I only fished long point aria a few times for bass small and large mouth so I can't comment on the issue what the cause of the decline
But I have fished a lot eastern lake Erie, specifically on the US side ,
On the US side all year open season on bass C/R
Than in April trophy season with 1 bass limit
and I believe its June full open season similar to Canada
The fishery there is absolutely nothing short of spectacular and has been for years both size and quantity,
So in my humble opinion it's more likely has to do with declining fishery at long point the change in habitat vs fishing pressure
I'm not saying increase in fishing pressure don't have any effect but I would consider that a small percentage
Also " and not trying to bash peoples abilities to catch bass " but adapting to ever changing conditions will put the odds in your favor and not just going with the same old method you got fish on 6 outings ego ,
I'm not a competitive fisher just for the fun of it
As for eating bass I prefer perch and walleye faster growing species and taste better