We lost a healthy bluefish fishery (remember all the boats that fished the Patchogue grounds)
I go back further than that, as do you, I suspect. I remember the night bluefish chumming with cut butters and smelt on Ambrose Ridge and daily daytime slaughters at the old Acid Grounds. The Patchogue Grounds came later. I was a mate on the BlueFin II back then (very late 70's I believe) - and fishing that area up in the big boat's bow had a Penn 500 stripped by a BFT that picked up my AVA67 and stripped that reel to the spool's bottom, before the Capt. had a chance to turn the boat and give chase. I did put new gears and drags in that reel, but it was never the same. I think I gave it to one of the junior mates on the boat that season. Them was the dayz.