03-05-2012, 04:53 PM
You are right in that some unsportsmanlike conduct will happen either way.
The more I have read on circle hooks, the more impressed I am by how well they work. Unfortunately not all bait is fished with circle hooks. Maybe someday they will have regulations on some waters for " flies, lures, or bait with circle hooks". Where as now the waters that have special regulations don't allow anything beyond lures and flies. Interesting thought anyway.
Unfortunately I can imagine problems with an open two rod rule. Those groups that come in with extra kids and others that aren't fishing, and still take limits for everyone in the group will have an easier time to harvest their "limits". With a quicker limit, they may even return again. These are the types that aren't likely to purchase extra rod licenses for everyone.
It will also be harder for enforcement to identify those that are doing that, if there are extra "not in hand" rods for everyone. "Party" fishing in a big way.
I still think it will increase the mortality on the smaller fish that are caught and then released. Not all fish that are caught on bait die on release, but there are enough more that fisheries across the nation rule against bait on waters where there are special release regulations.
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The more I have read on circle hooks, the more impressed I am by how well they work. Unfortunately not all bait is fished with circle hooks. Maybe someday they will have regulations on some waters for " flies, lures, or bait with circle hooks". Where as now the waters that have special regulations don't allow anything beyond lures and flies. Interesting thought anyway.
Unfortunately I can imagine problems with an open two rod rule. Those groups that come in with extra kids and others that aren't fishing, and still take limits for everyone in the group will have an easier time to harvest their "limits". With a quicker limit, they may even return again. These are the types that aren't likely to purchase extra rod licenses for everyone.
It will also be harder for enforcement to identify those that are doing that, if there are extra "not in hand" rods for everyone. "Party" fishing in a big way.
I still think it will increase the mortality on the smaller fish that are caught and then released. Not all fish that are caught on bait die on release, but there are enough more that fisheries across the nation rule against bait on waters where there are special release regulations.
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