Hello, humans. I haven't seen this addressed in other discussions, so wanted to see if there's a quick, straightforward answer. (Pause for laughter.)
Basically, I'm curious if the new regs require that circle hooks be used in every circumstance. Example: Say I'm fishing for schoolies with a soft lure and a jig head. Does it have to be a circle hook jig head? (I know that charter boat associations and others groups have asked for an exemption from the new regs when trolling tubes and leadheads -- which makes sense. That said, I definitely support the spirit and most of the specifics of the current decrees regarding circle hooks.)
In short, I'm perfectly happy to use non-offset circle hooks in most every striper scenario -- but I can't figure out if I'll be screwed or fined if I use something other than a circle hook jig head with a little Zoom super fluke in the Housatonic.
Any clarity or insights will be most welcome. Thanks.
Benny