One thing that my experience showed me (back when) is that no group of fishermen was scrupulously honest about reporting all of their catch (retained and released), the location, and so on. Competent managers know this, strive to find ways to improve it, and assume (hope??) that the unreported catch is at least a constant.

You can challenge the "count" of whomever you want but they can come back and point out that you do just as poorly. The system relies, for economic and social reasons, that the catch be self-reported. History has repeatedly shown that while intensive creel samples, intensive monitoring of fish buyers, and so on will provide more accurate numbers that the costs of doing so are prohibitive.

Much as I hate the current love affair managers have with models over data, there is no time sensitive, economically viable way to identify the actual source of each fish in the catch. Sockeye fisheries being the one I know of where it can be done relatively cheaply.

WDFW, the Tribes, and NOAA have all done a very poor job of educating all users about how management happens, why, the risks, and so on.

It is rather appalling to see, 40+ years post Boldt that the details are still so unknown among the general populous.