Fishing without hooks

[bloopbloob]

Just curious if anyone knows. If you took the hooks off a spoon or whatever lure it may be, and cast it into water, is that considered fishing?

[Gerald J]

Wasn't sure either so I thought I'd look at the Regs.

Sportfishing – means angling (using hook and line), bowfishing or
spearfishing, but also includes using a minnow trap, seine net or dip net to
collect bait fish for personal use.

Hook – means a single-, double- or triple-pointed hook on a common
shaft, and includes hooks attached to a lure.
(Note: some legal lures appear to have a hook with four points, but actually
have two shafts each with two points, meaning that this lure has two
hooks).

That seems to be the distinction right there. The Five of Diamonds is the lure. Comes with a treble hook. But if you take it off, seems legal to me.

[bloopbloob]

I think so too. Thanks for the response. Practice casting I would call it. But there is still the opportunity for a fish to bite and not let go... Wondering how that might go in the eyes of the law.... Fwiw, I fish with hooks and a licence, more just curious about the legalities of this concept.

[Boomko]

Some here may consider this trolling ?

[bloopbloob]

Originally Posted by Boomko

Some here may consider this trolling ?

I've been on this site for a long time. I have a lot of posts as you can see. It is a legitimate question, not a troll. Doesn't affect me, as I fish, with hooks, legally. Just more of a curiosity how it may be interpreted by the law

[-JR-]

Let say a fish swallows your hookless spoon deep inside him and will not spit it out and you reel him into the boat .
Would you not call that fishing

[JReed]

Originally Posted by -JR-

Let say a fish swallows your hookless spoon deep inside him and will not spit it out and you reel him into the boat .
Would you not call that fishing

Exactly. To the OP, do a quick search, I think there was somebody in the fly-forum that was cautioned by F&W for practicing casting on a river. Although no fly was attached, the officer said it was still considered fishing

[bobalong]

Originally Posted by JReed

Exactly. To the OP, do a quick search, I think there was somebody in the fly-forum that was cautioned by F&W for practicing casting on a river. Although no fly was attached, the officer said it was still considered fishing

And that F&W officer would be an idiot, his boss should have been told of his stupidity.

[pikergolf]

I am sure F&W has better things to do than investigate a call for someone that appears to be fishing out of season. To the OP, you didn't like the answers you got the last time you started a thread with the exact same question?

[barbless]

Try a piece of burlap on a line and no hook for pike fishing. They clamp down and with teeth pointing inwards (towards back of throat) they cannot easily get off.

[barbless]

If you catch something yes it's fishing hook or not. You wanna practice casting do it in your yard or an open area put a small bucket or hoop on the ground and see how good you are at a certain distance.

[Isopod]

While it technically might not be true fishing, I think you might still reasonably find yourself in trouble and charged for fishing out of season. Otherwise you could just keep a few lures without hooks in your tackle box and if you see a CO coming to confront you, you quickly change to one of your hookless lures and claim you weren't really fishing. That would just end up wasting a lot of time on the part of the CO, so I think it's reasonable to assume that if someone is casting into open water, or jigging through the ice, then they are fishing, not practicing.

[GMX]

Originally Posted by JReed

Exactly. To the OP, do a quick search, I think there was somebody in the fly-forum that was cautioned by F&W for practicing casting on a river. Although no fly was attached, the officer said it was still considered fishing

I’ve got a lake lot up on slave and got significant grief for letting my 5 year old at the time practice casting a jig head with the hook cut off completely. It was basically a lead ball with the eyelet won’t be doing that again. Cast practice is now held on the lawn with buckets for distance and accuracy targets.

[bloopbloob]

Just curious if there is a 100% true answer to this. I can see it being open to interpretation in the eyes of the law. Personally, I feel if there is any chance of catching a fish, you are fishing. I recall bringing this up a long time ago before, but I can't use the search feature on my phone, it doesn't even pop up for me to try search. I was watching an outdoors show today and it renewed my curiosity on how it could be interpreted

[dodger]

Friends wife caught a dozen Pike on a buck tail jig minus the hook. One Pike broke the hook on her favourite jig so she just kept using it. Pike would make it to the boat before they opened there mouth and the jig would fall out.

Dodger.

