On the Great South Bay as a young kid I got one and I recall my dad's face...he was in shock, he said he hadn't see a weakfish in 20 years...within a few years (early 70's) it was gangbusters of weaks in the bays on LI. Lots of quality fish in the 10+ lb range.
They use to spawn in the flats on the bay, I would watch them swim in circles in 3' of water among the eel grass. Commercial Gill netters would pound them. Once I saw a fellow fill his cockpit to his knees with fish he caught during the spawn (I was probably 13 or so at the time). I approached him in my boat at the dock and asked him why the took so many...what he said was he needed to take all he could because he was getting just ....15 cents/pound.
I told him that I would pay him more than that just to keep them alive. It was a shame to see the row-filled females slaughtered like that. Wish I took a photo.
Now, I hear it is pretty thin these days, nothing like those days.
Caught good numbers in the surf on BI in the early 80's. Now on MV I think one or two come into the local tackle shop each season with a "what is this?"
I am sure bass eat them too, there is noting else for them to eat.
Very mild and tastey fish, as a kid my mom would cook them with eggs for breakfast