Anti-snagging rule question?

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Larry3215
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Anti-snagging rule question?

Post by Larry3215 » Tue Sep 20, 2016 7:52 pm

Im going to be fishing the Columbia river in the Wanapum/Priest Rapids pools next week. I havent fished the middle or lower Columbia in over 20 years, and never have fished that area, so I decided it would be good to review the rules.

We will be mainly targeting sturgeon and those rules are pretty clear - one single point barbless hook.

The gear rules have me a bit confused when it comes to salmon. We might throw one rod out for salmon while anchored up for sturgeon. If the sturgeon arent hungry, we may also try some back trolling for salmon.

We will be using barbless hooks, so thats covered, but Im not 100% sure on the number of hooks I can have on a lure. It looks like it depends on what Im doing AND whether or not my lure floats or if I add weight to the line.

If Im reading this correctly, if I have any weight or the lure sinks, then I can only use a single hook.

Unless Im trolling? Am I reading it correctly that I can have a lure with up to 3 hooks while trolling?

What if I have a weight in front of that lure or a sinking lure while trolling? Still up to 3 hooks?

It seems kind of odd to have different rules for trolling vrs casting or anchoring in the same water for the same fish, so that has me wondering of Im interpreting this correctly.


Pg 14:
Hook and line angling only. Barbed or
barbless hooks may be used, and a hook
may be single-point, double, or treble, but not
more than one line with up to three hooks per
angler may be used.
Pg 10:
Anti-Snagging Rule: Except when fishing with
a buoyant lure (with no weights added to the
line or lure), or trolling from a vessel or floating
device, terminal fishing gear is restricted to a
lure or bait with one single-point hook. Hooks
must measure ¾" or less from point to shank,
and must be attached to or below the lure or
bait. Weights may not be attached below or less
than 12" above the lure or bait.

riverhunter
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Posts: 418
Joined: Thu Aug 15, 2013 8:02 am
Location: Everett

Re: Anti-snagging rule question?

Post by riverhunter » Wed Sep 21, 2016 11:48 am

No anti-snagging rule in effect on the columbia. The rule is put in place for those who cast weighted trebles or even single point hooks in areas where fish might be staged or stacked up. Ever intentionally snagged a fish while trolling. Don't know anyone who has but I could be wrong. What I mean by weighted is literally tying a hook then adding weight and yanking across the whole river until you foulhook something. The columbia is one of those rivers that is big enough that this isn't such a big concern for wdfw. That being said on the columbia you could use up to three hooks and they all could be trebles when fishing for salmon and obviously you know barbless. If I am wrong on this please notify me as this is what I was told by a game warden to works the Ringgold area of the columbia

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Larry3215
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Re: Anti-snagging rule question?

Post by Larry3215 » Wed Sep 21, 2016 9:00 pm

Ah! I begin to understand now. I was thinking the anti-snagging rule was a general rule that applied all the time everywhere - but after looking more closely -it is only in certain areas and certain times and certain species.

It looks like that rule IS in effect on the Columbia in certain areas at certain times from the Bonnivelle dam up to the MacNarry Dam.
SALMON AND STEELHEAD - Aug. 1-Oct. 15: anti-snagging rule. When anti-snagging rule is in effect, only fish
hooked inside the mouth may be retained.
I dont see that it applies anywhere else on the Columbia.

It does also apply in some other rivers, streams and creeks and a few lakes and several salt areas at different times.

riverhunter
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Location: Everett

Re: Anti-snagging rule question?

Post by riverhunter » Thu Sep 22, 2016 7:12 am

Larry3215 wrote:Ah! I begin to understand now. I was thinking the anti-snagging rule was a general rule that applied all the time everywhere - but after looking more closely -it is only in certain areas and certain times and certain species.

It looks like that rule IS in effect on the Columbia in certain areas at certain times from the Bonnivelle dam up to the MacNarry Dam.
SALMON AND STEELHEAD - Aug. 1-Oct. 15: anti-snagging rule. When anti-snagging rule is in effect, only fish
hooked inside the mouth may be retained.
I dont see that it applies anywhere else on the Columbia.

It does also apply in some other rivers, streams and creeks and a few lakes and several salt areas at different times.
Totally forgot about the lower columbia. When I hear columbia river I usually think middle to upper columbia past mcnary dam and yes quite a few ppl think the anti snagging rule is always in effect and that you need barbless anytime you fish for salmon but that is not the case. Its definition is totally different from actual snagging rules which wdfw states that you cannot intentionally try to snag a fish which is always illegal throughout the state and is intended for all species of fish in our waters except for carp. I've had ppl try to insult me or hassle me for using trebles when fishing plugs but that usually shows that they are not to par of actual regulations to specific waters. They go by hearsay which I believe you should never do and always read the regs for yourself to save yourself a ticket or even try something new that you didn't know could work

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