Posts in this thread are among the best evidence I've ever seen of the collective ignorance of anglers.

What do you want?

More fishing opportunity? YES!!

Fish two rods? YES!!

When the two are mutually exclusive options, which do you want? I BELIEVE THEY ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. IF THE AGENCIES SAY IT IS, THEN THAT'S BS!!

I've come to believe that anglers are their own worst enemy when it comes to fish management. An angler who's been fishing for somewhere between 3 days and 30 years is a fisheries management expert. And an agency bureaucrat with a degree or degrees in biology and management, and who studies and understands the laws that govern fish management is full of BS.

Those members of the public who are unable or unwilling to develop reasoned, and reasonable, arguments are always going to be the ones who are blown off when management decisions are being made.

In a post above, Smalma described a very simple concept relating to angling efficiency (two rods) and length of fishing season. Most anadromous fisheries in this state are based on harvest allocations - excluding exceptions like the huge surpluses of hatchery coho expected to the Cowlitz and Lewis this year. For a simple example, consider that a harvest allocation for a particular run is 1,000 fish, then the season is based on the expected effort (number of angler days) and catch per effort. If anglers are using two rods instead of one, the estimated catch per effort is higher, and the harvest allocation will be reached sooner. And the season will close that much sooner. A choice must be made between efficiency and opportunity. The public usually sends WDFW the message that they want more opportunity, so WDFW does what they can to accomodate that interest.

Yet, several of you said that's BS. Well, you don't have to agree with what WDFW or any other fisheries person tells you. But fish agency personnel do have to do their jobs according to the laws and policies that govern them even if you think it's BS.

I don't care if you fish with two rods or not. Heck, I made the post about sport gillnetting and blasting caps as more interesting than using a second rod. But I've tried to use this BB as an educational tool. It's a great forum for fishing ideas, from CFM's coho jigs to choices in rods, reels, lines and even where to fish - altho that requires a certain discretion. It's potentially a great place to discuss fish management concepts and details. However, that potential is severely diminished in the presence of rants that "WDFW is a bunch of BS!!" I cannot educate a fool. And unreasoned criticism sounds foolish.

I don't expect you to agree with me. Or with WDFW. Those who know me also know that I can criticize WDFW, NMFS, USFWS, and the tribes with the best of them. But I do try to make reasoned arguments and criticism. I long ago learned that the unreasoned and unreasonable are the first to be blown off by management.

Stuff I'm reading in this thread is equivilent to having 2 fish plus 2 fish equal 5 fish. That is unreasoned and unreasonable. It'll get you no where. Fast. Some of you may just be having fun on this BB, and don't really care about outcomes. Others of you might think you don't know enough about science and management to effectively contribute to a desirable outcome. I'd say, if you can type on a computer and post information on the internet, you know enough about logic to use it in your thinking and be an effective contributor to successful fish management solutions.

And, truly, I do not care how many rods you fish with.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.