If you had to choose, and you knew what the results would be... would you choose to catch 5 @ 30" fish or 1 @ 48" fish? For argument's sake, let's say this is over the course of a 3.5 hr outing.
Personally, I go to places, specifically because I think I have a shot at large, knowing I might catch nothing instead, about 8x/yr. The rest of the time, I go to places where I just think there's a good chance of catching. Also, I sometimes just try new spots or old spots at different tides, to see if they produce.
IMO, it's more fun to stay local, learn my rivers and shoreline, and catch a few. Sometime's I'll use lighter gear, which makes the small fish a little harder to handle. Very often, I'll try different techniques to see if there's bigger fish mixed in with the smaller: stuff like bigger lures, lower in the water column, eels, or big bait instead of lure. Every now and then, this works, and I'll catch a larger fish than I thought likely.
I have no qualms with folks who spend more time driving than fishing, who go to those big fish spots. Good for them, I say. I also take no issue with folks content to pick off back bay schoolies, and never venture onto the rocky jetty with a bag of eels. Whatever wets your waders don't bother me.
But, for discussion's sake, would you choose a bunch of medium/small fish, or just one big fish?