Thread: A Legal Question, Tell me your thoughts, Please!!!

Originally Posted by ironman172

Dang.....I have only used a bubble a couple of times....your in luck, I won't be there so leave your football helmet at home.....and yes setting the hook with a snatch hook can get messy when missed

I will have the proper equipment for this, my next time down ....both rod and reel....for snatching
a googan for sure with a new toy....It's all Chef's fault

You are right Bill, Justin started it all . I have invested in some snatch hooks ,just because you two looked like you were having too much fun for someone else not to join the party .I have learned that it is not just throwing and jerking . There are some technical skills involved in order to be successful . Roy is the true master !

Fly guy:
Sorry about the treble hook answer. I thought you were referring to a treble style gaff hook rather than a snatch hook. A snatch hook would be way to small and as anyone would tell you, a treble gaff would work but four hook gaffs are a lot more reliable. It seems the 3 hook gaffs are never facing the right direction.

+1 for the rope. Buy a net without a rope and get the thicker rope from a hardware/marine store. The thin poly ropes are not only slippery and get twisted/tangled easily but can be tough on the hands with heavier fish. J&M does have some reasonably priced nets and is a great place to shop. They probably have the rope you'll want too.

I would would much prefer a net so unwanted or undersized fish can be successfully released. The survival rate is much less if the fish is punched full of holes!!!

Good luck, the preparation is always part of the fun!

Originally Posted by fshntime

Fly guy:
Sorry about the treble hook answer. I thought you were referring to a treble style gaff hook rather than a snatch hook. A snatch hook would be way to small and as anyone would tell you, a treble gaff would work but four hook gaffs are a lot more reliable. It seems the 3 hook gaffs are never facing the right direction.

+1 for the rope. Buy a net without a rope and get the thicker rope from a hardware/marine store. The thin poly ropes are not only slippery and get twisted/tangled easily but can be tough on the hands with heavier fish. J&M does have some reasonably priced nets and is a great place to shop. They probably have the rope you'll want too.

I would would much prefer a net so unwanted or undersized fish can be successfully released. The survival rate is much less if the fish is punched full of holes!!!

Good luck, the preparation is always part of the fun!

Thank you for the advise on the proposed gaff, it was just another dumb idea, you guys have been there and that is why I asked. Experience is such a good teacher. You are so right about the preparation, I have been organizing for months and now I'm starting to assemble, after the holidays pack, drive and then "Fish ON!!!!" Thanks, Fshntime!!!!

Originally Posted by ironman172

Dang.....no need for extra rope, I will have extra long zip ties and duck tape to make it easier on you guys ....unless you just need practice on your rope knots.

Sorry, You two look so much alike!!

I haven't snatched in 35 years or so. As a kid, I'd snatch sheepshead because that was the only way that I could catch them. Now, I know that it was mostly my lack of skill/knowledge that kept me from catching them. Today, I don't pass judgement on those who snatch sheepshead legally because I used to fish for them that way. One also doesn't know about the circumstances of other fishermen and they might not be able to afford to buy live bait every time they go fishing.

That said, when it comes to mullet, there's a really good answer for "Why poke holes in a perfectly good fish?" - To catch them and put them in the cooler! You're not going to catch them any other way, if you can't use a large cast net. Mullet are really strong fighters, I like the way that they taste, and they're relatively easy to fillet.

Likely, I'll revisit snatching if for no other reason than putting me back in touch with my youth. For me, it's all about taking advantage of outdoor experiences and having fun!

Regarding gaffing vs netting, most of the time, I'm netting. I only gaff kings and cobia from the pier. I always have my pier net when I'm pier fishing so that other fishermen can borrow it if they need it.

Another legal question, can u only snatch sheepshead and mullet?

Originally Posted by kastlemac85

Another legal question, can u only snatch sheepshead and mullet?

in Alabama, anything but gamefish (speckled trout, redfish, tarpon).

Originally Posted by Pier#r

in Alabama, anything but gamefish (speckled trout, redfish, tarpon).

So a sheepshead is not a game fish?????????????

Nope, sheepshead is not a game fish. It is also commercially harvested, though not in large numbers. But many of the local seafood shops will have them.

Originally Posted by CarlF

Nope, sheepshead is not a game fish. It is also commercially harvested, though not in large numbers. But many of the local seafood shops will have them.

Thank you, Carl!! Is it considered to be unethical to do it? Like shooting a sitting duck, you just don't do it. I could see that it could work on sheepshead, if you wanted to catch a fish that way. At one time, in the 70's, you could "snag" salmon because they would die anyway and if you "snagged" them and kept them, they would,'t die and float to the shore and stink the place up. Now it's a $500.00 fine if you get caught with a foul hooked salmon. Many people do get caught foul hooking in the Fall when they spawn. The meat isn't very good when you catch them in that stage of their life, so I always release all of them in the Fall, foul hooked or not. It's hard to foul hook them when you are fly fishing but it does happen.