In marine areas, test boats fish primarily to provide staff and advisors with current in-season estimates used to determine the impacts and effectiveness of a rec fishery.
Off topic, but a lot of us know those fisher people who conduct the test fisheries. Comparing the general recreational fleet to the test boats is about as accurate as comparing Barney Fife to Albert Einstein..... They spend more consecutive hours on the water than any rec fisherman, and have more fishing know-how than most recreational anglers have in their pinky toe.
10% catch 90%
While this is somewhat true, there is learning curve and the rate of their effectiveness while fishing doesn't vary greatly from what any decent fisherman knows. Same gear, same places, same times, will produce very similar results as you or I who know how to fish Possession in the summer, Midchannel for blackmouth, the good spots in 8.2, etc.
I grew up with Pete and have talked to him about this issue. They do make an effort to fish the same way everyone else **typically** does and not focus on where the hot spots/methods are while sampling.
As to one of your other questions Priority2, there is no way to "get the number down" and use that as some sort of bargaining chip @ NOF. It is what it is what it is, as they say. There are also much larger issues to focus our efforts on at NOF.
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