Well Coho Kid..or whatever your handle is...I would like to challenge everyone reading this thread, and everyone else out there that may "jerk" the rod while river fishing, when the float dips, etc... to try a different method of fishing. Not to say that float fishing is the problem, but based on what I saw yesterday, there were 1000's of anglers on the Vedder, and even those that were "anglng" couldn't help but snag sometimes as the float disappeared, as their fish were foul hooked sometimes.
Personally, I witnessed at the spot I was "fishing", 5 times as many fish purposefully snapped off and I don't call that SPORTING!!!
Reasons that I can think of as to why anglers would break off fish as deemed to be "acceptable" to the masses on the river seem to read something like this....
***PERSONALLY THOUGH**** if one is "angling" or "sportsfishing" I believe that an angler should "land" the fish, and not break it off when it goes to a lower pool, runs down/up river, or starts peeling off line.
1. BREAK it off if it's going to cost you your "spot"
2. BREAK it off if it is "foul hooked" and leave the hooks, line, and leader in fish--that's a form of "wounding" a fish in my opinion.
3. BREAK it off if you have to "disrupt" too many "anglers"
4. BREAK it off if you see "fit" for whatever reason---"this one is too black---this one is too small for keeping etc...
I am proud to say that I have never willfully "broken off" a fish unless a seal or sea lion or whale, was in the process of "consuming" the fish.
Personally, if one is "angling" and being "sporting" one would do what they could to "get the gear back" and not leave the fish to have a six foot piece of floss streaming from it's mouth, or other part of the body.
Just my opinion, and I believe a few people will take issue with that...but you "fish" your way...I'll fish mine..and maybe it's best that the "anglers" who break fish off in that way NOT try fishing in the ocean---it would just foul things up for most of the guys out there that are truly deserving of a "sporting" experience.