Thanks for this thread Crosseyedbass. Although for most areas the moratorium existed anywhere from the early to mid-80's, it was a trying time to fish.

Many of the new fishermen out there don't have an understanding of how it was to go for weeks without getting bass from the surf. A while ago I interviewed Billy the Greek on this subject. He said he was still getting fish by boat. And because he's an exceptional, fanatically dedicated fisherman, I believe him.

But the surf guys really suffered. Many gave up in disgust. They turned to bluefish and fluke, with striped bass as an occasional unexpected bonus when ya got one.

I think these experiences, although contained as well in the other thread you linked, need to be shared to continue to raise awareness of what most anglers went through at that time.

So if any of you find articles mentioning the moratorium and how things were, feel free to post, even if not written in the 1982-1988 time frame. Please be sure to cite the source as well by posting the link. Thanks, people.