Has anyone ever seen a snagger who uses a float setup? Float and jig, float and eggs, float and whatever? I'm sure it can be done, but I bet it's a whole lot harder.

My point? Well I know even the thought of this will piss off a lot of you, but hey - it's just a thought...

If a river had a rule that requred single barbless hooks and the use of a float, I bet most of the snag fests would be greatly reduced.

And most of us know that a float and jig\bait can be very effective for all types of salmon\steelhead.

Maybe just chage the definition of 'non bouyant lure restriction' to be allow the use of plugs, but any non floating hardware or bait has to be fished under a float - including corkies\yarn.

One thing that pisses me off is watching these guys on the green or other river using drift gear fishing over chum on their redds. At least one out of 3 fish (if they are kind of trying not to snag) is snagged. I was doing other techniques and was getting 3 legit hookups to every 1 snagg and I still left because I quickly lost interest in fishing under those odds. I never snagged when using a float\jig though.

Anyway - just rambling....

Hi Phishfreak:

Last fall I was fishing for silvers in a terminal area with a float and eggs and really havin a good day. The fish were stacked up in a small slot, prime pickins for the local yocals snagger a'holes. This guy comes down and stands new to me and starts snaggin. I matched him fish for fish (mine were all fair hooked though). I told him there was no need to snag these fish. I even broke into my vest and set him up with the same setup!!! After 5 minutes on not catching anything he gave the rig back to me. The point is Snaggers are dumb A$$ jerks who don't know how to fish and most of them aren't interested in learning.

The thing that bothers me about your post is the age old "My method is better/more reichous than yours, yada, yada, yada". Instead of floats why not floating flylines and dryflys. For some that may seem like a good solution to the snagger prolbem.

Personally I would rather try and educate these guys first, if that doesn't work I usually try and run them out of the hole. One time I invited a friend of mine who is a police officer to fish one of the salmon/snagger holes on the Snohomish. He only had to show his badge once then all the snaggers went home.
If the ethical fishermen stick together and speak up to the snaggers they usually back down pretty quickly.

FYI: I didn't mean any disrespect to you or your post just trying to make a point with the flyline comment.

Good points Vic.
I know what you are saying about 'my way is the right way' attitude. That is really not where I'm coming from. I fish everything from fly fishing to drift fishing to bait to floats to plugs to spoons and spinners yada yada ... depending on my mood, river, water level, etc.
But it's clear (at least to me) that when fish are stacked up or on their redds (with other non spawners near by), then some techniques are more likely to snag than others. Even many drift fishing veterans find it hard not to snag in these situations. On my own accord, I adopt a technique that allows me to catch fish, yet greatly reduce my snagging.
The problem I see it that too many folks get stuck on one or 2 ways to fish aren't don't want to change no matter what - they are the one's that tend to get stuck on the 'my way is best' attitude in my opinion. As for me, my vote will be for the one that allows maximum versitily, yet puts a significant damper on the snaggers. We all know that snagging is even a problem in fly fishing only areas, and the current non-bouyant lure restriction does about nothing to stop snagging. So i'm just tossing out suggestions...

I guess it's time for me to insert a little tidbit here. WhenI first started out fishing it was with bait. Like worms. As I got older and better at it I tried just lure fishing. Then I finally tried fly fishing. I like all type of fishing but right now fly fishing is my bag. No I don't try to convert everyone to my way of fishing.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that everyone fishes differently. Well more power to them. If everyone fished the same the makers of all the other types of gear would all go out of business.

Once again, your not quite getting it.

First of all, there are many ways of float fishing. Some do well fishing spinners and other hardware beneath a float. Others use various types of bait. And there are so many types of jigs and bait and jig combos...

Secondly, I'm only thinking of specific areas of rivers (or other bodies of water like at HOODSPORT) where the salmon stack up in the popular snagg fisheries. Not the entire river.

Thirdly, it would only need to be in place during the month or 2 that the salmon are stacking up.

Fourthly (?), WDFW limits gear all the time in certain places (fly fishing onle, no bait, etc). So this kind of thinking is not way out of line if there is benefit to the sport and to the fish.

