I forgot about the cranberry bogs in western RI and Cape Cod that are no deeper than 5', get ice, and put out 6-8 pound fish. A northern strain bass that is latharlgic for 4-5 months a year and hits that 5+ pound mark must be old (not sure exactly), nevermind how old a 8-9 pound fish may be. And some years we can have hot summers where the water hits the low-mid 80's in the summer and water levels can drop a foot or two and then a winter with the same water level and ice. Yet the fish can live for 10 years. So they must be able to adapt to different conditions. I would not expect one of these fish to be able to be taken out of it's environment and be able to live in crystal clear rocky water and sustain its weight and live for a good amount of time if this is done when the fish is say 4 years old. And visa versa. But raised in the environment it will. So if Hannon had started with frye and raised them in four feet of water, they could be fine.