Cowlitzfisherman-- I was not trying to diss on you at all, I just see a flaw in your example. IMHO the example you gave is apples and oranges.

As far as handing rods off goes....I still don't understand the big deal. I personally don't care whether it is in a guide boat, on my boat, or standing along the bank somewhere. If I am hooking fish every 20 minutes, and some guy next to me hasn't touched a fish in 4 hours, why shouldn't I hand the rod off?? Most of you guys are saying that it shouldn't be about limiting everyone out, it's about the experience of being out there. Well, I've already hooked lots of fish, why not pass the rod to the guy next to me, and let him enjoy it. The guy obviously is dying to catch a fish, otherwise he wouldn't still be there flogging the water while other people around him have been catching fish. Hand him the rod, let him fight the fish. If he lands it, great. If it's hatchery, he bonks it. THAT IS WHAT HATCHERY FISH ARE FOR!! If it's wild, it goes back. Absolutely no difference between him landing it and me landing it.
And if a guide does the same thing, good. That is what he is there for, to provide the service of getting people into fighting fish.
And I do agree with RT here, when someone in the boat is tagged out, there rod goes in the tray. I don't understand the state's contradictory attitude between rivers and the ocean. When a tagged is filled, the rod should no longer fish, plain and simple.

Is it just an ego boost we are looking for here, fellas??? If a guy doesn't have catching fish down to the art that you do, he shouldn't be able to fight or land fish that he gets an assist on hooking? I guarantee I get pleasure out of helping someone else out, and I also guarantee they appreciate it. So, everybody has a good time. Isn't THAT what we are out there for??