I believe the purpose of implementing a non-bouyant lure restriction is to reduce the incidence of snagging. It may not have much to do with the debate on whether treble hooks or single hooks result in greater or lesser hooking mortality. Few anglers would argue with the fact that it's much easier to snag with a big treble hook than a single hook that's less than 3/4". Or that it's sorta tough to snag with a floating lure.

Regarding the treble/single hook debate, I've always believed that handling mortality almost always exceeds hooking mortality, regardless of the type of hook being used. That is, the reason that some fish die after being released has more to do with how it's played, handled, unhooked, and revived than the type of hook used by the angler.

I would agree that a single hook makes it easier to unhook a fish (thereby reducing handling injury), and a barbless one, even easier still. That's why I'll switch to single siwash hooks when targeting steelhead. Or whenever the regs say so.......



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MSB