Mike :

Need more info to even make a guess. They may still be there. Scales can be used for aging fish. They have annulii or growth rings {like on trees}.

A couple of observations. The average life expectancy of LMB in the south is 10 years+-. If your stockers are 8 years old there may not be many left especially if you took out 6 & 7 lbs's in year 5 . If your pond is bass crowded as most in the south are then you could have a size gap between the original stockers and the rest. It is not in that situation unusual in a 8 year old pond to have only a few big fish and many small ones with a gap between the two { not many 3-4 lb fish}. That is typical of a bass crowded 8 year old pond in the south.

With out more facts I don't know if this applies to your situation. Good luck .ewest