[pectoralfin]

If you give up that second fish, when the population rebuilds, you will never see an increase in the limit from 1 to 2 fish. History has shown that limits have always decreased while the minimum size increases. Look at fluke, from 8 to 5 fish and they claim we overfished our limit last year (summer after Sandy) by 47% based on their highly questionable survey methods. Why can commercial fishermen keep 14" fish that we have to release? Sea bass from 25 to 15 fish. Winter flounder is still 2 fish and I wonder when that fishery is declared rebuilt so the limits can be increased. Up north, haddock went from 19" unlimited possession limits to 21" and 3 fish. And the list goes on.
For the record, I am in favor of reasonable size and possession limits. I keep one bass less than 32" and the rest are returned. But what you give up today will not be given back tomorrow.