[Freedom55]

Taking the hooks off a cicada blade and jigging it vigorously in a second ice-hole works to attract fish into the vicinity. There is zero chance of actually hooking a fish with this lure but be careful to not over-use it as it will become redundant. To avoid prosecution use a hand line and not a rod if dipping into a third hole.

That said; if you've got a pike's face in your ice-hole but no way to haul it through, try dangling your (empty) glove in its maw. Chances are very good that Mr. Esox will try to bite your fingers off but you, being the human, have fooled it into your catch bag.

Free

[Fishwhere]

Originally Posted by bobalong

And that F&W officer would be an idiot, his boss should have been told of his stupidity.

For the sake of arguement it could be said that the seasons are protecting to spawning cycles of some of the fish and if youre disturbing them, and do have the slight possibility of them perhaps swallowing it could be a valid pou t. I dont think its completely unreasonable.....

Thoughts?

[bobalong]

Originally Posted by Fishwhere

For the sake of arguement it could be said that the seasons are protecting to spawning cycles of some of the fish and if youre disturbing them, and do have the slight possibility of them perhaps swallowing it could be a valid pou t. I dont think its completely unreasonable.....

Thoughts?

Maybe not completely unreasonable but really...........someone who has removed the hooks (basically a casting plug) I would suggest has no intention of catching a fish. It can happen I suppose but can you imagine going to court over something like this.

Fly fishing with no fly on the line is definitely not fishing..........I would really like to hear what a judge would say to a F/W officer who charged you when there was no fly on your line.

[Smoky buck]

If you have no intention of fishing why not go somewhere that is not closed or a non fish bearing body of water

I design fishing lures and test the action of new lures often. It’s just easier to stay out of closed waters. This will save you the grief of explaining yourself and save the fish cop the drive to come check out the suspicious of someone fishing in closed waters when someone phoned it in

It’s one of those things even if it’s legal why bother

[bobalong]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

If you have no intention of fishing why not go somewhere that is not closed or a non fish bearing body of water

I design fishing lures and test the action of new lures often. It’s just easier to stay out of closed waters. This will save you the grief of explaining yourself and save the fish cop the drive to come check out the suspicious of someone fishing in closed waters when someone phoned it in

It’s one of those things even if it’s legal why bother

Great idea but the OP didn't state it was closed water just into the water.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by bobalong

Great idea but the OP didn't state it was closed water just into the water.

Overthinking I guess lol

[Pikebreath]

As pointless as it sounds,,, casting a hookless lure (or in the case of flyfishing, a fly where the hook point has been broken off) can be a lot of fun when strikes are numerous and visible,,, in other words you are fishing for the grab only and have no intention or want to bring the fish to hand.


More like strike and release rather than catch and release fishing!!!


As far as legality goes, I wouldn't want to do this though without being appropriately licensed and fishing in "open' waters.

[Zip-in-Z]

The Title says it all .... "Fishing" without hooks .... this doesn't make much sense to me!

D.

[millsboy79]

Originally Posted by Freedom55

To avoid prosecution use a hand line and not a rod if dipping into a third hole.

Holding the line won't save you from anything. You would get a ticket for this ... pretty sure the regs say more than two lines not more than two rods to cover people using tip ups and hand lines.

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[millsboy79]

Is fishing ... 100%

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[Freedom55]

That bit was a little facetious. It is my opinion that this practice is not illegal and is the sort of ticket a smart-mouthed, entitled, mother's son would get and subsequently beat IF he left his wise-cracking lips at home on trial day.

Maybe try this. Tape the trebles to the body of a large crank bait and cast it into the shallows just after ice-off. The pike will smash that lure all day. You won't get one mg of slime on your hands and have the time of your life.

Beyond the two examples cited I can't imagine why anyone would engage in this practice.

Free

[CNP]

Originally Posted by bloopbloob

Just curious if anyone knows. If you took the hooks off a spoon or whatever lure it may be, and cast it into water, is that considered fishing?

Your subject line says

Fishing without hooks

You called it fishing yourself.


Fish are being fished.


Noodling is fishing without hooks.

[walleyechaser]

I'm sure if you said you were practicing casting no one would give you any grief.

Call the fish cops and ask?

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