[BigRedFan]

I just wanted to get some opinions on foul hooking fish and if you count them as fish caught?

Personally if I foul hook a fish it doesn't count, but that's just me.  I can remember many times fishing 2 dries and foul hooking the fish on the second fly because my response time was too slow.  So to me that doesn't count.

How does everyone else feel?

 

[huskerfish]

I count them. Its like catching a far-sighted fish that simply missed the hook.

 

[fisher32]

That's funny.

I count them, they all taste the same.

 

[clackaram]

Does not count. How is foul hooking any different than snagging a fish? Last time I checked, kokanee were the only fish that could be legally snagged in CO.

 

[huskerfish]

No body is trying to foul hook a fish (that I am aware of), it just happens. Maybe that's why we call it foul hooking and not snagging. I'd guess that I foul hook 1 out of 10 fish I catch, but I practice catch and release anyway.

 

[clackaram]

I guess this is just a term eletist flyfishermen have coined to say that they "accidentily" snagged a fish.

 

[farmer ted]

Fish sometimes simply miss the strike and get hooked outside the jaw. You still caught it, it was still trying to eat your fly/ lure or whatever. It's not like you snagged it in the dorsal fin or tail. If a fish is trying to eat my lure and gets hooked, I fooled it, it's caught, no questions asked.

 

[fishhunter]

I don't count them if it's hooked anywhere outside the mouth/jaw AREA. If I hook one outside the lip, it counts. Hook one in the tail, it doesn't. I don't keep 'em anyway, but when I count up my fish at the end of the day I only count the ones that I truly enticed with my fly, not the accidents.

 

[epic]

They count for me but not for my buddies. Because if I fowl hook them the fish was goin after it, if they fowl hook it, it had to be luck.

 

[john]

When the question comes up regarding if a fish counts when it is foul hooked, what does that mean? Count for what?? Are you guys referring to a competition? If I foul hook and bring the fish in I can't undo this occurence - so I still caught him and brought him to net. Of course I know the legal nature of this. Is there an effort to make a distinction between legal ramifications and the obligation to return the fish to the water and the right to count? Again, counting for what? My feeble mind has never given any of it a thought. I just let the fish go - but I usually do it anyway - foul hooking or not, so I am not altruistically or legally motivated. Truth be known, if I snagged a 12" crappie in the pectoral fin, he'd probably be in my belly within 6 hours. John

 

[fishhunter]

John,
I mean I count it as a fish caught. I don't keep records or anything, but if I go out and catch only one fish, and it's foul hooked, I don't count it...that's a zero day. I can't go to someone and say, "Hey they were really swatting at the bwo's...I musta foul hooked 10 of them today". I just leave it at zero.
I 'count' fish that actually eat my flies because I tie them and I think it's cool to count how many I can catch on one of my patterns - for me, at least, there's no other purpose than that.

 

[TopSlugger4]

it all depends...I really don't get a lot of satisfaction when a fish I land is hooked on the side. Often times I think what happens on a two or three fly rig is that they will miss the top fly while disturbing the strike indicator. On the hook set, I think I tend to pick them up with the trailer

 

[BigRedFan]

I share the same thoughts as fishhunter and thank you for explaining it exactly as I feel.

I only brought up the topic because of all the attention from the gentleman in California who foul hooked that 25lb plus largemouth bass. Thanks for sharing.

 

[slayerfish]

I normally catch so many fish I lose count anyway.

 

[tal0362]

I normally catch so many fish I lose count anyway.

Me too.... after 2 or 3 fish.... and I thought it was just a blonde thing. ;D

 

[Guest]

I think if it's close to their mouth, its close enough to count. We shouldn't be penalized for their bad eyesight. O0

 

[lunkerville]

Fish in the net counts for me. I don't care where it is hooked.

 

[TimberlineArcher]

best phrase I heard came from my buddy from Texas, "It hits the net, it counts"

The way I figure it, you foul hook fish, it happens. you may rib your partner for it or whatever, but you miss the fish, the fish took your fly, and you hook him somewhere else. So you still get him in? yeah, it may be a little cooler to hook them in the jaw, but I still count them. Think about it this way, you lose a lot of fish that were caught in the mouth, howabout the foul hooked fish making up for that? lol...

btw, I am new here... heh...

 

[john]

Amen. John

 

[roadkill]

simply put if you have to ask, then it dont count!

dont look to others to ease you guilt.