I typically find that if I'm wealthy enough to purchase and outfit a half dozen cruisers (ditto for a dozen) I can fairly easily maintain their supply costs and still build a tidy profit. Being able to chase down fleets is irrelevant because I just tend to hang around the starbase/planet of my enemy faction (usually ludd) and just murder every fleet that pops up, accumulating supplies, fuel and tradables. Making a quick jaunt to the nearest station, selling everything, then going back. In about an hour and a half I can make 6-10 million credits in profit.
All I'm really saying is that the 25 ship limit isn't prohibitive of making massive profits via trade or combat. And if you previously used a massive frigate fleet, there are other options out there that are just as lucrative.