This is one of those topics that no angler wants to talk about. Snagging fish is illegal and can get you into some serious trouble. After confering with other TFFers, I can not let this go over looked. This past Sunday I took my wife to go see how high the Sandylake Spillway was and still is. While there I noticed a fellow TFFer fishing. This individuals screen name on the forum is Fishist. He had a long stringer of smallmouth buffalo, so i decided to watch how he was catching them out of curiosity. I had never fished so I found it interesting to see how it was done. The way Fishist catches smallmouth buffalo is by rigging a snag lin consistant of 3 treble hooks about 8 inches apart and what looked like 2 oz. of lead weight at the end of his line and tries to snagg them. He is very sucessful at this. I would have called the game warrden but I forgot my cell phone at the house. I figured this was the next best thing. Fishist, quit poaching and learn how to catch fish the sportmans way, the right way, the legal way!

One can take a bow and arrow and slice a buffalo in half to throw on the bank and rot and no one says anything about that,This way by snagging the fish will be in tack and still good to eat for someone,Personally i don't have a problem with snagging a rough fish,Now if this was a game fish,A whole different story

JMO Snagg away those rough fish

buffalo are not game fish...they are rough fish

are you 100% certain that you can't snag rough fish? I couldn't find anything in the regs....but I do know that you can bowfish for carp and buffalo

if you find out for sure that you can't snag rough fish please post up a link

I guess you might not be able to snag fish because of the means (snagging). You can't be for sure what species you are going to snag

Pole and Line:
A line with hook, attached to a pole (includes rod and reel)
May be used to take GAME AND NONGAME fish.
It is unlawful to take or attempt to take fish with one or more hooks attached to a line or artificial lure used in a manner to foul-hook a fish (snagging or jerking). A fish is foul-hooked when caught by a hook in an area other than the fish's mouth ....

Seine:
A section of non-metallic mesh webbing, with the top edge buoyed upwards by a floatline and the bottom edge weighted. Includes a push net.
May be used to take NONGAME fish and shrimp only.
May not be longer than 20 feet.
May not have mesh exceeding 1/2-inch square.
Must be manually operated.
In SALT WATER, nongame fish may be taken by seine for bait purposes only...

Shad Trawl:
For use in FRESH WATER only. A bag-shaped net which is dragged along the bottom or through the water to catch aquatic life.
May be used to take NONGAME fish only.
May not be longer than 6 feet or with a mouth larger than 36 inches in diameter.
May be equipped with a funnel or throat and must be towed by boat or hand...

Spear:
Any shaft with single or multiple points, barbed or barbless, which may be propelled by any means, but does not include arrows.
May be used to take NONGAME fish only.
Speargun:
Any hand operated device designed and used for propelling a spear, but does not include the crossbow.
May be used to take NONGAME fish only...

Umbrella Net:
A non-metallic mesh net that is suspended horizontally in the water by multiple lines attached to a rigid frame.
May be used to take crabs and NONGAME fish only.
May not have within the frame an area that exceeds 16 square feet.

Lawful Archery Equipment
(includes longbow, recurved bow, compound bow and crossbow):
May be used to take NONGAME fish, channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish only.

Cast Net:
A net that can be hand-thrown over an area.
May be used to take NONGAME fish and shrimp only.
May not be greater than 14 feet in diameter.
In SALT WATER, nongame fish may be taken for bait purposes only.
Dip Net:
A mesh bag suspended from a frame attached to a handle.
May be used to take NONGAME fish only.
May be used to aid in the landing of fish caught by other legal devices.
In SALT WATER, nongame fish may be taken for bait purposes only.

Gig:
Any hand-held shaft with single or multiple points, barbed or barbless.
May be used to take NONGAME fish only.

I think the snagging is a defined as a non legal means for taking any aquatic species.

I would use the cast net if Carp were the target species. Lord knows a haul in enough when I am after shad.

I am glad someone finally caught this guy (Fishist) in the act !! It is a good thing you posted this in several section, and dont let anyone tell you any different !! Next time you see this take pictures or call the game warden !!

This guy has made posts about snagging in a couple different posts and several people have replied about it being illegal !!

As far as I am concerned there is no place on this forum for people who knowingly and purposfully break the law and laugh about it !!

Here are a couple of his posts that shows his aditude about the subject.....

http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...rue#Post1363400

http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/1257174/page/1/fpart/5

While you may have a point, you did not make it. The first link is dead and the second just talks about catchin fish... the old fashioned way. Did i miss something?

whooo hooo, 100 posts... i mean, ahem... well, you know...

Mark

I changed the link you can get to it know.

Im think the point was made by Fishist along time ago, there is no need for me to do so...

ok, if we're going to have a bashin here, lets get the Kingsford coals toasty hot and have them heavy nail studded clubs ready.... I'm ready for a good one since we wont be fishin for weeks!

People who break the law should be held accountable !! It has nothing to do with "Bashin" !!

Yet Another.

No bash here. Just illustrating the fact that "Snagging" is an unlawful way to harvest any species. A comment was posted saying there could be nothing found in the regulations specific to snagging. I C&P what I found. What you do and what looks back at you in the mirror when you brush your teeth is what makes up your character. I find no need to look over my shoulder.

Exactly what I said in another post... In the end that is what it is all about...

I agree.

I'm not sure if snagging carp is illegal, but if it is and the GW catches this guy, than he will have to answer for it. I try not get into anyone elses business, unless it effects the safety of myself or my family. We all break laws in one form or another, but this is why we have GW's and police. Is it a hard thing to see someone breaking the law? It depends on who's looking. I'm not claiming to be a saint, matter of fact, I'm far from it, but I don't believe in catching fish illegally. As for this Fishist person, if he continues to break the law, than he will eventually get caught. That is, if what he is doing is even illegal.