legal fish or not?

several years ago on another forum there was a hellacious debate over a fish being legal to weigh in or not...
the situation was a guy was fishing a jig and hung a big bass in or near a brushpile....fish wrapped him up in the brushpile and guy spent several minutes trying to dislodge the fish from the brushpile and finally gave up and broke his line...
he is sitting down on front deck re-tying when the fish swims to the surface next to the boat and guy grabs his net and scoops him up still with his jig in his mouth...as I recall his story,he didn't know whether he could weigh the fish in or not and his partner convinced him they couldn't so he took his jig out of the fish's mouth and turned the fish loose.....
what's your thoughts? legal fish or not?
(wish I knew how to do one of those polls where you vote)...

I leaning towards no

If it's your jig, certainly legal. I broke one off in the pads about 9am on braid in a Basschamps. Came back about 2pm to fish the area and the trolling motor got hung up on something. I pulled it up to find the braid wrapped up in the TM. I unwrapped the braid and decided to go get my hook back from earlier. I broke off a full cast, appx 50ft of braid. As I got to the end where it was wrapped up in the pads I realized there was a 5lber still on the end. Partner grabbed the net and scooped her up. Culled up 3lbs and got a good check. I see no issue when guys do this as long as it actually was theirs. Ethically there's no issue in my opinion

I would not have kept it for a tourney but I sure would have gotten a pic.

Leaning toward the same for Jaret’s situation. I just don’t feel that would be a legal catch.

If you break off while reeling it in and see the line and then grab it and handline it in 99% would call that legal. What changes it if you leave that spot and come back a couple of hours later and have the same situation as Jaret? Why would his fish not be legal if he can verify his line, his bait? Either way its handlined in and should be legal.

Was in tournament flipping reeds. Got a bite and set the hook. Line broke at the rod tip. Boat blew off the reeds and I retied. Eased back up to the reed bed and saw the tag end of my line from before floating on the water. Grabbed it and slowly took out all the slack. In one motion swung a 3 pounder into the boat. Called the tournament director and he said it was a legal fish and throw it in the live well if I wanted.

Call the TD , good call .

My son had one yesterday that broke him off on a jig. The bass the start's jumping with his jig right at the boat. We started wondering the same thing. Would it be legal to keep. Could have netted him but was not sure if would have been legal. He jumped 4 to 5 times tring to throw that jig.

IMHO there is nothing morally,ethically or logically wrong with weighing in a fish a fish that you hooked whether the fish broke off and surfaced by the boat or he fell off the hook as you netted him..MAIN THING TO FOCUS ON IS THAT YOU ENTICED THAT FISH TO BITE AND YOU LANDED THE FISH......it isn't like this happens every tournament,99% of the time you are not going to catch that fish that broke the line and only once or twice in a career are you gonna get that lucky.....

Just saying I would not feel right and I wouldn’t weigh it.

What if you have broken off in practice....same line and lure....break off during tourney....then snag a line. It is your line and lure. I wouldn’t feel right catching a fish that way.

Not saying that am right...but I couldn’t pass a lie detector in either case.

what about you hooking a fish and it jumps right beside the boat,the hook comes out but your partner catches it in the net..... since you were disconnected from the fish....would you count the fish?

I'd say no on the OP question. Netting it after the fact is not a TPWD state legal method for taking a gamefish.

On the situation directly above, I'd say ok.

Another situation I personally struggle with is catching a fish outside of the mouth: jerkbait, crankbait, umbrella rig, etc. I understand that TPWD states that this is considered foul-hooked and not a legal method for taking a gamefish. As a competitive angler (subject to a lie detector), when do you make this determination - when boating it? For me, I'll privately request TD clarification on this issue...

No

It was hooked in practice so no it was not caught and broke off during tournament hours so no catch on that one.

yes

Man....when I break em off.....I never see em again. Darn stumps.

