I am hopeful that things get better. I enjoyed your post Carp post in another thread John, never caught one and I think that would be a fun and challenging fish to pursue. From what i understand they are some of the smartest fish there are. I am definitely getting excited for bass soon.
A common thing I’ve seen in regards to fisheries and game, is that once something is given up/lost it will likely never come back. The puget sound rivers have been essentially closed and it has not aided in “recovery”. The data collection processes used by most agencies are incredibly flawed. Maybe I’m a conspiracy theorist, but I don’t see hunting or fishing having a secure future. As long as there is division between anglers and sportsmen we are all doomed. Framers don’t bitch about the type of hammer they use to frame a house, they just want the house built well.