Fishing two rods

[Morgan]

I know you can buy an endorsement for lake fishing, why not salmon? I fish quite a bit buy myself and it would be nice to be able to put out two different types of bait.

[Robbo]

I'm for it, but I wonder how the tribes will perceive the extra rods during the season setting process. Now that Nelly is in those meetings maybe he can help pull it off without us taking it in the shorts. Sure would be nice for the guys that like to fish solo.

[Smalma]

I have the 2 rod endorsement for those freshwater lakes and really enjoyed using it last season - was a real benefit in the kokanee fishing. We also had a great time fishing two rods for salmon in MA 10 many years ago when that was allowed.

However we need to remember that in today's world most of our salmon fisheries are control in one way or another by allowable impacts on wild and/or ESA listed stocks. Once those impacts are reached (or for the weakest stock) the fishery must close. We all would like to use two rods so that we can fish more efficiently which of course means that most days we will be handling more fish. Handling more fish for a given day means that we will have increased impacts on those limiting stocks. If collectively we are having higher impacts/day then the seasons must be shorter.

In effect changes such as allowing the use gwo rods can be done and NOF is where to pursue those changes however there will be costs in those changes; in this case it will mean shorter seasons. The question that most be answered then are we will to pay the price of using two rods by having shorter seasons. I suspect that most folks would prefer more time on the water. In recreational fisheries the economic value of the fishery is more about the number of days fished and less about how many fish are caught. Making moves that lower the man-days fished will reduce the value of that fishery.

BTW -
It is my understanding that there is a proposal to allow the use of two rods on Willapa this summer/fall. IMHO that is just bone being thrown to the recreational fishers for the increased commercial fisheries that we saw last season and are expected for at least several more years. Not sure that being allowed a second rod while fishing for reduced numbers of fish is such a deal. I think it is being discussed at the NOF coastal regaional meetings the 9th?).

Tight lines
Curt