wally wrote on Jun 24^th, 2010 at 5:07am:

Preacher....if that were true, they wouldn't have made the changes they already have.  IMO, they have already taken a beating with much worse to come. I believe they are not a small minority but a signifigant movement (yes a minority still) that has impressive political clout.  They can push a basless agenda through despite ill-toward financial side-effects. the above is obvious opinion.

Oh it's all opinion until someone can site a reasonable source.

What seriously detrimental changes have been made?  I've sat around the campfire with folks who head out, catch & keep their limit, then complain that the fishing isn't what it used to be.  Sometimes only to see them eat the catch and head back out for more.

For me sportfishing isn't about filling the freezer.  I can buy frozen fish at the supermarket.  Heck I can buy fresh fish too, bass, trout, pickerel, whitefish.  It's about passing the time, catching a few, once in a while keeping what will be eaten that day.  Often it's simply a line in the water while I explore the lake.

I certainly don't ever need to keep more than I'll eat that day.  The very few exceptions have been fatally hooked fish, & I eat as much as I can.

Barbs & live bait are crutches imo.  I'm an angler, not a harvester.