And finally, why is it that so many fisherman cry about the indian netters and want them to stop what they've been doing for centuries but they aren't willing to budge an inch if someone asks them to slightly modify the way they prefer to fish if it helps the fish and improves the 'sportingness' of it. I think 99% of it is simple greed - "I want to catch as many fish as possible - MY way, and if anyone gets in my way - indians, commercials, wdfw, PETA, fly fishing purists, yada yada, they can go to hell - mine mine mine!!!"
I know - we've taken the short end of the stick for years, and it takes a Phd to understand the Regs, but how can we expect one group to change their ways or come up with reasonable compromises if we don't show a willingness to help as well? Fight for your rights but also fight for the fish, fight for the habitat, and fight for the sport of fishing as a whole. If we're all in it for the meat or pure self indulgance then we'll all lose in the end...

PhishPhreak,

I will tell you the sure-fire solution to ending all snagging. Change human nature! Isolate and remove the greed gene while we are still in the embryonic stage and all will be well in the fishing universe.

Exactally. You stated that in the exact way it is for alot of people out there. MINE MINE MINE....you think you fishing there...no your not cuz i'm gunna stand right next to you and cast right over your line. Then i'll look at you like....what? i didn't do anything wrong..i'm just snaggin' is all... cuz i don't know how to fish properly...Jacka$$es. I totally agree with you. I bet just the reference to indians will probably spur some sort of hate about them and their nets. Hell i bet half the fish that these people catch or snag are from indian hatcheries. Lake Washington Sockeye fishing wouldn't exsist if it wasn't for them "darn indians". Um, who's the ones that ruined the runs in the first place???

I always fish a float and always kick ass. Who likes to snag up and lose their gear anyways? Fishing with a float is like shopping at SportCo. The product is the same, it just cost less to get it. I don't see the problem with a change in regs. It will only help everyone.

Ya know, If snaggers are outlaws, then why would a change in the laws do anything to stop snagging? Look, Its like the old gun control addage goes "When Guns are outlawed, then only outlaws will own guns" Do you see what I'm saying? If what you're doing is illegal anyway, then how will putting another law on the books do anything to stop you? What we need is enforcement of the existing rules, not more rules that we cant enforce.

We need both.

An experienced drift fisher or spinner fisherman or even fly fisherman will have trouble not snagging fish in certain circumstances. Look at the hoodsport hatchery zone. Most of the guys there are not trying to snag fish - but most of them snag more fish than not. Those guys who are intentially snagging for some eggs, a boot to smoke, or just for the fun of it can comingle with the 'well intentioned' fisherman and not draw a lot of attention to themselves. I see the same thing on the green when the chum are in and many other places.
By making everyone in these snagger zones use a method like float fishing, then it draws a clear line between those who are really trying to do what's right and those who are purposely breaking the law. A gammies job would be much easier - no float = fat ticket.
Remember - I'm not suggesting that a float will cure our problems. I'm just throwing out suggestions. Many of us get sick when we see these snagfests. This method allows legit fisherman to successfully cath fish, it makes it harder to accidently or purposely snag fish, and it makes a gammies job easier spotting the obvious snaggers. What are some of your ideas? Not fishing? Looking the other way? Complaining? Snagging cause everyone else does it anyway? Snagging casue the injuns get to net?
Heck - I'm still game for forming a posse that targets the snag zones and runs out the snaggers. Not the best solution. But I like it.

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Originally posted by PhishPhreak:
And finally, why is it that so many fisherman cry about the indian netters and want them to stop what they've been doing for centuries

Well you do relize that alot tribes used dip nets for them way back then and also when they had gillnet types they were strung from one kayak to the other then pull them up not just string them from one side of the river to the other and check them at there conveinence

PP,

Have you fished much up in B.C.? 95% of Canadian fishermen use floats and it's not even mandated by law. It is the accepted method. They will frown upon you if you try to drift fish (what they call bottom bounce) in the Vedder river for example. Their sense of sportsmanship when it comes to fishing salmon in rivers is far advanced of ours. If it were somehow possible, through peer pressure maybe, to instill this sense of respect for the resource, and of fair-play into Washington "Anglers", this might also go a long way towards ending the problem. Right now though, the only solution I see is enforcement of existing laws which we all know hinges solely on a budget allowing the hiring of more wardens. (yeah right! )

I think the real problem with snagging is first of all the people who do it. However since WDFW is making absolutely no effort to control the problem i believe that fisheries that turn largely into snag fisheries should be closed to all angling. Then maybe we will start policing ourselves. If our fisheries were in danger of being closed due to the actions of snaggers maybe more of us would work more to educating them or getting them off the river by taking down notes and turning them in. I can name several places i'd love to see closed to angling during september- November. Frankly if the legit fishermen are willing to tolerate snagging well then they should have absolutely nothing to complain about if WDFW shuts off their fishing.