Two Lines or One.

[MuskieBait]

Let me ask you then...

Someone fishing a lure can only realistically fish one rod at a time (except for trolling which is a hands-off approach). Someone fishing bait, as per your stationary and hands-off techniques, can theoretically fish as many rods as they can handle.

If we are speaking "fair and equal", then it is UNFAIR to the lure angler, that the bait angler can fish that many rods at a time, with that many hooks in the water to maximize his/her chance...because remember...you are allowed 4 hooks on the line...so theoretically, you can fish something like a sabiki rig and maximize your chance with multiple hooks...

That's what I would argue for the basis of "fair and equal"...

In fact, the bait angler is really just a small subset...because I can count many anglers who partake in different techniques where it is only realistically possible to fish one rod at a time (bottom bouncing, float fishing, fly fishing, vertical jigging...etc). As such, the inequality is much greater AGAINST EVERYONE ELSE but the bait anglers...

Again, you can't compare icefishing with softwater fishing...it is two different animals...it is apples to oranges...because you can't simply cover water in a horizontal manner (more than a few feet in diameter) under the ice without turning the entire surface into swiss cheese...and that is a dangerous proposition for people who need to travel on such ice...