I said I'd post when I got home...

First of all I'll say I'm sorry for calling anyone stupid if you didn't know the world record. Being the fact that it is one of the most sought after and long lasting record, I would assume most people would know it, and we all know what assuming does...

With that out of the way... the rule that hawgdog was refering to but didnt wanna post was:
2. Gang hooks are permitted when attached to plugs and other artificial lures that are specifically
designed for this use. Gang hooks must be free swinging and shall be limited to a maximum of three
hooks (either single, double, or treble, or a combination of any three). Baits may not be used with gang
hooks. A photograph or sketch of the plug or lure must be submitted with record applications.

I honestly figured the rule I posted was the wrong one but I had no clue what gang hook meant and I was running late for class so I couldnt look into it more and just posted what I had.

Apparently the area open for intrepretation is Gang hooks must be free swinging so baits like the Rago 3Ds and Ospreys where one hook is buried into the bait is not considered "free swinging." The other grey area had something to do with the sidewinder/topdawg type baits, also the ospreys that put the line through the bait and that was due to the fact the hook is attached directly to the line and not to the bait that it violates Gang hooks are permitted when attached to plugs and other artificial lures that are specifically designed for this use. I still have no clue what a gang hook constitutes...and it's too late for me to care... but hopefully this sheds some light on why 95% of soft plastic swimbaits are illegal per IGFA rules.

So lets hopefully get something constructive out of this...

Carrot out :P

Many lures are illegal to use in California anyway, as per section 2.10, Fishing methods and restrictionns-Illegal hooks. (possibly the Wildeye Swimbait that L. Trew was using.... does anybody know what size that was ?)
Just a reminder; any hook over 3/4's of an inch gap, free or attached to a lure,is illegal in all Cali fresh waters. Oh, granted most people do not care about this reg, and pretend like they don't know about it even after being told, but in the case of a possible WRB, this could present some huge problems !

Gang hooks ??? Must be an LA thing..... Seriously though, the closest thing I know of would be mutiple hooks on a single line (like for rockfishing) which are call gang`ions.

Peace,
Fish

It would seem to me that given the fact that most all of the new swimbaits and hard baits are a relatively new innovation which preceeded any regulations on the state and IGFA level. I would think that it is quite possible that the board of directors that oversee these type or regulations would be due to adopt revisions to accommodate the evolution of modern day equipment. It's just like smog laws, they get changed to accommodate innovations. Maybe it's just a matter of bringing these facts to the attention of those in positions to make such decisions.

My interpretation of gang hooks would a series of hooks, like trebles, tied in a row for the purpose of snagging fish.
The spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law is appropriate when talking about swimbaits. I don't think the IGFA would disqualify a WRB if it was caught on a treble stinger hook with one barb buried in the bait.

Just my .02

Gang hook = treble hook.

Even a frog hook is considered a gang hook. And since frog hooks aren't free swinging, you better hope you dont get the WRB on a frog.

And yes, they most certainly would disqualify you for having your treble (gang hook) pinned in the belly of a swimbait. They have said so themselves.

Kellen is right on
I copied this, which answers a lot of questions, from a thread on another forum

Here are my questions to IGFA with their response.
I have a few questions re Freshwater rules re hooks on lures.
1. If the lure has a soft body with a free hanging treble hook, is
it OK to bury one point of that treble into the soft body to hold it in
place? (see attachment)
2.If the line passes through the lure and is tied directly to the
hook is that OK?
3. Is a soft plastic lure with a single hook molded in OK?
Thanks for your attention,

1. Burying the treble hook in the soft body of the lure would make it a
"not free swinging" gang hook, and therefore would violate the IGFA rule
regarding fishing with lures.
2. This question was posed recently and we would need to look at it
more closely before a final decision is made. A lure is being sent to us
for this purpose.
3. Soft plastic lures with single hooks are acceptable. It is
essentially no different than a regular hook with a plastic worm put onto
it.

Whether it is a soft (plastic) or hard lure, it may have up to three hooks
(single, double, treble, or any combination of the three). Of those hooks,
the "gang hooks" (double and treble) must be free swinging. According to
the rules, if that soft plastic lure has three fixed single hooks in it, it
would be acceptable in most cases. If any or all of those hooks were to be
gang hooks, then they all must be free swinging. If one or all gang hooks
were imbedded into the plastic body of the lure, the lure would then be in
violation of IGFA rules.

Doug Blodgett
IGFA- World Records
Dblodgett@igfa.org <mailto:Dblodgett@igfa.org>
www.igfa.org <http://www.igfa.org>;

Woah! Well, thanks Mitch and Kellen. I honestly didn't think it would matter. That sheds a whole new light on pursuing THE FISH.
So I guess it might be better to come up with new ways to rig free swinging trebles on wire harnesses which could then be inserted into the soft plastic swimbaits.

Or just throw wood! :+

Just goes to show you ignorant and irrelevant the IGFA is to the bass fishing contingency nationwide. Get with the times and talk to someone who has caught a bass in the last ten years IGFA(rules me out though..LOL) Conventional bass tackle has made a few innovations in the past decade. I'm sure the embedded "gang-hook" is in the books to protect fish from un-sporting advances, but anyone can tell you that an embedded treble hook equals 2 possible bass-catching points as opposed to the 3 points of the free-swining treble. Is this new math? I took Calculus in college, yet I can't see how 2 hookpoints per hook(even in frogs) is an un-fair advantage as opposed to the 3 hookpoints of a hanging treble. I guess Pro-Rig Ospreys are going on the IGFA Black List Super Sale. Wake me up when the world stops spinning backwards.

F%$K the IGFA and $500 milion world record bass. If Fish Chris catches a 23 pounder on a (omigod oversized) 5/0 hook, it's still the record to me. If some one else catches it on some after-hour(poaching times to the law-abiding) mission, it's still the record to me. If some one catches a ?22-8? and weighs it on a 1/2 pound increment Boga Grip scale, and releases it with some doubtful measurements and grainy photos, well that's where we're at now. All you gotta know about Boga Grip is that Roland Martin pimps it! I trust it as much as I do my 401K manager or that punk kid walking my 12 year old daughter home from school!

Idea for the pro rigged osprey. Now this might sound a little dumb but it could work.

Get paper clips and wrap them around the shank of the hook(s) and then insert the paper clip into the belly of the bait keeping the hook(s) on the belly of the bait just like it would if you inserted the hook. This is basically what the BWW guys do with the stinger hook on thier pro rigged osprey but with out inserting the hook.



I might do this to one of my baits and post some pics to show you guys exactly what I mean.

I'm not exactly sure, but since I would imagine the reason they don't want non-free-swinging gang hooks is that it would be easier to snag a fish if the hook was fixed, rather than free swinging. You could ask Doug or Mike at the IGFA what their exact reasoning is, I could be completely wrong, because I just used my head a little bit.

Go Chris! Damn man, in all the years you were my roommate I never heard ya get yer crank so twisted up. I told you how good it feels to vent, which is my excuse for why I do it so much. You made a good point that made me realize something. If I, you, Kellen, Fish Chris or anyone else catches a 22-8, it is the world record regardless of what the rule making clowns at IGFA say. If they don't like it, or the lure, line, rod, time of day, clothes your wearing or the color of your boat, they can go pound sand. It's still the WR LMB and will go down in history as being so. BFD if your name doesn't appear in the hallowed halls of the IGFA because of one of their antiquated technicalities. It will appear in far more places that most people who fish will actually get to see and acknowledge. Sorry, I felt a little CJ comin' on so I had to vent a little. LOL.