Relationship between lake-record weights of fishes and reservoir area and growing season

We used information from an angler recognition program to assess the relationship between lake-record weights of freshwater fishes captured by Texas anglers and two predictors of fish production and growth: reservoir surface area and growing-season length. The lake-record weights of two species, large-mouth bass Micropterus salmoides and flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris, were directly related to the logarithm of surface area. The record weights of all species studied were unrelated to growing-season length. Regardless of the statistical significance of individual correlations, there was a significant excess of positive correlations across all species between lake-record weights of fish and log surface area. This indicates the presence of a general relationship between the record weights of fish and reservoir area. Our results suggest that record weights of fish may be constrained by reservoir surface area.