Flossing and lifting is still illegal even if you get the fish in the mouth. The difference between getting a fine if the DNR is watching is how subtle you are in doing your drifts especially at the tail end of your drift.
Salmon are not actively feeding once they enter the river as their drive is to lay eggs or fertilize eggs at which time their bodies begin to break down and they basically decay while still alive until they get to a point where they just wither away to nothing.
Salmon will however strike out of aggression if your lure or bait gets too close to their nest. Guides will use plugs out of the front of their boats in a spray pattern as they drift down the river and they will intentionally drift over some nests to instigate a strike.
BTW, if you are in possession of a fish(s) with hooks in the body and the DNR sees it, you will be fined so if you decide to keep a fish with hooks in the fins or body, immediately remove all of them before you put the fish on your stringer.
Tight lines....

 

Right point is 100% correct.

The original post should be deleted as it depicts illegal activity and has no place on a "fishing" board.

 

I will add that Brown Trout and Steelhead are in the river at the same time as the Salmon because they follow the Salmon to feed on the eggs. It is not uncommon to catch a brown trout or Steelhead while drifting your line through a deeper hole.
I have seen some huge beautiful Brown Trout caught on the SR. If you luck into a Steelhead, hold on for dear life cause they will cover a lot of water before you even realize you have a Steelhead on and only have a few feet of line on your reel by then. Both the Brown trout and Steelhead will come and go from the lake. The Salmon once they get that urge to spawn will enter the rivers and tribs and go to the spot they were born to spawn. Those fish born at the hatchery will swim all the way up to the hatchery cause that's what's imprinted in them.
People say, "Why does it matter that we are snagging fish that will ultimately die" ? The reason is that you are also snagging the Brown Trout and Steelhead also. People foul hook all these fish and tire them to exhaustion and do not know how to resuscitate them upon their release and the fish end up dying somewhere down stream since they can't recover.

 

BTW, In all the years I have been going up there I have never seen a black bear on the river. I am sure there have been sightings but the SR is not Alaska so all those dying fish ( naturally or otherwise) do not draw bears from far and wide to feast.
I have seen some mature bald eagles up close which is very cool.

 

One reason that the salmon shouldn't be illegally caught is that currently 25-30% of all salmon in lake Ontario area naturally reproduced.

Is there any real difference between flossing salmon and road hunting deer?