Random thoughts on a winter day

First post in 7 years.  Just thinking how some things have changed over the years and wondering if others have seen the same.  First off, I've been an Erie smallmouth fanatic since the mid 80s.  Back then I was launching my small boat at the Shorewood ramp or the old concrete dock at Shades.  Those of you that used those launches know that getting in and out was often quite an adventure. 
 
Anyways, there have been a couple of changes over the last decade or so and was curious what others have seen.  I have had to change my tactics over the years, initially drifting hair jigs, changing to tubes, then the last few years I've primarily trolled plugs.  Is it just me, or has the smallmouth population dropped over the last decade?  While we still catch our share, it is nothing compared to the good old days   Fortunately, the recent near-shore walleye bite has filled in the gaps. 
 
Another change I've seen is a significant drop in the rock bass we catch while targeting smallies in the bay or lake.  Years ago we had a ball catching loads of rockies while fishing the bay in the spring for smallies.  Also back then, probably 20 percent of our catch in the lake was rock bass.  Today, it's rare for us to catch a rock bass in the lake.
 
I'm assuming the fish numbers are still there, but I have not adapted to the lake changes.  Any opinions on my observations would be appreciated.

Pollution, overfishing, invasive. They all got a part to play in it. I’ve been reading some stuff on the Great Lakes and the more I read the sad stuff comes out.
https://www.bagheera.com/blue-pike/

Thanks for the feedback.  Yeah, back then, those May days in the bay sure were special with the non-stop action from smallies, rockies, perch, and the occasional pike.  Once June hit, we would move to the main lake where 30-40 fish days were common.
Still having fun though with the current mixture of smallmouth, walleye, and sheephead in the lake.  Hopefully the near-shore (small boat) walleye bite sticks around for a few years.

Agreed on the numbers, and the size, were ridiculous, to the point point of being unbelievable.

If we could get out on the main lake, we would. The number caught was less than the Bay, but the size was better. I recall a three fish winning total for a tournament (I fished, but did not win) that went 19 pounds, 15 ounces. That’s an over the top average.

It wasn’t hard to catch bass on the lake — it was hard to catch the right size. They tended to school by size for the most part. So if you got over 3 pound smallmouth, you left them. If you got over 4 pounders, you left. When you got over 5 pounders, you put two short of the tournament limit in the live well and went looking to finish the limit with a couple of over 6 pound kickers.

The lake fishing was typically blade baits, jigging spoons, or jigs, either hair or curly tail.

When forced to fish the Bay because of waves, it was usually grubs or jerk baits. Since we were sponsored, we tested new lures during these trips all the time. On one occasion, in the Bay, when it was flat, I put 74 smallmouths in the boat on a certain surface bait. It was incredible watching them smash it, sometimes one on both hooks.

We usually fished two tournaments, with practice days and the Memorial Day week. Bought Garcia Cardinal 3 spinning reels with the rear drag Knob just for the “Erie” season. Threw them away after returning home because the gears would be shot.