This is a good topic...

This is what I've seen as far as studies go:

Bait has a negligible effect on mortality for adults, either summer or winter runs.

It has a more significant effect on downstream kelts, which are feeding somewhat aggressively after spawning.

It has a very high mortality on smolts that are caught and released.

Based on the above, I wouldn't support a general bait ban, but I'd support one in specific places at specific times so as to remove some of the negative impacts on kelts and smolts. For example...

A bait ban in December wouldn't make much sense. There are no smolts in the river at the time (or very few), and most summer runs have already headed back out if they've survived spawning. Also, most rivers don't have native populations of summer runs, so I wouldn't be nearly as worried about them if they were hatchery fish. If it was a river with native summer runs in it and they were present in significant numbers in December I'd be able to reassess the December ban. In almost no cases would it make sense in February, though by March there are downstream native winter runs that may be affected. I'd also like to see the best possible success rate on catchig and removing hatchery fish from the system so they don't spawn in the river.

In the summer when greater numbers of smolts are present, I could be convinced to not fish bait. I can also support not opening rivers to "trout" fishing when the trout that are actually there are smolts. Few of our rivers support fishable trout populations, anyway, except for a few good sea run or dolly runs, and those fish will eat anything, so bait doesn't really help you out much.

There are significant issues, though, that are definitely important to consider.

What is the difference between mortality from bait and mortality from artificials? There is a difference, but there is mortality from both.

Is that difference worth the trouble? Is the loss of fishing opportunity for some who fish bait significant enough to be looked at? Is taking a stand on this issue, and its attendant division that will automatically come up, worth the difference in mortality?

I think this is important to point out, too, that I fish about 70% bait when it is open to do so. These answers are easy to address if you fish exclusively with bait (definitely "no"), or exclusively with flies (definitely "yes"). Most of us don't fish exclusively with anything, so that has an effect on how we'd be coming down on this issue.

It's fair to consider all these issues, and it's fair to make decisions based on personal issues along with the scientific issues. About the only thing I wouldn't agree with is if someone automatically says "no" for the sole reason that they don't want any additional restrictions on their fishing. IMHO, anyway...

Fish on...

Todd.