Questionable fishing techniques

[JuLeeKea]

I know there are illegal ways of catching fish, but I'm curious about local, "acceptable" techniques. I fish out of Edmonds, so that is my locale. I recently made a report about using downriggers with the charter I was with. This is a comment I got from someone: "I do believe the use of downriggers shows a weakness of brain and heart. Drag stuff around, how lame is that?" Is there a lot of people that think using downriggers is bad for any reason? Does it damage the floor or cause any other damage to the ocean? I didn't even know using downriggers was, for lack of a better word, controversial. I thought it was a very common way for boaters to catch salmon. What other ways of fishing do other people have strong opinions about? I'm not talking about illegal ways like snagging, but more so different legal techniques that people don't think are acceptable. There are a lot of strong opinions out there, and people state those opinions as fact, so it's hard to weed out the bs from the true. Hopefully I can get some good info with some civilized conversation.

[BentRod]

Ignore the negative comments. The use of downriggers is a very common method for targeting salmon in the Sound and trout in local lakes. There is nothing controversial about using them.

[Mike Carey]

haters gotta hate, that's what they do. I enjoy DR fishing as much as other techniques. Each has it's place in the spectrum of angling. And that includes soaking a worm under a red bobber.

BTW, to the person that made that comment - not what this site is about. Abusing people that post fishing reports is earns people a quick "here's the door".

[Amx]

If a comment in questionable, or insulting like that one is, click on the 'report the comment' link and we'll deal with IT and the PERSON posting it.

I'd already edited out the one person's rude insulting comment about seasickness in your recent admiralty area report.

[skagit510]

go to Any river in Washington during salmon season. there you will find many questionable tactics and folks who defend them. I've fished in many many places and i must say Washington takes the cake for questionable ie illegal techniques.

[natetreat]

Here it goes again.

[jd39]

Hilarious the guy tried to troll trolling, what a maroon (bugs bunny style). Ignore that ignorance and keep fishing!

[G-Man]

There are no questionable methods, just legal or illegal.
Remember, the rules we have in place in our state may differ from those of other states. To someone who is not accustom to our fishing regulations, they may seem questionable. For example, in Wisconsin, there are lakes in which it illegal to fish from a moving boat. In that particular instance, trolling would be illegal. Wisconsin, similar to our state, has a three hook maximum rule. The difference between their regs and ours is that they can deploy those 3 hooks on separate rods...

[skagit510]

i agree that the law is a good guide line. i don't see how down riggers would be questionable. then again i don't fish them so am ignorant on the subject. my rule is that the,fish must VOLUNTARILY take the lure. so flossing its out, and my interpretation of this states game laws would say its illegal. however there are many who take,pride in being proficient at this form of poaching, perhaps I'm missing something.............perhaps not.

[G-Man]

Regardless of what you may think, unless the rules for that particular body of freshwater state otherwise, any fish hooked on the head or in the mouth is a legally caught fish. If you really want to talk gray area check out the saltwater regs. Our state doesn't care where you hook a fish in the salt, as long as you aren't actively snagging. So if you ever get the urge to tell a guy to throw back that pink hooked in the body while fishing from the beach, just hold your tongue.

[skagit510]

the rules state that the fish has to bite the lure voluntarily. therefore flossing is illegal. i am aware in salt water the rules are different. snaggers are flossers are snaggers. the state sees it that way and so do i. anyone who doesn't is making excuses for poaching. seems there are many misinformed in this arena and many who still don't read the regs carefully.

[mizm05]

he's baaaaaaaack......

[G-Man]

OK I'll bite, voluntarily, though I think you were really intending to "floss" this response all along.
As a fellow fisherman, I respect and acknowledge your opinion, I just don't happen to agree with it.

You need to read the entire regulation to understand the law and how it is enforced.
Snagging: "Attempting to take fish with a hook and line in such a way that the fish does not voluntarily take the hook(s) in its mouth."
The key words here are attempting and voluntarily. For it to be called snagging, you have to prove intent by the fisherman and somehow read the fish's mind, which is impossible. This is why you have an additional regulation regarding where the fish is hooked. Given that some fish, like coho and steelhead, like to use the smash and grab technique at times, I'd wager that there a many fish every year the are released even though the fish intended to take the lure but foul hooked itself. Those are the breaks with the way the rules are written some you win, some you lose. Fact is, as the regulations are written, side drifting a lure or bait with a long leader is perfectly legal and so is retaining a fish that is hooked inside the mouth and in some places hooked forward of the gill plates. If you think it is unsporting, that is your opinion and one to which you are certainly entitled. Lastly, if you see people snagging fish, by all means report them, the State encourages it. Just be sure that the person you are reporting is indeed violating the law(s) as written, your opinion not withstanding.

[skagit510]

true enough, intent is difficult to prove. i for one would rather spend my time getting a fish to chase and eat something than try and circumvent the rules. i appreciate your response and am not trying to start controversy. i respect your opinion as well and am fine to agree to disagree. i mean no one really wins an argument anyway. i just found the thread interesting and it seemed the appropriate place to discuss it.

[Idstud]

I know there are illegal ways of catching fish, but I'm curious about local, "acceptable" techniques. I fish out of Edmonds, so that is my locale. I recently made a report about using downriggers with the charter I was with. This is a comment I got from someone: "I do believe the use of downriggers shows a weakness of brain and heart. Drag stuff around, how lame is that?" Is there a lot of people that think using downriggers is bad for any reason? Does it damage the floor or cause any other damage to the ocean? I didn't even know using downriggers was, for lack of a better word, controversial. I thought it was a very common way for boaters to catch salmon. What other ways of fishing do other people have strong opinions about? I'm not talking about illegal ways like snagging, but more so different legal techniques that people don't think are acceptable. There are a lot of strong opinions out there, and people state those opinions as fact, so it's hard to weed out the bs from the true. Hopefully I can get some good info with some civilized conversation.

Now thats a new one! Growing up in Idaho I never knew what a downrigger was and my Dads friend had one on his row boat. He would let me use and I thought it was the coolest aft anchor set up ever. Some people think they know everything about everything. These guys do a great job on this site keeping out the riff raft. Just have to report them. Have fun tight lines and dont let the few ruin a great site for you. Keep the reports coming. There are a Lot more great people on this site.

[schu7498]

mustve been an "elitist" moocher?

[The Quadfather]

It's hard to wade through all the "Opinion and conjecture" but as has already been said. #1.. Don't give a worry about what some Yahoo on a Online forum says about your techniques.
#2, take your instruction from the state's regs. and #3, probably the biggest... If you have a moment of not understanding the regulation, call or email the State with a specific question.
I may be looking at it through rose colored glasses, but I believe if you take it to the horse's mouth you will get the answer. Most things can be determined from reading the regs. yourself. But ya, sometimes you feel like you need a lawyer to understand things. There are some people on this site who I think are extremely dialed into what is true... but in the end, there is a lot of "Opinion" that will get sent to you, and you shouldn't put your trust in somebody just because they have a lot of postings behind their name, lol. Call the WDFW.
But seriously, read the entire Reg. pamphlet. There is nothing in there about Downriggers being a sin.

[Mike Carey]

mustve been an "elitist" moocher?

That's funny.

[hlindsay]

#2, take your instruction from the state's regs. and #3, probably the biggest... If you have a moment of not understanding the regulation, call or email the State with a specific question.

I would say the email is the way to go. Then you can have that person from the WDFWs opinion in writing. It may save some time with an officer with a different opinion of the reg. (speaking from experince)

[BentRod]

Deleted