Thread: Snagging on the pier?

There is a chance that I'm ill informed but I heard that snagging was no longer allowed on our pier? If I'm wrong there's no sense reading any further.... The reason cited was "safety concerns". Snagging fish isn't what I care to do but I think it has a history on the pier and I appreciate gathering food and if that's how it's done (and legal) more power to you.

What bothers me, if true, is that the "safety concern" has nothing to do with safety but some people think it's not fair and is unsportsman like. No fishing method employed on the pier could be more dangerous than slinging a Gotcha. Second only to a bubble rig but there's no problem with that.

I removed a LOT of hooks from folks over the past couple of years. None of them had anything remotely to do with snagging. Again-if I'm wrong I apologize but if it's been dis-allowed let's state the real reason.

I totally agree with you it looks like to me that a few of the rules have been singled out to go against the fishermen. Yesterday there was one boat tied up to the Octi under one of the down lights and another just right off the east side. The one rod rule that everyone said needed to be enforced even if there was only one guy fishing was totally ignored on Saturday and when I left people were swimming all under the pier.

Yes. Certainly not our duty (job) to enforce, but they should be pointed out to violators and reported (if necessary)...

https://www.alapark.com/parks/gulf-state-park/fishing-and-education-pier

2. One fishing rod in use at a time

PROHIBITED list posted at the pier (3rd down, middle row)...

Damn,...and I was working on a plan to slingshot my firework tipped spear from a hoverboard.
Oh well,...guess it’ll have to just be regular ole’ fishing from now on.

I've seen a bunch of guys snag mullet on the pier in the limited time I've spent there in previous years. They never caused any kind of a dangerous situation, and as David Lea pointed out, certainly much safer than some of the gotcha slingers or sabiki swingers I've seen. Snagging mullet and some other species is 100% legal. I fail to understand why its now outlawed on the pier.

Perhaps I am unclear on "snatch hook", but I understand that to be a weighted treble. East coasters cast those into bunker (a.k.a. pogie) schools to snag and drop baits to waiting predators below. As such they can be cast quite far and have heft behind them. If this rule is about this particular bit of tackle and not the act of snagging, an unweighted treble dropped on mullet schools would still be permitted since it is a safer bit of kit. I hope someone on site can politely clarify if this bans the whole technique or just a particular tool.

Other changes I see on quick perusal include Sabiki limit of 6 hooks. I think it was 5 before, which made no real sense since many come pre-tied with 6.

Older copies of the rules listed "beach umbrellas" (presumably free-standing) but now only "umbrellas". I have chair-attached umbrellas I hope are still ok for a bit of shade.

Wire minnow traps join wire crab traps as illicit. I have seen single metal crab traps with no bigger footprint than a crab ring (sides fold up to trap the crab), but knowing that some recreational crab traps around are as big as an ottoman, I can see why it is easier to ban them all.

It was discussed in the rules meeting and it was decided to not make rules for things that weren't a problem. The truth is that there's never been a documented incident involving an injury associated with snagging on the Gulf Shores Pier.

My other recollection about the conversation was that ANY person acting in an unsafe manner can be reported and that the legal harvest of certain fish by snagging would continue. That being the case it's unclear as to why snagging was added to the list.

#13- feeding birds

This is bad- I've seen what lazy pelicans can do when they're hungry.

Originally Posted by david lea

There is a chance that I'm ill informed but I heard that snagging was no longer allowed on our pier?

Maybe we can get a clarification from the ranger-guys when we see them on the pier. My understanding from the meeting was that they wouldn't "outlaw" snagging. My question is - "Who put the rule in place or came away with a different understanding - and why".