All great information. I have no illusions that this fish will gain weight. In fact it will probably be the opposite. I do want to create an environment where it will be relatively stress-free and allowed to reproduce at least one time. This lake was only stocked 5 years ago so the fact that we currently have 7+ pound bass seems to be an indicator that the conditions are pretty good.

I've been aggressive taking out smaller bass to make sure the forage base is maximized. In the past three years I've taken out well over 350 pounds of bass under 14 inches.

Any ideas on "loafing cover" for Gertrude?