Got a question for all you tournament guys…just watched Tim Horton put two spotted bass in the livewell. Both caught on the same bait…(two fish at once)…
One of them was hooked outside the mouth…
What’s the rule on legality? Not sure how it works, but in most states I’ve fished, a fish has to be hooked inside the mouth to be considered a legal catch…
Any thoughts on this? Legality/Rules-wise?
Willie boy they do have to follow the state regulations where they are fishing, but the BASS rule is the fish only has to be hooked inside the mouth when sight fishing.
The actual rule – “Anyone guilty of snatching or snagging visible fish will have their catch disqualified. When visually fishing a bed or for bedding bass, to be counted as a legal fish, all bass must be hooked inside the mouth and must be verified by your partner before being unhooked.”
actually, I took some time to research/look this up. Here’s the Alabama regulation:
220-2-.115 Snagging or Snatching Fish on the Tennessee River
It shall be unlawful to take fish on the Tennessee River or its impoundments by pulling a single hook or group of hooks through the water (snagging or snatching), provided said hooks may be so used with bait and/or lures to entice fish to strike or bite such bait or lure. It shall further be unlawful to catch a fish on the Tennessee River or its impoundments by hooking the fish in any place other than the mouth or head. Any fish hooked other than in the mouth or head must immediately be returned to the water from where it came with the least possible harm.
So, it appears to be a legal catch…but I believe it’s the Alabama regs that trump BASS by-laws/rules.
Tough issue, I know, particularly when a lot of fish will ‘slap’ at a lure and get foul-hooked…and when fishing for half a mill, it would be hard to put back a big fish…but something like this would fall under sportsmanship…which I might contend is lacking in the process of swinging a fish over the side and dumping it in the bottome. Okay procedure for harvested fish…not so good on the one’s to be released…
i would have kept both, it was obviously going for the bait and was hooked on the mouth so I think its a legal fish. it would be different if it was hooked in the back or something.
Without a doubt that was a legal double. That happened to my partner at a tourney last year. Dodge Boy nailed a double on a topwater bait and both were good keepers 
Actually, like to get a CO’s read on it…how they’d address this ‘in the field’…
Kind of interesting how a fish hooked in a similar manner by a guy bed-fishing would have been ‘not legal’…seems a rule with some incongruity involved…that’s why I’m asking…
WHEN BED FISHING IT IS QUITE EASY TO SNAG A FISH UNDER THE MOUTH OR AROUND THE MOUTH. THAT IS WHY BASS HAS THE SIGHT FISHING RULES. YOU CAN CONTOL THAT SITUTION UNLIKE WHEN YOU ARE TOPWATER OR OTHER FISHING. IF THE FISH STRIKES THE BAIT HE MAY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO KNOCK IT DOWN OR EAT EITHER WAY HE IS STRIKING IT. IT IS QUITE EASY TO PUT A BAIT UNDER A FISH YOU SEE OR WAIT FOR IT TO GO ABOVE THE BAIT AND SNAG IT. I HAVE HAD TO RELEASE SEVERAL BED FISH THAT SUCKED IT UP BUT THEN SPIT A SECOND BEFOR I STICK IT THEY SPIT IT AND THE HOOK IS NOT WHERE IT IS SUPPOSE TO BE.
JUST MY 2 CENTS BUT I THINK THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO HAVE A SEPERATION BETWEEN THE 2 TYPES OF FISHING.
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