I agree on the two rod limit. Who or what are you hurting? The limit doesn't change so what's the big deal. Personally it'd be nice to have both rods out testing the different depths.

One thing that has changed in recent years is wild fish release. I fished two rods also when it was legal in the Sound in the 70s, and had my share of double headers by myself - not always with good results But one thing I did notice was that second fish was often pretty dead by the time I got the first one played out and dealt with. Would be a shame if the second fish was a wild one that had to be released now wouldn't it?

It was great back in 93 when we had a two rod rule. It balances the boat better with a DR running on each side :-)

I rather just find a friend to take along for the second rod.

The barbless hook rule would take care of the second rod on a double. Try it next time your out and the rigger pops off just leave it. Bet you that unclipped fish wont be there for long - come to think of it , neither would a clipped fish

I beg to differ Chaser, I have slacked lined many fish on barbless hooks, those that got hung up in gear, got around downrigger wires, around trees, or just plain cleaned me out under a log jam and had to be cut off and re-tied, and I rarely lose one. Barbless hooks hold just as well as barbed hooks in my experience. But I think the point I was trying to make is are we sport fishermen or meat fishermen? Is it really necessary to fish with two rods to enjoy our sport? I don't know about the rest of you, but most days I release fish so I can keep fishing. What the hell would I want two rods for, so I can go home earlier? One rod per angler is just fine with me, like Mike said, want two rods, take another fisherman along

Hey 4S,

It WOULD be kinda cool to troll a spinner in the Chehalis while tossing another one into the brush piles, wouldn't it?

I guess I don't care too much one way or the other. Spawndo made some good points about dealing with fish that must be released......if you were alone and doubled up, one of the fish is likely to suffer some ill effects.

But the fact remains, it's illegal now. That means YOU have to justify changing it, cfm......the other guys simply win by default otherwise.

I guess what really gets my dander up is this BS about use only 1 pole cause the fish are in danger but if you pay us more money its ok. As for being less sporting running 2 poles I'll have to disagree. You only fight one fish at a time with the pole they happen to have taken.

Wow, it's been along time since I've gotten my gear tangled while fighting a fish. I even make a practice of leaving the rigger down while fighting a fish and pinnipeds are around(little trick I learned from Capt Aagaurd of Anacortes). I must be doing something wrong!

A limit is a limit. What difference does it make how many poles are in the water. As for the difference between meatfishers and sporting fishers ( Your terms ) Say I'm a meat fisher -- I go out keep the first 2 fish I catch - - I've killed 2 fish. You being a sportfisher go out C&R 10 fish plus keep your limit of 2 - with a mortality rate of say 10%(conservative number) - - well, you've killed 3 fish - VERY SPORTING OF YOU!

what you guys are showing through is that this is all a matter of preference. YOU prefer to use only 1 rod, as do i(when salmon/steelie fishing) but i personally don't care how many others use

i would at least like to see the restriction removed on lakes, it would make fishing for perch/crappie a lot more effective especially in the winter when they're picky so i can use different lures/baits

Confession time..... I broke the law a few weeks ago

I was trolling in Puget Sound for salmon with a friend. We had two lines out on the downriggers and hadn't had a strike for at least an hour. We were watching herring surface all around us. I couldn't resist. I grabbed my ultralight, tied on some herring jigs and dropped them overboard with a weight to get them down

It didn't work. I didn't catch any herring and I felt like a teenager sneaking out of the house. After a few minutes I reeled the herring jig back in and thought, "What a stupid rule!"

If I couldn't handle two lines, I wouldn't fish them!!

Oh, BTW .... I was going at least 64mph down I-5 today!!!

And the nets go in Grays Harbor this week....

ET, that was perfectly legal. WDFW permits an additional rod to be used to catch "forage fish" Page 88 of the regs sez:

"While fishing for food fish in Areas 5-13, a second line using forage fish jig gear may be used to fish for forage fish."

But speaking of breaking rules, here's one I always bend. Page 17 says: "You may not: Use SALMON, HERRING, or HALIBUT for anything other than human consumption or fishing bait." After I fiillet and trim the cuts, there's always a wee bit of extra meat left. That gets poached a minute or two, and fed to my kitties. They love that stuff... it's like kitten cocaine.

http://slacktide.org:88/~dan/pics/kitty/Isis/Isis_salmon.JPG

Just to add to my earliar post,I see really no reasom for only one rod.I am guessing that if anybody in the know tried to justify only one rod it would have to do with not being able to be in controll of a second line durring a double header,inadvertly killing a wild ,endangered fish.I am not a fan of seat belt or motorcyucle helmet laws either though.

WDFW should put the option out there and let the multi tasker pay the $10. After all, 2 fish and your done! What does it really hurt... nothing and could even open up your favorite hole if someone beat you to it, count me in for the extra card.

