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Like a lot of you here, I've danced this dance before, I also have sold bass, and ran a charter service, so, I can see where everyone has an opinion and vested interest, IMHO, no one is 100% right or 100% wrong, so many factors have contributed, and every one of us is culpable in the reduced numbers we see today, even in the smallest way, Having attended many meetings through the years, I've heard it twisted every which way...I've heard so many theories, I have my own opinion of it all, and it's pretty much a mix of all of what people think, personally, I just wrapped up the best season in a long, long time, do I think everything is good, not at all, I pulled my boat early because the fishing went "south" a few weeks ago and I don't anticipate it to get good anytime soon, in the 70's and early 80's we fished plum island until Thanksgiving, pods of fish moved through every few days, with breaks between pods getting bigger and lasting longer, eventually, you knew it was time to quit when you caught more codfish than bass... now both are gone from the fall run... we all as sportsman and stewards of the sport need to come together with a solution EVERYONE can live with, I do not feel it's too late, there are still enough pods of small and large to pull a 180, I don't want to see a total fishing moratorium, but IF we ALL do not change our habits and way of thinking, sadly, IMHO, that may be the only hope this beautiful and beloved fish has..
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