# rods per person



## CrawFish

How many rods is the max to allow a person to have on a crowded beach or pier? I've seen people hogging up tight space by laying 4 or even 5 rods out along the beach or the entire corner of the pier (i.e. PLO, SPSP, Seagull), and others are just elbow to elbow with one pole. I use two when i fish and i cast in the same direction, one far one short. I want to know what's everyone else think.


----------



## FL FISHERMAN

The regs say no more than 3 per person. I use 2 or 3 when the pier or beach is crowded. BUT when it is not crowded I have used as many as 5 or 6. It all depends on what I am going after and how many different baits I want to use at a time.


----------



## Orest

*I been*

using just 2 lately. 

What I don't like is like what was happening on Sat. opening day; the guy to my left would throw his line at a more 1 or 2 o'clock position, instead of straight out in front of him, hoping the current would move it to the left , but instead he was crossing my lines. 

I can see using more rods just to be able to spread your area from just a 2 rod space to about 5 rod space. This way people can't setup in your back pocket. Gives you some breathing room.


----------



## Wrong Way

Yeah, regs say 3 rods with lines in the water up to 2 hooks per line. If I'm fishing by myself, 3 is more than enough but once you're not catching, it doesn't matter how many lines you have out there. On Saturday, we had 4 people with only 4 rods just wasting bait out there.


----------



## Thrifty Angler

*Usually 2 or 3 are the norm that's allowed*

But the key words are "in the water." Some folks spread em out without putting them in the water. Takes up space.....hogging just the same. And don't trip over one no matter what you do. They watch them. Even with their backs turned.:jawdrop: 

It's annoying...but what can ya do. I let em have their glory. I simply drop my line along side with a straight down drop or a short cast and watch em get peed when I catch a fish. 
Down side is...when you go to take your fish off, they darn near break their necks getting to their idle rods to cast em out before I get back, sometimes tripping over them themselves. Gotta love the competition on piers. I'm learning.


----------



## Anthony

I usually use 1-3 rods when fishing, but I may use a fourth to try and catch spot for bait. I usually see how much room there is before I determine how many rods to use. If there is a good bite going on, then one or two is all I need. Or if there is limited room I will use one or two. If the bite is slow and there is a lot of room, then I'll use three. I'll always have an extra rod or two in case I want to throw lures or catch bait.


----------



## John K

There are no State regulations on rods per person fishing anywhere in saltwater (researched this once, there ARE regulations on it when fishing FRESHWATER.)

Any regulations pertaining to that would be specific to each pier, if there are any. There are no beaches that regulate #s of rods that I'm aware of.


----------



## Anthony

Wow, I swore that the limit was 3 in saltwater but I could not find any evidence to back this up. I had a DNR ranger tell me that the limit was 3 rods per person but that was like 8 years ago.


----------



## TRIGGERFISH

I read somewhere that in the bay when fishing off pier or surf that you can only have a total of six hooks in the water at a time,so alot of people do use six rods with one hook set ups, me only two rods and maybe one other(smaller) to catch bait. TRIGGER


----------



## Orest

*Answer from MD DNR*

There is no limit to the number of rods, however, you may only have two hooks per line. http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/regulations/tidalunlawful.html

I refer you to our web site for the answer.
Sincerely,
Dianne Samuels
MD Dept of Natural Resources
Fisheries Service B-2
580 Taylor Ave
Annapolis MD 21401
(410) 260-8273
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> 


-----Original Message-----
From: Stuparek, Orest - BLS CTR [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2004 10:23 AM
To: Samuels, Dianne
Subject: Number of Rods


How many rods are you allowed to fish with in the Chesapeake Bay from the shore or pier? And how many hooks per line?



Orest Stuparek


----------



## Anthony

Thanks Orest, guess I'll be bringing my whole arsenal next time . But some piers have their own rods per person regulations so make sure that you check before fishing the pier.


----------