Fishjunkie.. that would be incorrect. People in Idaho fish for sturgeon with 1 rod. You can indeed by a two rod tag. That applys to, trolling, bank fishing for trout etc. They just passed the law that you can use your two rod tag for Salmon and Steelhead, but it does not go into effect until 2004. This is for people who like to bank fish for them and they use side planers etc. The new regs may include sturgeon, but I doubt it. This is not to say that people have not been doing it all along.

Anyone got some science on that one? What studies do you know of that's now claiming to know what a 'timely matter is"? Is it your time, their time, my time, pacific standard time, or is it someone else's time????

Well that may be true for some, but what makes you think that all the others, or even the majority of the fishermen feel that way? Any studies to support that proclamation? I sure would like to see them if you can dig one of them up!

What really would be interesting, would be to find out what "special interest group" was responsible for removing the 2 rod use rule from the regulations. How much do you want to bet that the "charter boat" lobbies boys had something to do with it? Back in 93, the "wild fish" issue was not even into full swing yet, so why was the change made and who proposed or lobbied for it?

Seems to me that I remember the reason why the WDFW limited the sell of the "charter" boat licenses was because of the same type of "lame brain excuse"…. they said that it was suppose to "conserve" our fish! What a bunch of BS!

Isn't it really kind of funny that these same special interests groups who lobbied our legislators and WDFW to pass these kind of "conservative" laws to "save and conserve" our fish, were also the same turkeys who lobbied our legislators and WDFW, to pass a law that only allows license charter boats to keep fishing until the entire boat has caught it full limits of fish. And it really doesn't mater if it's just one or two guys that are doing all the "catching"! What hypocrisy!

When will our board members understand the need to just ask our state agencies …why?

It just seems that every time someone asked a question on this board, they are accused of either attacking WDFW or claiming that there is some kind conspiracy going on. Why can't people just ask hard question? Does anyone actually know why the 2 rod use was eliminated, and actually have any kind of documentation other then their opinion of why the rule was changed?

It just amazes me how people tend to use and support stupid laws in the name of saving our "wild fish"! Do you really believe that this rule was changed for the purpose of "saving" our wild fish? If so, you better wake up people before it's to damn late!


Cowlitzfisherman

I think the two rod rule is ridiculous. Most states allow two rods and in Canada you can fish as many as you like. If the two rods hurts the fish runs then something must be screwy to the north because most of their salmon runs are in much better shape than ours. When we make trips to Canada for example if there's two of us on board we will usually fish three rods and I have never had a problem with killing fish or having tangles this way. I think if someone wishes to fish more than one rod they should have the option of doing that.

My reply:

I'm with ya Dan!

One rod, two rods. Folks on this BB can be such pathetic wusses at times. I am so annoyed.

What's wrong with bringing back the ole sport-commercial license (ended in the early 70s) that allowed six (6) rods on a boat. Now, that was some serious salmon fishing off the Washington coast. Hell, a guy could take a month off work, fish like hell, and pay for his vacation and write off the boat, fuel, and bait as a business expense.

I think this state needs a good sport gillnetting license. I mean, just for a short rag, say 35 fathoms in freshwater and 100 fathoms in the salt. I'm not distracted and can handle that much web myself, all the while managing my boat and calculating the drift. And I'll make just short drifts so I can carefully release any unmarked wild salmon that I cannot retain as part of my daily catch limit. And I'm no meat fisherman. No one can tell me that man-handling a gillnet isn't sporting. It ain't easy to keep it from getting all tangled without a drum, and you don't want to get your feet caught in it when you're laying out for a drift, cuz it'll pull you overboard. It's fun as all get out when you see those corks dive, and a big king can lift a whole section of net from the water when he jumps. I mean, I know what is sporting to me. It doesn't take a fishing rod to make fishing a sport.

And how about blasting caps? Have you ever wondered how many fish are laying under a log jam? Blasting caps are one of the best ways to find out. And lots of the fish even survive! Probably not a good choice of bait when there's wild or ESA salmon around, tho, cuz it ain't very selective.

Sheesh! One rod, two rods - that is such small thinking!

t.i.c.

Salmo g.

Did they really end it then, or was that when they just decided to call it a "charter boat license" and make it like some kind of closed union? Or was it the "six pack" union fishing license? Funny what money can buy isn't it!


Cowlitzfisherman

For you salmon fishermen - something to think about!

A quick review of creel checks around Washington State reveals that the average angler typically catches way less than his daily limit. With an additional rod we each would be more likely to catch an additional fish or two. That in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing however consider the following:

Many of our salmon fishing opportunities are limited by Endangered Species (ESA) concerns. Our seasons (read number of rod days) are limited by the incidental mortalities on ESA listed fishes. Having more rods on the water clearly will increase the incidental catch and thus the mortality of these listed fish.

Are you willing trade for shorter seasons to be able to fish with more than one rod?

I am guess that if the sporting fishing impacts on ESA listed fish were to be held constant at today's levels and an extra rod was allowed that seasons would need to be shorten 10 to 30% (cfm -just an educated guess) depending on how many of us opted to use that extra rod.

For me days on the water are more important that taking home a couple more fish but again something for each of us to ponder!

Tight lines
Smalma