There will be days like that !
sometimes the bite is just extremely tuff! Have seen many days that 8-10 bites is all you get ! If you don’t fish clean you miss a bite or two or loose one or two then you could come up short! Have been guilty of tossing a just a keeper before reaching your 7 to end up needing that fish. But that’s how we learn.
personally I’d be in it to win it ! Go big or go home ! 7 small fish going to get you the same results as 3-4 big fish !