if you’ve seen or can see a bass physically or electronically LIVE it must be caught in the mouth. RULE 348: LIVE ELECTRONIC FISHING - All fish caught in vessels with live imaging must be caught in the mouth. That’s my 2 cent.. great take on the topic David.. thanks
I think the inside/outside the mouth rule is pretty dumb. If it was a bite (the fish actually attacked the lure) it should count. During the spawn, it's pretty easy to tell the difference between a bite that hooked the fish inside or outside the mouth versus someone taking a treble hook bait and snagging a fish in the back/side.
November 2025 will be episode 2 of this series, like the test pool series, an episode every one and a half to ywo years. That being said, I'm definitely looking forward to both
Its almost impossible to go with the internet of snagging bass on livescope, any bait thrown with more than one hook you will have fish hooked out side the mouth. It may have been hooked in the mouth but throws a hook while fighting now you have one hook under the mouth in a gill plate so now all those fish are now throw backs? So now you might as well get rid of jerk baits and big cranks.
Except, it's illegal to retain fish that are snagged or foul hooked. I can see a grey area in MLF fishing where the fish are immediately released anyway, but it's literally not legal to keep fish caught outside of the mouth, so it's pretty much a moot point as putting them in the live well is not legal. I'm confused as to why this is even an issue!
Most States fishing regulations say that hooking any fish anywhere but the mouth has to be released or you're breaking the law. BASS lets an angler count a foul hooked fish but MLF doesn't. Whether it was intentional or not, foul hooked fish should not count.
How is BASS allowing this, when they are catch and keep tournaments(by keep, I mean retaining until weigh in). I admit I just recently started following tournments out of curiosity, but in Michigan where I live it's strictly illegal to retain a fish that's snagged/foul hooked, and I know there have been BASS tournaments here(St. Clair for certain), so how was that allowed when state law is otherwise? I can't imagine that BASS somehow gets an override of state fishing regulations.
