Well, nothing new here. The PLOTS program is a good idea, but needs some major reform IMO. It seems G&F are more concerned about quantity over quality. They love to say how much is enrolled in PLOTS, but as you saw, many are just crappy. Looks good on the guide and maps, but when you pull up to them......might as well hunt the Walmart parking lot.
Mind you, there are some good ones out there, but I've found other public lands can be more productive. School lands, state lands and WPA's to name a couple.
I really like ON-X, great tool to find some good areas.
Best of luck to you!
Greg