Snagged Crappie: What's Your Theory?

[Polebrother]

For the last several months at Clear Lake in California, several accidentally foul-hooked crappie have been landed by anglers using legitimate jigging techniques. I have personally fished there when approximately 80% of the crappie I landed were fouled-hooked...this while using a standard cast and constant slow retrieve method, feel a hit, set the hook. Absolutely no attempt to intentionally snag fish. Many theories for this have been offered on a local CA fishing forum, many of which include: Crappie are so thick, the jig bumps and hooks them on normal slow retrieves; crappie are lethargic in their strike attempts and hook sets result in the jig moving from the mouth to side or tail of the crappie; crappie are not actively feeding but will intentionally bump a jig in fun or to get it out of their way, etc., etc., Just wondering if the same thing happens in other waters and if so, why and how. The following is an excerpt from a recently published article in a local paper near Clear Lake.


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DFG cracks down on code violators
Terry Knight
"The Outdoorsman"
Article Last Updated: 02/19/2007 06:19:06 AM PST


This past week has seen the game wardens come down hard on fishermen snagging crappie on Clear Lake. According to Department of Fish and Game game warden Lynette Shimek, wardens issued citations to two groups of fishermen who were allegedly snagging crappie this week.

"We set up a video camera in one popular fishing area and not only observed the fishermen snagging the crappie but got it all on tape," Shimek said.

Shimek said that in addition to citing the fishermen she also confiscated their fishing equipment. According to Shimek, none of the fishermen cited were from Lake County.

Snagging is illegal. DFG regulations state that a fish must take the lure voluntarily in its mouth. If the fish is snagged, even accidentally, it must be released back into the water.

Apparently what the crappie snaggers are doing is locating a large school of fish and then casting their lure over the school and allowing the lure to sink

When they feel the lure bump a fish, they set the hook hard. Most of the time the fish is either snagged in the tail or back. The fishermen are using either jigs with an exposed hook or even a spoon with treble hooks.

End of article. I don't know if these anglers were intentionally snagging the fish. They may very well have been.

I apologize for this being such a long post but I am really curious to know what others think about why so many crappie are being fouled-hooked by legitimate anglers, using legal techniques. Thanks.

[Minnerman]

My opinion is in this thread along with many others. Snagging in Mississippi is a problem as well.

http://www.crappie.com/gr8vb3/showthread.php?t=32343

[england]

My opinion is in this thread along with many others. Snagging in Mississippi is a problem as well.

http://www.crappie.com/gr8vb3/showthread.php?t=32343

BIG PROBLEM

[Slabo]

yes it is a large problem and it is one of the reasons I don't fish the spillways of our area lakes.

[GRIZZ]

I snag fish fairly often due, in my opinion, to large numbers of fish in the school I'm fishing. I always return snagged fish. Anyone that snags crappies intentionally and keeps them should be ticketed and fined. All snagging should be outlawed in my opinion. It isn't fishing.

[RagflyJigMan]

I totally agree with you Grizz. I also once and a while snag a crappie while trolling. I also let this crappie go no matter the size. People that snag on purpose are nothing but a bunch of BUMS!

[jigsbydirk]

There have been more crappie snagged in the past two months at Arcadia than caught legally. This seems to happen every year from January through February, especially when the shad are running in the dock. Unfortuantly many people snag and keep all they snag, and rarely is there ever and rangers out enforcing the rules.