How do you define a foul hook?  Does the hook have to get the fish from the inside of the mouth?  If it gets the fish in the lip or jaw, but comes from the outside in, is that a good one or is that a foul hook?

How do you define a foul hook? Does the hook have to get the fish from the inside of the mouth? If it gets the fish in the lip or jaw, but comes from the outside in, is that a good one or is that a foul hook?

I've always considered anything around the mouth a fair fish.

If it's hooked under the belly or anywhere behind the head then I consider it a foul hooked fish.

If it's obvious that the fish was trying to eat the lure and the angler wasn't trying to snag it on purpose.

Now having said that, if your tournament fishing it's always a good idea to get the tournament director's view.

A foul hook is anytime the hook goes in the fish from the OUTSIDE anywhere on the fish. A foul hooked fish can be kept as long as you were not sight fishing when it happend ( this is b.a.s.s rules).

A foul hook is anytime the hook goes in the fish from the OUTSIDE anywhere on the fish. A foul hooked fish can be kept as long as you were not sight fishing when it happend ( this is b.a.s.s rules).

And I dont like BASS rules. You should still have to release it. I mean you got it by luck and not skill.

Foul hook to me would be the hooking of a fish in any part of its body other than inside its mouth.

IMO any time you hook a fish from outside in it is a foul hooked fish. the fish has to eat the lure or hook.

In New York, a foul-hooked fish is one that does not have at least one hook point inside the mouth. Foul-hooked fish here may be kept, excepting trout and salmon.

And I dont like BASS rules. You should still have to release it. I mean you got it by luck and not skill.

I agree that there may be some luck involved. However, I believe most foul-hooked bass struck the lure and for whatever reason didn't get mouth hooked. But the angler accomplished his goal and had his lure in the right time in the right place such that he elicited a strike.

A foul hook is anytime the hook goes in the fish from the OUTSIDE anywhere on the fish. A foul hooked fish can be kept as long as you were not sight fishing when it happend ( this is b.a.s.s rules).

And I dont like BASS rules. You should still have to release it. I mean you got it by luck and not skill.

Most of the time you dont just happen to run the bait over the fish. Usually the fish reacts to your bait and just misses it and you snag it on the side, especially with a crankbait so I agree with Marty. I wouldnt complain about that rule if I was fishing for $100,000 anyway..... or any amount of money for that matter.

A foul hook is anytime the hook goes in the fish from the OUTSIDE anywhere on the fish. A foul hooked fish can be kept as long as you were not sight fishing when it happend ( this is b.a.s.s rules).

And I dont like BASS rules. You should still have to release it. I mean you got it by luck and not skill.

If the fish strikes at the bait and a hook ends up sticking him,thats his fault....he should have zeroed in on it a little better.

I would bet that almost all the fish I hook on a jerkbait are foul hooked.

All these guys are right about the definition of foul hooking.  I  hooked a fish through the tail once (not sight fishing).  That takes skill.

Ain 't that the way them guyz at Kaliforny ketch them world record breakin ' basses ?