Pro tournament bass fishing...what is the exact rule for the hook being "IN" the mouth?  I know you can't snag but what are the details.  I was watching a live stream when a very well known pro was using a jerk bait and the smallie was clearly hooked on the outside of the lip.  In the live well it went.  What are the details?  I thought only specific topwater lures allowed for "outside mouth hookups".

If the angler is not sight fishing, fish can be foul hooked.

In no circumstances can an angler intentionally "snag" a fish.

If they are sight fishing, the hook has to punture the fish from the inside of the mouth.

Interesting.  So if your are reeling in a deep diving crank bait and snag a nice bass in the back...it's a keeper.  I thought there would be more specific guidelines.

You can keep them pretty much anywhere if foul hooked and not sight fishing, exception California. Pretty good discussion on the same topic in this same thread on the watts bar BPT tourney heading 

Depends on the state and technique. I  watched KVD plop a bass hooked in the back into the livewell once that was caught on a crankbait. Then I also watch Steve Kennedy realease a giant bass caught just outside the mouth on a big swimbait in California even though he wasn't sight fishing. All depends on the situation. 

Here we go again. Big difference in "foul hooked" vs "snagged". Usually you foul hook a fish that swipes at your bait. Somehow I am really good at catching catfish this way with a rattle trap. A 7 lb catfish foul hooked in the tail at 6 am on a tournament day makes you feel like you are about to be on a heater. A snagged fish usually is referred to as a fish caught on purpose by "snagging" while sight fishing. I do not believe either catch is legal in California but I am also not sure if you can even use a chain saw in California. 

 

For more on the "snagging" technique you should look up a fella name Mike Long. I think you will see the difference in the two terms.