"go-bassn" wrote in message
...
It's very simple John, allow me to explain.

In an ideally balanced habitat (ecosystem) all the environmental factors
are
in check, working perfectly, & populations sustain themselves for long
periods of time. A balanced food chain is a beautiful thing.

Hey Warren, let me embark on a little side trip. I fish a natural pond of 4
or 5 acres. There is a decent population of bass, which are reasonably
proportioned and grow to a reasonable size for western NY. But the majority
of the pike that I've seen are not only small (most run from 16-20", with a
few larger), but significantly skinnier than average. Can you speculate what
might be going on in that water to allow for normal bass but skinny pike?
For what it's worth, I catch maybe 7-10 bass per pike.