Chris, Nomad have over the years formed some quite definitive conclusions and whether you agree with them or not, they firmly believe them. They have far more experience than most of us doing this for a large part of the year so you have to respect their opinion.
- trebles do more damage to the fish - especially if the fish is unfortunate enough to get hooked with both sets because what results is that one set will almost certainly tear out damaging the fish in the process. Also, the treble in the jaw does more damage than a single hook
- once hooked, single hooks have a better retention rate
As I wrote, it is up to individuals as to what they believe but Nomad are doing this primarily for the sake of the the fish. After all, if you want to catch and release, there is no point if you are going to significantly damage the fish thus reducing its likelihood of survival. The simple reality though is that after this year, if you want to go out on a Nomad charter, you will need to comply with their rules. They are doing it for the right reasons.
Personally, I think it is a good thing. I cannot deny that based on my experience, trebles do more damage. I also firmly believe that when hooked, singles have a better retention rate. That said, I also believe that trebles have a better hookup rate, especially with pencil poppers.
In terms of what impact it will have on the way I rig, I'd say minimal. As it is, I already primarily rig with singles off the tail (except with pencil poppers) and a Baker rig off the belly. I really have developed a lot of faith in the Baker rig as have some of the people I fish with. I beleive it has the hookup rate of a treble and the retention rate of a single so it provides the best of both worlds.
Have I changed completely, well, probably not as I will probably still use some trebles but this will be in the minority. There are lures where I think I still prefer trebles on. I will still use trebles on pencil poppers and there are some poppers I think I will still use a big treble on the belly when I am not fishing with Nomad. These include the Ebipop 140 which works well with a Decoy 10/0, the Fisherman Bignouth HP 220 which works well with a Gamakatsu Recorder 8/0 and I still prefer the Cubera 125 with a Owner ST-76 5/0. All of that said, I will have singles off the tail on all my poppers and I can substitute Bakers without too much trouble.