There’s no way to control what fish your snagging hook contacts, but it’s important to understand that most species have to be released immediately.
“The 2014 regulations list only three species of fish that can be legally harvested through snagging: Those are catfish, silver carp and big head carp,” Lt. Rick Owens of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division said.
It’s also important to know what isn’t a catfish.
“A lot of people make the mistake of snagging and keeping paddlefish because they are commonly known as spoonbill catfish,” Owens said. “But paddlefish are not a catfish and cannot be legally harvested by snagging. They have to be released immediately, no matter what their condition. The same is true for buffalo and gar.”