Based on reports from neighbors, the scenic lake had been that way for years. With new fish, he would have trophy fish jumping through the tire swing next to the dock. Submit this case to the People's Court, and judge Wapner would throw it out for lack of evidence. Fact is, the Arkansas pond, like so many with a catch record, simply had too many bass, not enough food. A body of water can produce a given amount of fish, no matter where it's located.
Water supports only so many forage fish, so many predators.
It simply means the dynamics have slowed to a crawl. The Missouri pond owner was stuck on eight-inch bass simply because, once his fish reached a certain weight, their growth was halted by limited food and space. The pond owner corrected that problem by taking out high numbers of small bass and stocking adult bluegill to provide a forage base. He also set up a supplementary feeding program to add high-protein pellets, and he began adding fertilizer to the water to make it more fertile. A year later, he was able to stock a few intermediate-size Florida bass to change the genetics.