I want to say that I saw a pro on TV one time grab a fish after it threw the hook right next to the boat. He grabbed it and dropped it straight into the livewell. The question here is would this be okay with a net? I am not sure, but in my mind netting a fish vs. grabbing it is same same, either both allowed or both prohibited. If however, you can get ahold of the line and drag it in I believe there is no doubt it is a legal fish. In the end, best bet is to call TD right there and ask.

Not in a tourney but had an occasion where both of us threw close to same spot and 3 lber grabbed one brush hog and then the other immediately. Both of us set the hook and reeled the fish in with both hooks in the mouth. If it was individual tourney with boater and nonboater do you both get it or split the weight?

If he knew it was the fish he broke off earlier and could pass the polygraph then I would say Yes.

I had something very similiar one time happen in a bass tournament on ray roberts. I was fishing a deep spot thats heavy timber. Had a big one on for about 15 minutes before I had to break finally break him up. About 30 seconds later here comes the fish (7 pounder) floating up with my hook in its mouth because it needed to be fizzed. I netted the fish. Got my hook back... fizzed him and let him go. Their was zero question in my mind to put that fish in the livewell.

Been there. Netting a fish that has been fought to the boat and it throws the hook as it is netted is a legal fish. Netted while in the act of retrieving the fish.

I respectfully disagree.

One caveat is related to the rules requiring you to complete a cast and retrieval before another line can be used. The break-off completes the cast/retrieval. If it is immediately brought in without making another cast, maybe... However, I think in the example it was sometime later, would that essentially be the same as having two lines in the water if you claim said fish?

Scoundrel, I got that beat!!I speared a wave one time at Fork, darn near knocked me out. When I finally realized what happened, my boat was full of bass. There were two pounders every where. I wasn't in a tournament, darn it.

This is my thinking as well.....I could not pass a polygraph if I made a cast between breaking off and landing the fish.

There has to be at least 50 Tournament Directors that visit this board....why no response from any of them? I'd love to hear what a decent size trail would do in this situation. I know if this had happened to me in a tournament I would simply call the TD to get a ruling before doing anything.

I would put her in the box. I would also probably ask the TD just to clear my conscience.

What if your lure flies out of the fishes mouth during a jump and you get the net under her? Same type of deal

Completely different. Spitting the hook and catching it in the net is in the act of completing the cast. Have it float up after....to me you have already ended that cast.

Thats how I see it as well

Come on now...

I can't remember who it was but I do remember watching an episode of Bassmaster when an angler broke a fish off and later on saw his line floating. I believe he called Trip and Trip he said if he could grab his line and land the fish that it would be a legal fish. Definitely best to call the TD though.

Per Bass Champs rules:


9. PERMITTED FISHING METHODS: Only artificial lures may be used. Only one fishing rod per angler may be used at any one time. Additional rods may be in the boat and ready for use; however, each cast and retrieve must be completed before another cast is attempted or rod is used. Trolling with the combustion engine as a method of fishing is prohibited. Switching or sharing fish with other teams or individuals is a violation of these rules and will result in immediate disqualification. All Bass must be caught alive, in a conventional, sporting manner. When sight fishing for Bass, all fish must be hooked inside the mouth to be counted as a legal fish. All angling must be conducted from the boat. At no time may a Contestant leave the boat to land a fish, make the boat more accessible to fishing waters, or locate bass.

On the first example, I would say no. I wouldn't feel right. If that fish broke you off, then it broke you off. The end. If you get it to bite again, then great.

In the second example, I disagree with what took place. Would i pitch a fit and moan? No, but I certainly would not have kept it. Thy define the rules as a complete retrieve of a cast. I would think that is weather there is a fish on or not. If it breaks you off, and you can't hand line it right then, thats not a complete cast, and not "sporting" and certainly not "conventional" in my humble opinion. Doesn't mean I'm right, and doesn't mean I cast any ill will towards Jaret for what he did. I just personally would not have felt right and don't feel it was the right decision.

good point