Legal Fish?

I know there was a post a few weeks back about breaking off and then catching your line again and bringing in the fish.

Well I experienced a first last night in a working man's tournament.

We were catching fish in the trees with 5xds in 15 - 20 ft of water. Suddenly my crankbait stopped vibrating and could feel weight on the end so I set the hook. Felt like a really small fish. Instead I reeled in some braided line.

Not wanting to leave it in the water I started pulling in the line. Then it tightened up and was apparent the lure was snagged. I pulled on it as hard as I could and finally pulled the lure out.

So I continue pulling in all of the line with suddenly a fish nails the lure. Pulled in a 16.5" largemouth. My buddy went to put it in the livewell and I told him, nah, I didn't catch that fish on my rod. He thought I was crazy but wouldn't even consider weighing that fish.

Tourney paid 3 places, I was tied for 4th with 2.0 lbs. 3rd place was 2.6 lbs.

Had another that if I swiped the tail I could get him to touch 14", threw him back too. Both of those would have been good enough for 2nd and $190. I'd rather forfeit $190 than to be known as that guy that tried to weigh in a 13 15/16" fish or a questionable handlined fish.

No regrets, no matter others opinions, would do the same next time.

What do you mean if you "swiped" the tail. If the fish measures then it measures...

TPWD says:

1. Place the fish on its side with the jaw closed.
2. For soft-tailed fish, squeeze the tail fin together to obtain the maximum overall length.

Every tournament I've been in they swipe the tail to make it as long as possible. That works for you & against you. If your fish touches 24" at Fork then it is considered legal. If it touches 16" then it is considered a Slot Fish.

Also I will add this. The person measuring the fish can make it 1/8" longer or shorter at their discretion depending on how much force they use to jam the fish's nose against the measuring board stop. Been there & done that.

I agree with you on not weighing the fish you hand-lined in. Most tourney rules state that a fish has to be caught on a rod & reel.

That second one is the one that's not really clear - it definitely says to squeeze the tail but it doesn't say anything about fanning it or moving it - since that same reg says for hard tail fish to move the tail to get the max length it looks like for bass you can only squeeze the tail not fan it or move it to make it longer.

Guess is just falls to the tournament rules and tournament director to decide.

Yes, not questioning the 14" fish, i know on my board it touched, but that was it, it touched. I was confident based on my golden rule it was legal.

Didnt want to show up to a working mans and have 1 person question the size or risk having it be a hair short on another board.

Im okay with that,dont need the money that bad, still just fishing for fun.

Just curious if anyone would have kept fish on the handlined rooster tail?

Agreed. But every event I have been to they swiped the tail back & forth to obtain maximum length.

One more thing to add based on personal experience. The Check It Stick and the Pro Rule will measure differently. Find out what the organization uses and use that stick to measure for that event.

Only if it would've been your line that you had broke off that day. Then I certainly would've weighed it in. I've broke off on a fish early, came back later and accidentally hung that same line in the trolling motor and it had a 5lber still on the end.

Yeah the first scenario I prob wouldn't have kept it either but makes for a great story!!

The 2d one if it touches the line at all it's a keeper!!

had a buddy this year on fork loose 6K because his check it stick measured differently from another check it stick!

this is pretty much where I stand

I'm not fishing high dollar tournaments, I fish the tournaments I do for fun. If a fish I catch isn't clearly OVER 14", I will turn him loose.

If a competitor weighs in a fish that touches 14" and beats me, I will shake his hand and say congrats.

Sounds like you did the right thing. Usually you hear of someone doing the total opposite in that situation and your reputation should be worth more than $190.

It you swipe the tale and it touches then I am weighin it in. The whole reason to enter a tournament is to win and NOT donate. he first fish goes back in.

Oh boy... Thats not good!

I am more interested in the fish that bit while you were pulling in a line than the measuring board, and I don't really know the answer. I fish Fishers of Men and I just looked at the rules. There is nothing there about the fish having to be caught using a rod and reel. It only says fish must be caught in a "sporting manner" and "no snagging". It also says no more than one rod and reel per angler can be used at one time.

I think it's an interesting question.

So one thing I "think" is meant here by swipe is that for salt water fish I think it is, you don't pinch the tail but swipe the tail towards the line and see if the longest part measures.

For bass, as someone mentioned, you pinch the tail and if it touches it's a keeper.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/fishing/measurement-tips

On the other one, most rules I've seen say something similar to, "... must be at least 14” long and caught on artificial bait with rod and reel..."

Sounds like it would be legal in a basschamps tournament.

I guess the question would be was you initial lure in or out of the water while you were pulling it in.

Both should count in my book you caught the first one.the second one sounds like a legal fish.There is too many gd rules now a days.I prolly would have done the same thing tho.

Crank bait was in the boat. Untangled the braid, set down rod and started pulling it in.

However one could argue the rooster tail and my crank bait were both in the water at the same time at one point. If you must finish a retrieve before you make another cast, sounds like only 1 lure in the water at a time.

Keeping the fish was never an option, but was interested to see the responses. Too bad it was the biggest fish of the day. Could have been one of the dinks we were catching.

Fishing partner tied it on and fished with it, never caught a fish.

I admire your integrity. Nice to see you value that more than $190.

-SSJr

If it touches 14" it's a legal fish, if you do not want to weigh a legal fish that is your business

If I have a fish that close to 14" I will measure it again before I put it in the weigh bag. I had one shrink one time....had to go weigh in with 4 fish.

On the flip side only one rod was used at the time and would be no different then a donkey rig or A rig.

hmmmm

Always best to err on the conservative side in a competitive event. You reputation takes many years to build and only a few minutes to screw it up.

I have also had a few fish that have shrunken up or grown in the live well during the day.

At one event on Fork my partner caught a perfect Under. 15 7/8" I measured it as soon as he landed it and put it in the well. Two hours later as we are idling out of the area I measure it again, perfect fish 15 7/8".

We filled our limit out early and culled 3 or 4 fish that were either smaller fish. Shortly after noon we caught another nice Under. We already had our limit so I pulled the 15 7/8 fish out and measured it again. It was perfect. I culled one of the smaller Unders and put the new fish in the box.

Two hours later we go to the weigh in dock and check in. We load the boat and drive around to the weigh in site. My partner starts bagging the fish. I tell him, "Just to be safe let's measure the fish one more time so we don't lose our entire catch for the day."

I throw that sucker on the board for the 4th time and it now goes 16 1/8 inches!! That fish grew 1/4" in my livewell!! Wouldn't have believed it unless I saw it with my own two eyes! So we look at each other in disbelief and go to weigh in with FOUR FISH!!

Yep that is always my concern.

First I hear of one growing, but I have heard of fish tensing up in the livewell and shrinking a little. I've never experienced it, cause I've never kept one that close.

I'm as competitive as anyone else with anything I do, but willing to sacrifice a few dollars to prevent any possible controversy.


Will probably go the rest of my life and never snag another line and then catch a fish while pulling it in to throw away.

Must be caught in a conventional manner, ie rod and reel. Pulling in a line by hand is unconventional, hence not allowed to keep that fish.

If you fish a lot of events on Fork you will experience it more than once. The first time someone told me about a fish shrinking or growing in their livewell I thought they were nuts but as it turns out, it is a real thing. The guys live & die by those 15 7/8 inchers at Fork. You will hook a five pounder and your partner will ask you if you need the net. You will tell him, "Nahh, it's another slot fish."

Then a few mins later you will hook a perfect two pounder and break your neck trying to get to the net!!