Dave I think you asked this on another thread but I'll answer about the 6 lb bass in 3 yrs.
This is a great fish. However for Birmingham I think it should be what to expect if you did your stocking and management correctly. I expect 2 lbs. of growth per year on the original stocked bass. Subsequebnt generation 1.5 lbs is good. I believe strongly in F1 largemouth bass and Florida subspecies as well. Was it a F1?

I know most folks will not believe my story but I shocked a pond on one of my Plantations. It was an existing pond but had tons of intermediate bluegill, 3-5 inch golden shiners and tons of large tadpoles. To the landowners surprise no bass were shocked. I was stocking a 70 acre lake a month later (June)and got some extra for this pond. We stocked the fingerlings (2") Florida subspecies in this 12 acre pond at a rate of 25/acre just to see if they would make it. At 4 months they were 11 inches and .8 lbs. At 9 months 3.2 lbs. At 1 yr and 3 months 4.6 lbs and this last month when we were fishing the pond I caught a female with eggs that was 6.2 lbs at 3 months shy of 2 years. I tell this to show folks, b/c I was surprised myself, at the potential bass growth you can have with enough forage to go around.

Greg Grimes
www.lakework.com